Soil sciences are a cluster of scientific disciplines focused on the physical, chemical, biological, and mineralogical properties and processes of soils as natural bodies and as dynamic systems within the critical zone. They encompass soil genesis and classification (pedology), soil physics (water, gas, energy transport), soil chemistry (ion exchange, sorption, redox, nutrient cycling), and soil biology and ecology (microbial and faunal communities, decomposition, biogeochemical transformations). Soil sciences provide quantitative frameworks for understanding soil functions in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon and nutrient cycling, plant growth support, contaminant fate, and regulation of hydrological processes, and underpin evidence-based management in agriculture, forestry, environmental remediation, and climate research.
Soils are home to some of the most diverse animal communities on Earth. These animals—including nematodes, springtails, mites, earthworms, spiders and other arthropods—drive decomposition, regulate microbial communities and ...
Plants & Animals
May 12, 2026
0
12
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Somehow, it feels like it's getting hotter and drier every day.
Environment
May 12, 2026
0
39
Mixing tree species can lead to better growth in the forest—at least above ground. A new study published in Nature shows that mixed forests had lower activity in the complex belowground ecosystems than previously thought. ...
Ecology
May 7, 2026
1
11
Environmental scientists and water resource managers need precise, high-resolution maps to reveal areas that farmers should avoid when planting crops, to limit polluting waters with phosphorus from fertilizer or manure. Making ...
Ecology
May 7, 2026
0
6
Cranfield University has launched a new soil and environmental online database and mapping tool, opening up detailed information about land in England and Wales. In collaboration with Defra, Cranfield's Land Information System ...
Molecular & Computational biology
May 3, 2026
0
27
A new "gold standard" for soil analysis and microplastic extraction has been developed at the University of New England (UNE), unlocking vital capabilities to safeguard agricultural soils and protect human health. Led by ...
Biotechnology
Apr 29, 2026
0
11
When Hurricane Maria made its ferocious landfall on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the loss extended beyond several thousand human lives: The damage to the island's natural ecosystems, including its ...
Ecology
Apr 29, 2026
0
9
Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till and reduced till, are critical for sustainable agriculture, and they are gradually becoming popular with farmers across the Midwest. Monitoring tillage usage can provide insights ...
Ecology
Apr 22, 2026
0
5
Soil biologist Eric Slessarev has some advice for conservationists, landscapers, and farmers with fallow fields: Go touch deep-rooted grass. Or better yet, go plant some. Slessarev, an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 21, 2026
0
23
A greater focus on roots during plant breeding could ensure staple grain crops continue to feed the world as recycled nutrients substitute conventional fertilizers in the future, a University of Queensland study published ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 17, 2026
0
56
