IUSS Alert 233 (March 2025)

State of the art

The IUSS Divisions, Commissions and Working Groups Chairs can now share their publications on the IUSS Alert. Every month, send your publications to the Secretariat and they will be published here. Please do so by the 15 of every month to make sure your articles will be published in the monthly current issue. Let’s keep our community posted on the progress of Soil Sciences.

Highlighted IUSS publications

By Division 1

By Diego Luciano Nascimento, Francisco Sérgio Bernardes Ladeira Memories of the deep past: The importance of the soil memory concept for paleopedology studies online: March 2025 CATENA, Vol. 254, Special issue ‘Soil Memory’, 30 June 2025, 108945; DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108945

The aim of this paper is to engage in a reflective exercise on the role played by the soil memory concept as an epistemic tool to overcome contingency, underdetermination, and equifinality—common phenomena within historical sciences—in interpretation of paleosols. The soil memory concept is related to the capacity of soil record information about soil forming factors and pedogenic processes in their characteristics. This work discusses how soil memory serves as a conceptual and methodological framework that facilitates the establishment of analogical reasoning in paleopedology. Soil memory in paleopedology identifies regularities between paleosols and soils, linking different pedogenic characteristics and processes across various spatial and temporal scales, thereby allowing paleoenvironmental explanation. Soil memory provides an ’experimental context’ to emphasize the observed regularities between different objects, such as Precambrian and Quaternary paleosols at different scales. Soil memory is not a definitive explanation but rather an open, dynamic, and exploratory tool that helps guide subsequent research steps and refine questions based on weak and in some cases unrelated evidence. Recent years have seen increased interest in the capacity of historical sciences, particularly geology and paleontology, to provide comprehensive explanations for complex events from the deep past. Integrating paleopedology into this discussion enhances our understanding of how scientific knowledge about past environments is constructed, and how the historical sciences contribute to scientific explanations.

By Curtis Monger, Maria Bronnikova Soil memory of bioclimatic changes in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, USA, online: March 2025, CATENA, Volume 254, Special issue ‘Soil Memory’ Article Number 108944, 30 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.108944

The purpose of this paper is to examine the soil memory concept at three landforms (piedmont slope, Rio Grande valley border, and basin floor) in a region in the northern Chihuahuan Desert that has been studied for six decades as part of a USDA Desert Soil Geomorphology Project and Jornada Experimental Range.
On each of the three landforms, the soil memory concept supports previous chronosequence and progressive-regressive pedogenic models that describe the transformation of a lithomatrix into a pedomatrix. Palimpsest-wise and book-wise memory, combined with landform memory (stepped fan-terraces), provide evidence of alternating landscape stability (soil formation) and instability (erosion) ranging in magnitude from overgrazing within the last 180 years to the major glacial/interglacial cycles within the last 800,000 years. Carbon isotopic analysis in combination with the soil memory model indicates an increase in C3 desert shrubs during the recent overgrazing high-erosion period and during the mid-Holocene aridity period, but otherwise indicates a system dominated by C4 grasses. That the isotopes did not detect an increase in C3 shrubs during the earlier interglacial periods might be the result of overprinting by a C4 signature during the longer and more stable glacial periods.
In addition to memory acquisition, memory loss is an important concept. In the Chihuahuan Desert study area, memory loss occurs mainly by the microbial oxidation of organic matter during increased aridity, by erosion that truncates soil horizons during dry periods, and by the dissolution of carbonate during wetter periods.

By Peter Kühn Understanding colluvial deposits CATENA, Volume 254, 30 June 2025, 108963;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.108963

During the Holocene, humans have decisively shaped their environment by becoming ecosystem engineers. The advent of sedentism led to the expansion of agricultural areas, unintentionally causing widespread soil erosion, forming colluvial deposits. These often multi-layered colluvial deposits, which particularly occur along slopes and depressions, serve as crucial geoarchives of human-environment interactions. Using a simplified erosion–deposition model of the formation of multi-layered colluvial deposits without considering pre-burial postdepositional processes in each colluvial layer can lead to incorrect interpretations or, at best, to an underestimation of the high value of colluvium as geoarchive. Therefore, this study discusses different scenarios of possible pre-burial postdepositional changes in soil properties of individual colluvial layers, with and without human influence, and how these changes may affect the interpretation of dating results. After the deposition of a colluvial layer, influences such as ongoing agricultural activities can homogenise the respective layer, so that it is an analytical challenge to distinguish between originally successive erosion/deposition events and ultimately to establish a robust model age for the time of their deposition. By integrating high-resolution archaeopedological analyses, we explore how agricultural activities and pedogenic processes alter post-depositional soil properties, complicating the distinction between successive deposition events. The findings highlight the importance of considering non-linear correlations and post-depositional changes to establish accurate models of land-use history and erosion/deposition events.

Awards

IUSS is seeking nominations for general awards, medals, and prizes for the 2026 WCSS. From research accomplishments to contributions in soil science, there are opportunities for both new and established researchers and scientists. Nomination instructions and award details can be found at https://www.iuss.org/awards-medals-and-prizes/
All nominations are due on 5 June 2025.

News from the IUSS

2025 IUSS World Soil of the Year

The “Gleysol – Hydromorphic soil supporting forest growth in the steppe region from the Carpathian Basin”, has been officially named the World Soil of the Year 2025. This soil was proposed by the Hungarian Soil Science Society. It highlights the significance of these unique soils that have a large global coverage, occurring in nearly all climates.
The represented World Soil of the Year soil profile is located on Püspökladány Experimental Station and Arboretum University of Sopron Forest Research Institute (SOE-ERTI). The soil is part of a unique cultural landscape dominated by grasslands and salt effected pastures in the Hungarian Plain. It is located within the Hortobágy National Park, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Man and the Biosphere Program – MAB) and recognized UNESCO World heritage site.
Gleysols are soils that are affected in various areas in the world by land use and management and the indirect and direct effects of climate change. Salinization of groundwater, decreasing groundwater levels and alternation of sediment influx are common.
The election of the ‘Gleysol – hydromorphic soil from the steppe region in the Carpathian Basin’ as the World Soil of the Year 2025, comes amid growing global concerns about soil health and environmental change. Protecting and sustainably managing these hydromorphic soils is essential for mitigating floods, preserving water quality, and ensuring sustainable forest ecosystems in steppe terrains.
Various activities are planned throughout the year to celebrate this achievement, including educational programs, community workshops, and conservation initiatives aimed at promoting awareness of Gleysols’ ecological significance.

More information on the World Soil of the Year the Gleysol from the Carpatian Plain can found here:
https://www.iuss.org/world-soil-of-the-year/

World Soil of the Year elections
In recognition of the success of various national programs, the IUSS WSY program has been implemented to enhance soil literacy across numerous countries and on a global scale. It is expected that this will aid in compiling a registry of soil heritage, to recognize the inherent natural and cultural values of soils, thereby helping to open doors for soil science to integrate with environmental protection activities and projects.

2nd Workshop on Soil degradation control, remediation and reclamation

Date: 9th -11th June 2025
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Organized by: Commission 3.5 of the International Union of Soil Sciences, Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant protection Nikola Poushkarov (ISSAPPNP), Agricultural Academy in cooperation with the Potsdam University and Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

News from national and regional soil science societies
2025

BSSS – The British Society of Soil Science
Soil Matters – Soil science podcast

Announce the launch of our new podcast, Soil Matters, a platform dedicated to bridging the gap between cutting-edge scientific research and real-world application.
Each episode will feature leading experts, researchers, and practitioners discussing the latest findings, innovations, and challenges in soil science.
From exploring soil’s role in climate change mitigation to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, Soil Matters aims to engage listeners with accessible, thought-provoking content that highlights the importance of soil in shaping our planet’s future. This podcast is open to researcher, policymaker, or simply curious about the ground beneath your feet, and offers something for everyone passionate about soil science. The program is to host 6 episodes throughout the year covering new and current topics all about soil.
The first episode features soil scientists Professor Fred Coulon and Professor Tony Gutierrez, speaking on behalf of the EBNet project, as they outline their current research and their plans for the future. Also Past-President, Professor Jack Hannam, will be speaking about the new art exhibition at London’s Somerset House.
You can listen to the first episode here and the podcast will also be available on all the main streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon

BSSS Soil Training Courses

These Working Soil training courses are a great opportunity for or update your knowledge and practical skills.
Date: Wednesday 2 – Thursday 3 April 2025
Location: Bedfordshire
Title: An Introduction to Soil Classification

This course is held over two days, with the first day on-line and the second in the field. It is aimed at researchers and others who want to gain a perspective of how their local field experimental sites and their results fit into the current picture of soil variation at UK and, in particular global scales. You can find out more about the course: British Society of Soil Science – Authorization required.

BSSS Zoom into Soil Webinar: SUM Journal and Phosphorus Use Efficiency
Date: 09 April 2025
Location: Online 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (BST)
Our April Zoom into Soil webinar will take place on Wednesday 9 April from 12:00 – 1:00pm (UK time) and is free of charge to register. Join Prof. Leo Condron and Pietro Sica as they discuss the Soil Use and Management journal (SUM) on its 40th anniversary and a leading paper from the journal on prosperous use efficiency.
You can register for free at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2321766582375287894

A Practical Introduction to Soils in Great Britain

Date: Wednesday 30 April – Thursday 1 May 2025
Location: Llysfasi, Wales

This course covers two days and is targeted at people who want to improve their field soil description and identification skills. It includes introductory presentations, practical sessions on soil description techniques and then field visits to demonstrate a range of soil types and to hone your profile description skills. You can find out more about the course: British Society of Soil Science – A Practical Introduction to Soils in Great Britain (Coleg Cambria, Llysfasi).
Places for both courses are limited. If you have any questions, to contact the team at admin@soils.org.uk

U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences (USNC/SS)

Soils Speak: Communicating Science through Storytelling, Artificial Intelligence, and Modern Visualization with the U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences
Date: April 30th, 2025
Location: 2:00PM – 3:30PM ET
The U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences will host a webinar on communicating soil science through story-telling, artificial intelligence, and modern visualization.
Storytelling can significantly enhance the understanding of soil science by making complex concepts more accessible, relatable, and engaging to a wider audience. By humanizing scientific concepts and framing them within narratives, abstract ideas become more tangible and memorable. Stories can provide historical context, illustrating how our understanding of soil has evolved over time and highlighting its importance in human civilization and cultural development. This approach can effectively demonstrate the interconnectedness of soil science with other disciplines such as archaeology, ecology, and agriculture, helping people appreciate the far-reaching impacts of soil health. Incorporating various storytelling mediums like literature, art, and digital media can make soil science accessible to people with different learning preferences and backgrounds.
Read more: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/44615_04-2025_soils-speak-communicating-science-through-storytelling-artificial-intelligence-and-modern-visualization-with-the-u-s-national-committee-for-soil-sciences
Registration: https://events.nationalacademies.org/44615_04-2025_soils-speak-communicating-science-through-storytelling-artificial-intelligence

AFES – Association Française pour l’Étude des Sols
WSD 2025

Date: July 7th – 11st, 2025
Location: Geneva, Swiss

2025 Soil Study Days: A Meeting Place for Francophone Researchers and Professionals. The 17th edition of the Soil Study Days (JES 2025) will take place in Geneva from July 7 to 11, 2025, welcoming researchers and professionals working in the field of soil science. JES 2025 is organized by the Geneva School of Landscape, Engineering, and Architecture (HEPIA) and the French Association for Soil Studies, in close collaboration with the Swiss Soil Science Society.
Main Theme
The central theme for this edition is: “Soils, Functions, and Transition”.
In light of current events related to soils from bio-physical, legal, and socio-political perspectives, this edition aims to focus on the role of soils and their functions in our daily lives, as well as methods for evaluating, monitoring, and sustainably managing soils in a transitioning society.
Scope
In addition to the main theme, as is customary for JES, contributions on:
• General soil knowledge,
• Soils in warm regions, and
• Proposals that extend beyond the initial theme, are also welcomed and encouraged.

2025 will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange, fostering connections among the French-speaking soil science community and beyond.

Canadian Society of Soil Science

Soils For Our Future – A Gathering of Global to Local Perspectives

Date: July 20th-25th, 2025
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The SOILS FOR OUR FUTURE 2025 brings together three conference events: 5th Global Soil Security Conference, Canadian Society of Soil Science Annual Meeting, and International Union of Soil Sciences Division 1 – Soils in Space and Time Meeting. Hosted by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Manitoba Soil Science Society. With over 700 researchers, industry members, leaders of farmer organizations, graduate students and other attendees, SOILS FOR OUR FUTURE 2025 provides a global perspective to today’s research to sustain our future. Spanning five days, the conference provides attendees of the events to meet in plenary/technical sessions with their individual organizations and for all to come together in keynote sessions, tradeshow, posters, workshops and field tours.
The Organizing Committee of the Soils For Our Future (SFOF) 2025 International Joint Meeting of the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS), the International Union of Soil Sciences – Division 1 – Soils in Space and Time (IUSS Div 1), and the 5th Global Soil Security (GSS) Conference, hosted by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) and the Manitoba Soil Science Society (MSSS), announces that Early Registration is now open. Abstract Submissions remain open until March 31, 2025.
Further information can be obtained from the website (soilsforourfuture.ca) or by email (soils2025@mbsoils.ca )

SISS – Società Italiana della Scienza del Suolo

International “Antonio Berlese” Summer School (ABSS) Soil Fauna: Applied Ecology and Systematics – First edition

Date: September 1st-5th, 2025
Location: experimental farm Fagna in Scarperia (FI), Italy

Key Info
Duration: 5 days
Lessons: 17 hours
Practical activities: 14 hours
Guided Study: 17 hours
Target: Undergraduate, Master’s and PhD students, Researchers and Professionals;
Available places: 24 (12 free tent places)
ECTS: 3
Early registration: before April16th, Students: 340 €, Professionals: 450 €
Late registration : before June16th, Students: 450 €, Professionals: 550 €

Course Objectives:
– Explore soil biodiversity and ecology of soil fauna
– Study taxonomy and conservation practices
– Gain practical experience in sampling, extraction, identification and elaboration
– Collaborate with international experts

More information:
abs_school@scienzadelsuolo.org,
preregistration (before June 16th) : https://forms.office.com/e/eDvTeL8CKh

European Confederation of Soil Science Societies

VII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE ECSSS
VII EUROSOIL 2025 & X Congreso Ibérico de la Ciencia del Suelo

Date: September 8th – 12th, 2025
Location: Seville, Spain

EUROSOIL is the official meeting of the European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS). It is held every four years and is one of Europe’s most important Soil Sciences events. It provides an excellent opportunity for knowledge transfer among the Soil Sciences community. Over 2000 participants are expected to attend the event and present their findings through oral and poster presentations encompassing all scientific aspects of Soil Science. The event will also feature workshops, and an exhibition of products and services aimed at raising awareness in society, facilitating the exchange of ideas and information, and creating business opportunities offering a platform for researchers, scholars and professionals to exchange knowledge, insights, and innovations. Additionally, during this edition of EUROSOIL, the Iberian Congress of Soil Sciences (CICS) will also be held along with the 1st European Soil Judging Contest in Alicante, one week before the event in Seville.

Registration:
https://www.eurosoil2025.eu/eurosoil2025/call-abstracts/guidelines

Abstracts Submission:
https://www.eurosoil2025.eu/eurosoil2025/registration/registration-fees

Deadline:
31 March 2025: Early registration deadline
15 May 2025: Regular abstract submission deadline
31 May 2025: Abstract notification to authors
15 June 2025: Regular registration deadline
15 July 2025: Last minute submission (only posters)
8 September 2025: EUROSOIL 2025 starts

e-mail: eurosoil@viajeseci.es

Austrian Soil Science Society

International Symposium 2025
Molecular modeling in soil science – achievements and perspectives
Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire (CECAM-AT)

Date: September 24th-26th, 2025
Location: BOKU University, Vienna, Austria

It is undeniable the major role of soils in ecosystem functions at very different spatial and temporal scales (local and global) from microscopic to macroscopic phenomena. In view of the great demand for information regarding best practices for soil use and management, as well as remediation, new methods traditionally used in other areas have come into play to provide a better understanding of important soil processes and functions. With the arrival of powerful and more efficient computers, molecular modeling has become an important tool, offering insights into scales unattainable experimentally, being able to simulate complex molecular systems. The application of such methods in soil science has proven success to understand the interactions within soil at microscopic level, key to determine the fate of pollutants.
This symposium represents an opportunity to bring together scientists of high prestige in different areas of molecular modeling applied to soil science to discuss the state-of-the-art, promote meaningful discussions and contrast in-depth points of view to determine future perspectives and challenges regarding molecular modeling applied to soil science. Furthermore, the symposium presents an opportunity to foster cooperation and dissemination of knowledge on methods for the simulation of representative soil models, according to today’s needs as well as the prediction of physicochemical properties.
Plenary sessions:
– Advances of MM methods in soil science
– Soil minerals
– Soil organic matter (SOM)
– Interactions of minerals and SOM
– Fate of contaminants in soils

Registration deadline: July 18, 2025
Read more: https://www.cecam.org/workshop-details/1393

SUITMA13 International Conference

Date: October 5th – 9th, 2025
Location: Pisa, Italy

The Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) of the National Research Council (CNR) on behalf of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS), is pleased to invite colleagues from all around the world to participate in the SUITMA (Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas) 13th international conference, which will be held in Pisa, Italy, from the 5 -9 October 2025, at the CNR (Italian National Research Council) in Pisa.
The conference will focus on “SUITMA from a One Health Perspective”. Soil is a key component of the water and nutrient cycle, and a major contributor to global carbon sequestration. Soil also provides habitats for nearly all land plants, as well as a large proportion of terrestrial fauna. Despite its global importance, it is estimated that one third of global soil is degraded. In anthropized areas, soils undergo many forms of disturbance: manipulation, compaction, and pollution which impact their quality. However, even degraded soils have the potential to alleviate environmental problems and play a vital role in supporting vegetation. Degraded soils of urban areas and other anthropogenic lands merit scientific and professional attention in order to enhance their ecosystem services and to support nature- based solutions, to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change, and for the health of all organisms and ecosystems.
Topics:
• SUITMA as sink and source of pollutants – Keywords: geochemical cycles, urban food production.
• SUITMA to conserve and improve soil quality and biodiversity – Keywords: soil remediation, soil biology, bioindicators of soil quality and functionality, genomics.
• SUITMA improvers and ecosystem services – Keywords: waste materials for soil construction, compost, rubble, mine waste, Technosols.
• SUITMA challenges for the future – Keywords: pedology, Anthropocene, war contamination, emerging contaminants.

Deadlines:
Call for abstract – opening: 3 March 2025
Abstract submission deadline: 2 May 2025
Abstract acceptance: 31 May 2025
Early bird registration deadline: 10 June 2025

News from national and regional soil science societies
2026

Field International Workshop on Paleopedology “Deciphering the ancient anthropic landscape transformation in the southern Maya lowlands in Mexico”

Date: February 19th – 25th, 2026
Location: Palenque, Mexico

The workshop objective is to show different landscapes occupied by the ancient Mayas, from the northern alluvial plain of the Usumacinta River, where people mainly developed small and rural towns, to the highlands at Sierra de Chiapas, where monumental and well-organized cities were constructed. The workshop will consist of two-day conferences and five days of field excursions. During the first two days of the workshop, oral and poster presentations will be conducted. The scientific topics include:
– Soil memory: a key guide for understanding past environmental and human impacts.
– Micromorphology of key pedogenetic processes. Linking microscopic observations and analytical data for differentiating anthropic and natural soil processes.
– Classification of soils in archaeological sites.
– Pedogenesis of anthropogenic soils and ecosystems.
– Novel methods and techniques and quantitative approaches in paleosol studies.

Conference Organizers:
• International Union of Soil Science, IUSS Division 1. Soil in Space and Time, Commission 1.6 – Paleopedology.
• International Union for Quaternary Research, INQUA Working Group.
• Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM).
• Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL).
National Organizing Committee:
• Instituto de Geología, UNAM
Elizabeth Solleiro –solleiro@geologia.unam.mx
Sergey Sedov – serg_sedov@yahoo.com
Daisy Valera – daisyvalera1988@gmail.com
Jaime Díaz – biotic08@gmail.com
• Instituto de Ecología A.C., INECOL
Lilit Pogosyan – lilit.pogosyan@inecol.mx

Soil Science Society of China (SSSC)
The 23rd World Congress of Soil Science – Call for Parallel Session Topics
Date: 7th -12th June, 2026
Location: Nanjing, China
The World Congress of Soil Science is the most authoritative and influential international conference in the field, sponsored by the International Union of Soil Sciences. It is a major event for scientific and technological professionals in soil science and related disciplines worldwide to engage in academic exchange. Held every four years, the conference covers a wide range of topics and serves as a platform for exchange and collaboration among soil scientists from around the globe.
The WCSS2026 theme, ‘Soil and the Shared Future for Mankind’ focuses on the importance of soil for our future, with a variety of arrangements including poster exhibition, young researcher forum and soil judging contest. Tours will also be organized for participants to visit typical soils in combination with unique landscapes and cultural diversification as China is a vast country with rich soil resources.
With a global population that is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, our current and future food security hinges on our ability to increase yields and food quality using the soils that we already have available today. We are responsible for the soils that provide us with food, water and air, and we need to take action today to ensure that we have healthy soils for a sustainable and food secure future. Our understanding of the importance is developing rapidly and the WCSS2026 provides a platform for us to discover the solutions to soil issues and an opportunity to connect all who work with and have interests in soils.
Important dates and deadlines:
March 31st, 2025: Deadline for call for session proposals
May 31st, 2025: Notification of session proposal acceptance
June 01st, 2025: Online registration open
July, 2025: Abstract submission open
November 07th, 2025: Deadline for abstract submission
February 07th, 2026: Notification of abstract acceptance
March 07th, 2026: Deadline for early registration; Deadline for regular registration; Cancellation and refund
Read more: https://www.23wcss.org.cn/

Conferences, Meetings and Workshops
2025

Workshop on Palaeosoil Analysis in Late Glacial Sandy Terrains Across Europe

Date: May 5th -7th, 2025
Location: unique and protected environment of the Deliblato Sands, Serbia. Plava Dama Hotel facilities (Banatski Karlovac, Serbia)

This is a workshop on late glacial palaeosoils in sandy terrains across Europe of the multidisciplinary international team of the TERPRO INQUA Project PAST
The overarching goal of PAST is to take first steps in building a comprehensive Upper Pleistocene palaeosoil database from dunes and sandy terrains across Europe. This single-year INQUA project aims to lay the foundation for a future multi-year research initiative.
Important Deadlines:
– 20 March 2025: Registration and abstract submission deadline.
– 1 April 2025: Second circular with a detailed program.

15th National Conference on Biodiversity
2nd International Conference on Mediterranean Biodiversity

Date: June 3rd – 6th, 2025
Location: University of Perugia, Italy

The 15th National Congress on Biodiversity, will be organized by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3) of the University of Perugia, in cooperation with the Accademia delle Scienze della Biodiversità Mediterranea (ASBM).

The 15th National Conference on Biodiversity will promote and disseminate the latest basic and applied scientific knowledge on the study, conservation and sustainable use of animal, plant, insect, and microbial diversity within the Academic, Scientific and Institutional world. The topic of the Conference, “Biodiversity in the 21st century: new paradigms for new challenges”, was chosen to provide answers to the new challenges imposed by the growing impact of human activities and climate change on biological diversity in natural and agricultural ecosystems, suggesting possible solutions and defining innovative intervention models, both aimed at in-situ and ex-situ conservation, as well as sustainable enhancement, also in light of the principles of circular economy, in line with the EU strategies envisaged within the European Green Deal.
The 15th National Conference on Biodiversity will also be associated with the 2nd Edition of the International Conference on Mediterranean Biodiversity. The Mediterranean basin represents not only an area important for its history, cultures and traditions, but also a complex of natural and agricultural ecosystems that are hotspots of plant, animal and microbial biodiversity still understudied.

Important Dates
Oral and poster abstract Submission Deadline: March 31st, 2025
Notification of Oral Abstract Acceptance: April 20th, 2025
Early Registration Deadline: March 31st, 2025

Read more: Perugia Biodiversity 2025

18th International Symposium on Soil and Plant Analysis.
Advancing Agricultural Science for Global Sustainability

Date: June 9th -13rd, 2025
Pre-Symposium Workshop: June 9th. Post-Symposium Tour: June 14th-16th
Location: Durham, North Carolina USA

The Soil and Plant Analysis Council (SPAC) announces that registration, sponsorship opportunities, and a call for abstracts for the 18th International Symposium on Soil and Plant Analysis (ISSPA) are now open. The meeting of ISSPA 2025 is hosted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and North Carolina State University and will take place in Durham, North Carolina, USA, June 9 – 13, 2025, in partnership with the Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council, Agri-Laboratory Association of Southern Africa, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Soil Partnership.

17th Symposium on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology – BAGECO 2025 – Bacteria drive our planet’s health
(in conjunction with the 11th Theodor Escherich Symposium)

Date: July 1st – 4th, 2025
Location: Graz, University Library Graz, Austria

Main topics of the symposium are:
• Defining pathogens from an ecological perspective
• Anthropocene and biogeochemical cycles
• Soil microbiome and One Health
• The human microbiome in health and disease
• Food-gut microbiome axis
• Microbiome engineering for sustainable agriculture
• Microbial production systems and artificial intelligence Submit your abstract until
The scientific programme will be published on the conference website in spring 2025.

Read more: https://bageco.org/

Global Conference on Sandy Soils
Shifting Sands to Sustainable Solutions

Date: July 21st-24th, 2025
Location: Perth, Western Australia

This conference will build and strengthen the international network of researchers with expertise on sandy soils. The conference theme ‘Shifting Sands to Sustainable Solutions’ is focused the challenges of managing and protecting the natural capital of sandy soils in the face of a changing climate.

Main topics of the symposium are:
• Climate change and sandy landscapes
• Sand distribution and formation
• Monitoring, mapping and sensors
• Soil properties-analytical techniques
• Agricultural systems (irrigated and dryland)
• Natural systems
• Engineered systems
• Soil and water conservation
• Soil Fertility
• Overcoming constraints to plant growth

Key dates:
Call for Abstract close: 14 March 2025
Early bird close: 4 June 2025

Read more: www.sandysoils.org

13th Symposium on Earthworm Ecology – ISEE13

Date: August 23rd-28th, 2025
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands

This edition’s theme, “From the lab to the field, from the field to the lab,” reflects the commitment to bridging experimental and real-world studies—both essential for advancing earthworm research. ISEE13 will provide a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, with a strong focus on early-career researchers who are at the forefront of addressing global challenges that impact, or are influenced by, earthworms.

Read more: event.wur.nl/isee13/home-2

The 10th International Acid Sulfate Soils Conference
Date: Conference – September 15th-17th, 2025
Excursion – September 18th-20th, 2025
Location: Luleå, Sweden

We are delighted to invite you to the 10th edition of the International Acid Sulfate Soils Conference (IASSC), celebrating over three decades of groundbreaking research and collaboration in the field of acid sulfate soils. As the leading interdisciplinary platform for acid sulfate soil research, management, and policy development, the IASSC brings together researchers, industry professionals, environmental managers, and policymakers from around the world to share knowledge and advance the field. Over the course of three days, the conference will feature a rich program of oral and poster presentations, highlighting the latest research and cutting-edge advancements in the field. In addition to the main conference sessions, we are excited to offer pre- and post-conference excursions that will explore the unique landscapes and environmental challenges of northern Sweden and Finland. These excursions will provide valuable insights into the practical applications of acid sulfate soil management in the region, offering a unique opportunity to engage with local experts and experience the environment firsthand.
Deadline for abstract submission: April 15th, 2025

For any inquiries, feel free to reach out to our conference team.
Conference-related questions: sarah.conrad@ltu.se
Excursion-related questions: anton.boman@gtk.fi
Read more: https://event.trippus.net/Home/Index/AEAKgINaZaTdCFzBKUcmTlLR9EZJnOe_7IMVKbLfLB10EZD5nrx0n7RnIkUT7ob0MOVWwsr29RiG/AEAKgIPmAO63b8dcXtm99Oas7FVacW0oEMV8IpPQ2FskOAqru2UClkW25UR7fvWVVZjQPoPNU3_j/eng

The 6th WASWAC World Conference. Resilient Landscapes: Innovations and Traditions in Climate-Adaptive Soil and Water Conservation (RISE-SWC)

Date: September 15th-17th, 2025
Location: Rabat, Morocco

World Association for Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), in collaboration with the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), organizes the 6th WASWAC World Conference. The conference will provide an exchange platform for soil and water resources conservation on a global scale, fostering collaboration among scientists, experts, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world. The conference aims to propose actionable solutions that can strengthen global efforts to combat climate change impacts on soil and water systems, support sustainable development, and promote technological and scientific advancements in these critical fields.

Sub-themes:
1. Impact of climate change on soil erosion and coping strategies
2. The role of water resources management in addressing climate change
3. Challenges and opportunities of land use planning and management in the context of climate change
4. Integration of traditional wisdom and modern technology in soil and water management
5. Social and economic considerations in soil and water management
6. Strategic shifts in soil and water conservation practices and technologies to address climate change
7. Monitoring and early warning mechanisms in soil and water management
8. Soil and water conservation in production and construction projects

Deadlines:
Last date of abstract submission: May 30th, 2025
Intimation of acceptance of abstracts: June 30th, 2025

Innovation in climate research for societal transformation- Conference SISC2025
Date: October 22nd -24th, 2025
Location: Salerno, Italy

The Conference aims at connecting leading scientists, researchers, economists, practitioners, business leaders, and policy makers, whose activities are focused on different aspects of climate change, its impacts and related policies.

The call for abstracts and for thematic sessions are now open and topics of interest include:
• At the intersection of Big data, HPC and AI for Climate Science
• Risk management, adaptation and social and economic transformations
• Changes in means and extremes: trends and dynamic at multiple scales
• Climate related impacts on natural and human systems across landscapes
• Mitigation technologies for ambitious climate targets
Important dates:
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 March 2025
Notification: 9 May 2025
Deadline for registration for presenting author to be included in the programme: 6 June 2025
Preliminary programme: 30 July 2025

10th edition FESP (Fire Effects on Soil Properties)

Date: November 25th -28th, 2025
Location: UFRO, Pucón Campus, Chile

Organized by the Universidad de la Frontera and La Universidad de los Lagos.

The conference website will be available very soon with all the information.

Read more: For now more information you can write to: fesp10@ufrontera.cl

Opportunities

Summer School on Agriculture, Forest and Environmental Geodata Statistical Analysis, Modelling and Machine Learning [SAFEST]

Date: 9th – 13th June 2025 (5 days, 30 hours)
Location: Department of Veterinary Sciences, viale delle Piagge, 2 – Pisa, Italy

The aim of the school is stimulating the integration among different data handling strategies and modelling procedures of geodata, with special emphasis to plant biomass and soil traits, and to support the modelling activities in various fields of expertise, including agriculture and forest management, soil management, soil biodiversity, and their potential relationship with economic, environmental indicator or social data.
Topics in the school include:
• use of reference databases on land cover, soil traits, and meteorological and climate data;
• data search, download, visualization, spatial references and projections, proximal and remote sensed data, terrain analysis, graphical interface;
• methods for covariate identification, acquisition, and selection, and inclusion in modelling procedures;
• linear mixed models for statistical analysis of soil and biological data, methods to include spatialization and soil depth as variables, methods to study unbalanced data or including variables with missing data, regression models;
• overview on models and some case studies: decision trees (random forest, boosted regression trees, others), artificial neural networks, process based modles, geomatics, etc..
Deadline: March 31, 2025

Link for a description and participation: https://www.unipi.it/index.php/agriculture-and-veterinary/item/26793-agriculture-forest-environmental-geodata-statistical-analysis-modelling-machine-learning
Mail for info: sergio.saia@unipi.it

Geochronology Summer School

Date: August 31st – September 6th, 2025
Location: Morteratsch, Pontresina, Engadine, Switzerland

In collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), the Geochronology unit organizes a summer school every year. Interested researchers are invited to attend this inspiring week on dating anthropogenic and natural changes in a fragile Alpine environment.

Soil Biology Lab Skills Course For Assessing Soil Functions
Date: September 1st – 5th, 2025
Location: Wageningen University, the Netherlands

The Soil Biology Group of Wageningen University is organising a laboratory skills course to define which measurements of soil biology are relevant for which soil functions. This course will provide the participants with an overview of a range of methods related to the five soil functions and will provide detailed practical training in a subset of measures. The training will be a combination of lectures, laboratory and field sessions (interactive lectures and practical sessions each day). Assessing a range of measurement types, from simple visual assessments in the field, to training in microscope identification techniques for nematodes and earthworms, and functional measures in the lab such as MicroResp. All methods described in the course will be made available to participants as well as advice on how to analyse the data.

Grounding Carbon Farming course

Date: 13th – 19th September 2025
Location: Dampierre-en-Bray, Normandy, France

Organised by: WIMEK graduate school in collaboration with Soil biology and Environmental policy groups (Wageningen University).

Duration: 5 full days during a week on site on a farm in Normandy, France. Arrival night of the 13th, departure in the morning on the 19th.
As the climate changes, the environment degrades, biodiversity declines and the world population increases, agricultural ecosystems are increasingly looked at, both as culprit and saviours. Agroecosystems and their soils are indeed key to support a multitude of ecosystem services, but their degradation worldwide jeopardises this ability.
Carbon farming is proposed as a solution. One approach – soil carbon sequestration – to solve the climate crisis and revert environmental degradation caused by agriculture while feeding a growing world population.

Other News

A warm welcome to the new GSP Secretary!

Thorunn Wolfram Petursdottir is the new Secretary of the Global Soil Partnership.

With more than 20 years of experience in natural resource management, sustainable land use planning, policy development and multi-stakeholder cooperation, she has worked with colleagues in several countries to promote science-based solutions for sustainable land and soil management and soil restoration.
The GSP, established in late 2012 following the approval of its Statute by FAO members at the 145th FAO Council, is a beacon of hope for soils for two fundamental reasons:
– First, as a voluntary partnership, it unites governments, international and regional organizations, institutions, and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and coordinated action to safeguard soil resources. Today, more than 165 FAO Members have nominated a GSP focal point and 662 additional partners worldwide actively contribute to and advance GSP’s mission.
– Secondly, the GSP Secretariat is hosted by FAO due to its global mandate, benefiting from FAO’s credibility, technical expertise, and policy influence. This ensures that soil health is fully integrated into sustainable development, climate resilience, and the transformation of agrifood systems worldwide.
This is also a particularly special time to join FAO, as this year marks the Organization’s 80th anniversary.
Throughout its history, FAO has consistently prioritized soil health, recognizing its essential role in achieving better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO -ITPS Soil Letter #10 FAO
The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) has just released its latest letter, highlighting how soil contaminants seep into groundwater, affecting water quality, ecosystems, and human health.
Read more: Soil pollution on the move – How leaching causes groundwater pollution

Video The global workshop on “Enhancing Capacities for Soil Health Development and Nutritious Food Production (S4N)”

The global workshop on “Enhancing Capacities for Soil Health Development and Nutritious Food Production (S4N)” was organized by FAO and its Global Soil Partnership with support from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). It took place as part of the World Soil Day celebration and was later presented as a side event at the International Soil and Water Forum (ISWF) in Thailand from 9 to 11 December. This participatory workshop brought together national promoters of the Global Soil Doctors Programme (GSDP) from Burkina Faso, Colombia, Mexico, and Thailand. It aimed to foster collaboration and exchange experiences, emphasizing the direct link between healthy soils and nutritious food production.
Watch the video: Key moments of the Global Workshop on Soils for Nutrition

New Books

Regenerative Agriculture Ecology and Precision Tools

By Parmeet Singh, Monessa Bashir, Shayista Fayaz, Subhash Chand, 2025, Ed. Satish Serial Publishing House.

Regenerative agriculture offers a pathway to restore ecosystems, improve soil health and enhance biodiversity. This book provides an insight on philosophy of regenerative agriculture and tools and technologies for promotion in ecologically fragile and finite ecosystem. It offers a deep dive into the essence of regenerative agriculture, exploring its principles and practices and uncovering how it can address the complex challenges facing modern farming. Regenerative agriculture is a knowledge-intensive, systems-based approach grounded in ecological thinking. The future of agriculture is not just in the yield-it’s in fostering ecosystems with precision tools that make every plant, drop of water, and inch of soil count. Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather, driven by climate change caused by human activity, make agriculture highly vulnerable. Traditional farming methods, relying on chemicals, monocultures, and soil-degrading practices, worsen the issue. Remedy is, any farm, whether certified organic or not, can borrow from organic models to introduce a set of practices that regenerate soil life by focusing on biodiversity above and below ground. So, holistic approach is required for optimum utilization of ecological resources and processes to reap nutritious food without harming soil and animal health. This book is classified into 5 units 28 Chapters. All the important aspects of regenerative agriculture like Ecological resources, Nutrient management, Precision tools, Soil health, Biotic and Abiotic stress management has been deliberated with references.

ISBN: 9789353878887

Communication

To IUSS Commission and Working Group Chairs: you are kindly requested to inform the Secretariat whenever there is a change within your Commission and/or Working Group officers. In this way, it will be possible to keep the IUSS Officers Mailing List regularly updated.

To IUSS Full Members: please do not forget to let the Secretariat know about your new President, Secretary, Contact Person. This will be vital in keeping the mailing list updated, so you will not miss out any communication.

Please provide the new name, surname, position and e-mail address to: iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it

If you are interested in promoting your product or book, event, job call in our Alert, please send an email to iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it.