IUSS Alert - 36 (April 2008)
Information for and from the global soil science community
No-till on CD ROM
This CD was planned as a collection of supplementary reference materials, to serve as a companion to the printed book No-Till Farming Systems (2008). This CD is entitled the 25th Anniversary Souvenir Edition of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC - established 1983) and it is a contribution to the International Year of Planet Earth. There are 17 sections, comprising 1,008 files in 106 folders, mostly in PDF, PPT, Word, describing no-till and other related SWC works from many national and international organizations. An application form is also provided for those who wish to join WASWC. The CD, if purchased separately, costs US$5/copy, with delivery to any post address worldwide. You are welcome to reproduce and use all materials in any form, without restriction. To get your copy please contact Samran Sombatpanit at
Soil science conferences and workshops
Land degradation - Italy
The 5th International Conference on Land Degradation will be held inside the campus of Mediterranean Agronomic Institute in Valenzano, Bari, Italy from 18 to 22 September 2008. Conference theme is: 'Moving ahead from assessments to actions: Could we win the struggle with land degradation?' The deadline for submission of abstracts will remain open until 30 April 2008. Complete information on this event could be found here
ISMOM Conference - Chile
The organizing Committee and the IUSS commission 2-5 Soil chemical, physical & biological interfacial reactions is pleased to invite you to participate in the 5th International Symposium Interactions of Soil Minerals with Organic Components and Microorganisms (ISMOM). The symposium is devoted to Soil-Root- Microbe Interactions and the Impact on the trans formations and Fate of Nutrients and Pollutants in the Ecosystems". It will be held in Pucon, Chile from 24 to 29 of November 2008. More information here
Biohydrology 2009 - Slovakia
The second international conference on Biohydrology will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia on 21-24 September, 2009. A major conference topic will be interactions between hydrological and biological processes in soil under conditions of changing climate. It will provide an ideal opportunity for soil scientists to discuss recent research developments in a cross-disciplinary meeting also involving hydrologists, biologists. Key-note lectures from internationally renowned scientists, combined with volunteered papers and posters, will examine the wide range of processes that drive soil biology/hydrology interactions from the micro- to regional-scale. Details of the conference and deadlines for abstracts can be found here
Soil education - Brazil
The central theme of the 4th Brazilian Symposium is Soil education: teaching and public perception on soils. The symposium will be held at Universidade of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, from May, 15 to 17th, 2008, and organized by the university and co-sponsored by the Commission of Soil Science Teaching of the Brazilian Society of Soil Science. It will discuss the challenges and advances on soil awareness by people, with an eye in basic education and scientific outreach. School teachers and science communicators are specially invited. The meeting will bring together successful experiences on Soil Education for an exchange and convergence in order to spread and scale up the actions throughout the country. More information can be obtained at www.fealq.org.br or contact or
Soils with Mediterranean Type of Climate - Lebanon
The 10th International Meeting will be held in Beirut, Lebanon from 22-26th June. This conference will highlight the problems of soil management and conservation, and issues concerning scientists and stakeholders living in areas with soils of a Mediterranean Type of Climate. More information click here
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Senior Researcher Changing Soil Use - Netherlands
The Soil Physics and Land Use team is looking for a senior scientific researcher in the field of effects of land use and land use changes on the soil. The mainly model based research relates soil suitability to the physical, chemical and biological potential of the soil. As senior scientist you are responsible for the development and follow-up of research in national and international projects. You operate within a team and acts as project leader. For further information contact Arie van Kekem, click here
Director ISRIC - Netherlands
ISRIC - World Soil Information in Wageningen, The Netherlands, seeks a new director. The Director requires leadership qualities, institutional management experience, an international network, and expertise in multidisciplinary applications of soil and land resources information. Applications including curriculum vitae and names of three referees should be sent before 15 April 2008. For further details,
Spatial pedologist CSIRO - Australia
CSIRO Land and Water is seeking to appoint a Senior Research Scientist to lead the Digital Soil Mapping Team within the Spatial Analysis Group. The position will contribute primarily to the MASaLA Theme and its first Stream - the National Soil Information Centre. This Theme is building the spatial data infrastructure and supporting systems for monitoring and forecasting soil condition across Australia. The appointee will initially contribute to existing research projects establishing a spatial and temporal monitoring regime for soil attributes underpinning soil carbon changes and to national and international initiatives in digital soil mapping. More information here
PhD and postdoc positions
There are various postdoc vacancies the JRC SOIL Action and institute, more information click here There are two PhD position in hydropedology at Penn State university in the USA, click here for more info. There is a PhD position in soil biology/fertility at Wageningen University, click here for further information. Positions in pedometrics are regularly advertised at the website www.pedometrics.org and several soil science jobs are advertised on the EarthWorks website, click here including positions at Heidelberg University (Germany), Glen Osmond CSIRO (Australia), Gottingen (Germany) and in the USA.
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