Scope

Since a long time, the role of soils as a physical support and nutrient-provider to crops has been recognized and appreciated, but in most other ways, the primary significance of soils for human well-being has been taken for granted and simply ignored. This perspective is currently changing, as more and more it is becoming clear that neglect or abuse of soils eventually leads to negative consequences, which can haunt us for a very long time. In terms, e.g., of the mineralization of the vast stock of carbon they contain (potentially leading to a strongly positive feedback for climate change), of the transmission of antibiotic resistance traits to human pathogens, or of widespread erosion causing major dust storms and related health issues in various parts of the world, soils are now far more on the public radar screen than ever before.

Economists and sociologists are also beginning to value the multitude of services that soils render to human societies, and this focus is fostering a holistic and systematic approach to tackle and manage the quality of soil resources. At the same time, scientific research on soils is making phenomenal progress. Tremendous technological advances in the last few years in a number of areas are profoundly changing the way we approach the myriad of physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in soils. New measuring instruments are allowing researchers to investigate the geometry and connectivity of soil pores, the composition of soil constituents, and the distribution and genetic make-up of soil organisms at spatial scales and in ways that were heretofore not accessible at all. The interplay between different soil parameters can also be considered in increasing detail, and be modeled mathematically with a new generation of computer simulation tools. Ongoing progress, for example by physicists developing novel ways to produce X-ray beams for use in a future generation of tomography scanners, guarantees that the current revolution in how we study soils is going to continue at a breathtaking pace in the foreseeable future.

In this general context, Soil Processes, with its quick publication turnaround time and interdisciplinary editorial board, hopes to serve as the ideal outlet, and as an effective catalyst for top-rated articles dealing with the topic of soil processes. Soil Processes publishes articles dealing with experimental, theoretical, as well as model-based research at any spatial or temporal scale. In particular, articles that describe investigations where different disciplinary perspectives complement one another and interact closely are most welcome. Along with technical articles, Soil Processes also encourages debate-promoting reflections, in the form of Opinion pieces, on the direction(s) research is taking, as well as on ways soil science education, in its largest sense, can be improved to meet the needs of a fast-changing research and regulatory landscape.

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