• share
• favorite_border

The Soil Science Society of America will present the 2010 Fellows class at their Annual Meetings Oct. 31 to Nov 3, in Long Beach, CA.

• share
• favorite_border

Dig It! The Secrets of Soil opens in Omaha, NE, from Oct. 2 to Dec. 26.

• share
• favorite_border

Procedure will improve research in plant nutrient uptake, organic matter decomposition, and production of greenhouse gases.

• share
• favorite_border

Changes in soil microbial communities reduce plant decomposition rates and affect carbon cycling

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists examine the absorption potential of decomposing plant materials

• share
• favorite_border

Scientific journal features research on how water moves through soil and bedrock

• share
• favorite_border

Study looks at the effect of increased warming and nitrogen on soil microbes through an entire season.

• share
• favorite_border

Improved soil mapping analysis helps land managers better predict soil carbon sinks across varying landscapes.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists demonstrate the importance of tidal marshes in removing excess nutrients from estuaries and watersheds.

• share
• favorite_border

In the Spring 2010 edition of Soil Survey Horizons, a publication of the Soil Science Society of America, a team of Chinese soil scientists lead by Zitong Gong give an historical perspective of the influence of early and modern American soil scientists in the development of China’s soil science discipline.

• share
• favorite_border

Two new articles in the March/April 2010 issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal look back on the challenges, impact, and lessons the Soil Science Society of America learned from bringing an often misunderstood and underrepresented science to a museum that sees over six million visitors a year. “Dig it!” encourages non-traditional soil education techniques, increased public outreach, and new partnerships.

• share
• favorite_border

A new book takes a region by region look across the United States at the challenges remaining in soil and water conservation, and what we've learned over the past century.

• share
• favorite_border

A long-term study on the effect of sewage sludge on tropical soil.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have investigated carbon and nitrogen accumulation in soils formed on debris flows in a coniferous forest in southern California. Soil formation was studied using a space-for-time substitution, in which debris flows of various ages were used to approximate soil formation over time.

• share
• favorite_border

The world's greatest wines are the result of synergy among grape variety, human input, and terroir -- a term defined as the vineyard site, soil, and climate. Experts will discuss terroir with an emphasis on soil science on Nov. 4 in Pittsburgh, PA at the Annual Meeting of the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.

• share
• favorite_border

A lecture on Nov. 3 in Pittsburgh will highlight the role of phosphorus in wetlands, including the Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxia zone/dead zone in the Mississippi River basin. In addition to an overview of current research, suggestions for realistic management techniques that balance wetland ecosystems and landscape functions will also be discussed.

• share
• favorite_border

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) will recognize individuals for their contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service, and research.

• share
• favorite_border

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) will continue a time-honored tradition this year with the presentation of the following individuals as 2009 SSSA Fellows at a special Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Nov. 1-5 in Pittsburgh, PA.

• share
• favorite_border

Convective oxygen supply into waste rock piles may result in extreme environmental pollution. Recent research has shown that oxidation of sulfides in mining wastes produces high concentrations of sulfate, iron, and other metals, and frequently also very low pH values.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists test the effectiveness of a new soil moisture sensor in a recent study published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal.

• share
• favorite_border

A new article featured in Soil Survey Horizons details research behind the new ArcGIS geodatabase software, used to develop the Remote Area Soil Proxy modeling technique to predict natural occurrence of soils in remote areas. This technology will be key to overcoming large investments in time and resources for the study of soil formations and distribution under their natural conditions.

• share
• favorite_border

New research highlighted in the latest issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality shows that even very contaminated shooting range soils can be remediated by using poultry waste and revegetating the site.

• share
• favorite_border

As carbon is released through fossil-fuel burning and changing land use, scientists are seeking a more accurate understanding of carbon storage and cycling. Calcium in rainfall may reveal soil's carbon storage potential.

• share
• favorite_border

Four experts in soil carbon research, farming, and forestry will address the opportunity farmers and foresters have to manage soil carbon to reduce greenhouse gas and participate in voluntary markets. The briefing will be held April 15 in Washington, DC at 10:30 am in 1334 Longworth House Office Building and again at 3:00 pm in 328-A Senate Russell Office Building. Members of the media are invited to attend.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers in the Midwestern United States have examined the effects of flooding on soil, and have learned more about ways in which short-term ponding conditions can affect soil aggregation and the chemistry of the soil-water system. These conditions can have a great impact on soil quality and agriculture in the region.

• share
• favorite_border

A study conducted at the University of Notre Dame revealed that nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, is frequently produced in the sediments of small streams and that production rates were best explained by stream water nitrate concentrations. These concentrations are often the result of runoff from agricultural soils, where it is well established that a high presence of nitrates can stimulate nitrous oxide production.

• share
• favorite_border

The Catskill Mountains receive some of the highest nitrogen deposition rates in North America due to pollutants drifting, and a recent study in this region demonstrates how some forested watersheds are more capable than others in absorbing nitrogen. While nitrogen is an important nutrient for plant growth, excess levels are capable of acidifying soils and decreasing water quality.

• share
• favorite_border

Soil Carbon Sequestration and the Greenhouse Effect: Second Edition, a new book published by the Soil Science Society of America, examines the role of soils as a carbon sink and provides new perspectives as the field of carbon sequestration advances. With continuous increases in the release of greenhouse gases and its effects on climate change, understanding the soil carbon pool is significant in reducing our impact on the atmosphere.

• share
• favorite_border

Recent research conducted at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada studied the impacts of tillage and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on carbon storage, revealing that the effect of no-till on carbon sequestration can be variable depending on soil and climatic conditions, and nutrient management practices.

• share
• favorite_border

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted new research studying the microscopic layer of minerals on tiny sediment grains, finding that the mineral composition of these coatings on sediment grains in the unsaturated zone can have a substantial effect on the retention of nitrate and sulfate, an important discovery for evaluating the long-term effects of agriculture on water quality.

• share
• favorite_border

Phosphorus can have a significant effect on water quality, entering these water sources in a variety of ways, particularly due to runoff from phosphorus enriched soil. A new study examined the characteristics of phosphorus in soils as a way to understand how it behaves in soils and how it is transported in runoff.

• share
• favorite_border

A recent analysis of soils in the Delmarva Peninsula has shown that two forms of phosphorus are heavily present as a result of composted poultry litter, and two scientists have measured the accumulation of one of these forms from the manure to the crop soils.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientist's understanding of how soils have responded to decreases in acidic deposition at the regional scale is limited, but a recent study confirms that the acidification of soils in watersheds slows the recovery of aquatic ecosystems, an effect that is threatening the health of forests in the northeastern United States.

• share
• favorite_border

New research conducted at Iowa State University led to the successful creation of a detailed Quaternary geological map for the Des Moines Lobe with a user-controlled level of scale, with the results of the research published in the Winter 2008 issue of Soil Survey Horizons.

• share
• favorite_border

A new tool has been developed that will help measure the rupture resistance of soils by calibrating the correct amount of pressure between a thumb and forefinger of students and soil scientists when studying soils in the field. The measurement is important for accurately assessing the quality and makeup of soils.

• share
• favorite_border

A new series of articles details transport phenomena in highly heterogeneous media, which plays an especially important role in hydrogeology because it may govern migration and dispersion of groundwater contaminants from hazardous waste sites.

• share
• favorite_border

Bulk density is an important measurement for soil researches to obtain when determining a soil's quality, and a new three-dimensional laser scanning technique has shown to be an effective alternative to traditional methods, which are often difficult for researchers to perform properly. The results of the study are published in the November-December 2008 issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal.

• share
• favorite_border

The loss of soil organic matter due to poor land-management practice threatens farmlands, and while the use for crop residues as feedstock for biomass ethanol and bio-based products increases, these materials no longer contribute to the health of the soil. Scientist have now developed a method of measuring soil quality to assure an adequate amount of soil organic matter, called the CQESTR model.

• share
• favorite_border

A number of factors are contributing to the declining enrollment of soil science students, and solutions must be discussed by department staff at universities across the nation. The National Academy of Sciences through the National Committee for Soil Science addressed the issue.

• share
• favorite_border

Biosolids, a nutrient rich byproduct of sewage produced at wastewater treatment plants that can be applied to land as a fertilizer, has been scrutinized of late for its potential to transport disease-causing microorganisms. A new published study suggests that the pathogen risks associated with biosolids are generally low, as determined by measuring bioaerosol levels at sites where biosolids were applied.

• share
• favorite_border

A recognition of outstanding contributions from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) as presented during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-9 in Houston, TX.

• share
• favorite_border

A recognition of Fellows from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) as presented during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-9 in Houston, TX.

• share
• favorite_border

The practice of no-till has gained in popularity as it creates a soil less prone to erosion and more rich in organic matter, but a new study raises questions about its influence on net greenhouse gas emissions. While scientists have been documenting the benefits of carbon sequestration in no-till crops, researchers have found that an increased amount of nitrous oxide emissions may offset the benefits of the carbon dioxide sink created, depending on soil type.

• share
• favorite_border

A new article details an unprecedented sampling of soils taken from the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field in Union County New Mexico, detailing the dynamic conditions of the soil that was a result of lava flow. The study, published in Soil Surveys Horizon, a journal dedicated to the study of soils in the field, provides the park with practical knowledge of its soils for the future management of its natural resources.

• share
• favorite_border

A new article in the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education details methods of determining a soil's texture by feel, an important skill for students of soil science. Soil texture strongly influences the nutrient holding ability of a soil, the amount of water the soil can store, as well as many other properties.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have discovered that reusing saline drainage water and applying it to salt-tolerant crops in California's San Joaquin Valley can help reduce the environmental impact of excess drainage volumes. The study focused on pickleweed, sold in European markets as a salad ingredients, and its ability to tolerate irrigation with seawater and drainage water with high concentrations of boron.

• share
• favorite_border

Dozens of papers at the 2008 Joint Annual Meeting, Oct. 5-9 in Houston, TX, will focus on local issues important to Texas and the Gulf Coast, including a session presenting previously unreleased data and imagery of Hurricane Ike from the U.S. Geological Survey.

• share
• favorite_border

Recent study results have shown have shown that using nitrogen fertilizer on off-season cover crops can not only increase the biomass of these crops, but can also have a beneficial effect on the nitrogen levels in the soil for the cash crop planted during the summer season. The results could significantly aid in preventing soil erosion in vulnerable agricultural regions.

• share
• favorite_border

The Smithsonian's design team will explain details about the making of this major exhibition featured at the Natural History Museum. The official Texas state soil, "Houston Black," is featured in the new 5,000-square-foot exhibition in Washington, DC.

• share
• favorite_border

Experts discuss how fossil fuels and biofuels will affect the world's economy and environment in the changing global energy market. Speakers will discuss climate change effects on agriculture, as well as effective means of measuring remaining fossil fuel resources.