Biogeochemical interfaces in soil: The interdisciplinary challenge for soil science

Soil, the “Earth's thin skin” serves as the delicate interface between the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. It is a dynamic and hierarchically organized system of various organic and inorganic constituents and organisms, the spatial structure of which defines a large, complex, and heterogeneous interface. Biogeochemical processes at soil interfaces are fundamental for the overall soil development, and they are the primary driving force for key ecosystem functions such as plant productivity and water quality. Ultimately, these processes control the fate and transport of contaminants and nutrients into the vadose zone and as such their biogeochemical cycling. The definite objective in biogeochemical‐interface research is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the architecture of these biogeochemical interfaces in soils and of the complex interplay and interdependencies of the physical, chemical, and biological processes acting at and within these dynamic interfaces in soil. The major challenges are (1) to identify the factors controlling the architecture of biogeochemical interfaces, (2) to link the processes operative at the individual molecular and/or organism scale to the phenomena active at the aggregate scale in a mechanistic way, and (3) to explain the behavior of organic chemicals in soil within a general mechanistic framework. To put this in action, integration of soil physical, chemical, and biological disciplines is mandatory. Indispensably, it requires the adaption and development of characterization and probing techniques adapted from the neighboring fields of molecular biology, analytical and computational chemistry as well as materials and nano‐sciences. To shape this field of fundamental soil research, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has granted the Priority Program “Biogeochemical Interfaces in Soil”, in which 22 individual research projects are involved.     

A soil science renaissance

The renaissance was an intellectually-rich period following a period of stasis in the medieval period. Something analogous appears to be currently taking place in soil science where novel approaches to thought are combined with a revival of ideas from the past. Renewed interest in agriculture (food, feed, fuel) and numerous publications have brought soils back onto the global research agenda. The need for up-to-date and fine resolution soil information and the revival of soil research has been highlighted and prioritised in several recent studies by the UN and other international organizations. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and pollution are key issues that have been brought up in many recent reports - in most cases in relation to environmental degradation, climate change and world-food production. There is also an increased interest in soils in the popular press and media, and soils have entered the policy arena in many countries and several continents. We guestimate that about €3.2 billion is annually spent on soil research in Europe, North America, and some of the main countries in Asia and Oceania. For the global soil science community, there are challenges ahead to address the questions raised in these reports. There is a whole set of new techniques and methodologies in the wings waiting to take centre stage. There is a direct need to educate a new generation of soil scientists and to increase the influx of soil science students in many universities. The soil science community should benefit from the current upsurge in soil science, but the community has to deliver the goods and information that is wanted and much needed.     

Emerging frontiers in soil science

With most of the basic discoveries and applications of science made by mankind applicable to agriculture a challenge is presented to soil scientists to improve their pedagogy and research. Present-day soil scientists, tenaciously linked with those in the disciplines of agronomy and crop sciences, have become intellectually isolated from geologists, hydrologists, engineers and ecologists who deal with soils for purposes other than crop production. Localized achievements of greater crop production come at the expense of our global environment. Ample opportunity based primarily upon regionalized variable analyses exists to improve the management potential of our natural resources on global, regional and local scales of space and time. Six such opportunities or frontiers are elucidated.     

Women in Russian soil science

The role of women in the development of Russian soil science is analyzed. Four generations of women working in soil science are distinguished. The problems related to difficulties in obtaining higher (university) degrees are considered. There were three periods of the increasing role of women (waves of feminization) in the development of Russian soil science. The reasons for this phenomenon are discussed. Certain directions in soil science have been mainly developed by women. The paper presents information about outstanding leaders of particular scientific schools and organizers of science among women. The specificity of women’s careers in science and education is shown.