European Journal of Soil Science最新文献

{"title":"Soil Property, Carbon Stock and Peat Extent Mapping at 10 m Resolution in Scotland Using Digital Soil Mapping Techniques","authors":"Ciaran Robb,&nbsp;Matt Aitkenhead,&nbsp;Malcolm Coull,&nbsp;Fraser MacFarlane,&nbsp;Keith Matthews","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70123","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The estimation of soil carbon stocks is an important component in environmental planning, policy and land management, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation. The following work presents national-scale soil property mapping at 10 m resolution, a level of detail not previously attempted in Scotland. The ultimate aim of this work is to facilitate carbon stock estimation from the soil properties to help inform planning and policy. Scottish organisations possess extensive field-based soil property records obtained through various initiatives, but coverage is inevitably constrained by cost and labour. A modelling-based approach informed by both field measurement, remote sensing imagery and other spatial covariates has the potential to fill the gaps in field-based accounts, providing contiguous estimates of soil carbon content, bulk density, profile depth, organic layer thickness and peat extent. Carbon content, bulk density and profile depth were predicted using machine learning techniques, yielding <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <msup>\u0000 <mi>r</mi>\u0000 <mn>2</mn>\u0000 </msup>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$$ {r}^2 $$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> scores of 0.78, 0.65 and 0.7, respectively. Presence of peat was determined by the thickness of the organic layer for every grid cell profile (30% carbon content) that was greater or equal to 50 cm. National carbon stock was calculated by integrating the predicted soil properties down the full profile depth. This work demonstrates that soil properties can be mapped effectively using digital soil mapping techniques at high resolution, on a national scale, providing estimates of carbon stock and peat extent to aid policy makers in decision making.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70123","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-Term Tillage and Compost Shape Soil Microbes Under Soil Organic Carbon Equilibrium","authors":"Che-Jen Hsiao,&nbsp;Muazzama Mushtaq,&nbsp;Gretchen F. Sassenrath,&nbsp;Lydia H. Zeglin,&nbsp;Ganga M. Hettiarachchi,&nbsp;Charles W. Rice","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70125","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Soil microorganisms are crucial in regulating soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling, mediating the effects of agricultural management on soil health. Although the microbial responses to changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) are well-documented, a knowledge gap remains regarding microbial dynamics when soils reach SOC equilibrium. This study investigated how tillage and fertilizer types (compost and mineral fertilizer) influence microbial properties in a continuous corn system with surface soils at SOC equilibrium. We evaluated a 28-year experiment comparing conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT), combined with either manure or compost (OF), mineral fertilizer (MF), or no nitrogen addition (CO), measuring soil microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activity, and soil physicochemical properties to a depth of 90 cm. In the 0–5 cm layer under NT-OF, SOC concentration had stabilized since 2003 despite annual compost additions, indicating a near-equilibrium state. Upon reaching this threshold, microbial biomass and β-glucosidase (bG) activity plateaued, suggesting additional organic carbon inputs no longer enhanced these properties but instead contributed to SOC movement into deeper soil horizons, where increased microbial activity was observed. Long-term CT-OF resulted in 30% less SOC and total nitrogen compared to NT-OF, suggesting tillage disrupted SOC accumulation and enhanced decomposition. Both NT-MF and NT-CO had minimal effects on microbial properties and SOC, potentially due to insufficient organic residue returned. Although NT-OF increased SOC, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and microbial biomass to 30 cm depth, it also reduced oxidative enzyme activity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance, indicating shifts in microbial functional strategies in response to the continuous addition of compost. Our study demonstrated that once surface soils reach SOC equilibrium, additional compost additions no longer increased microbial processes in the surface layer but instead promoted SOC translocation to deeper horizons. This dynamic underscores the need for depth-conscious management strategies that balance soil microbial activity, SOC storage, and the capacity for SOC stabilization across soil profiles.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Air Composition and Groundwater Level in a Cultivated Peatland Underlain by Black Schist","authors":"Minna Mäkelä,&nbsp;Asko Simojoki,&nbsp;Sanna Kanerva,&nbsp;Markku Yli-Halla","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70120","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The effect of field hydrology on microbial gas production in a black schist-based acid sulfate soil was investigated to find out if conditions in the field are conducive to greenhouse gas formation and to see if the overlying peat functions as protection against oxidation of the sulfidic material. Soil air composition and hydrological conditions were observed in an agricultural peatland, which contains black schists and acid sulfate soil properties beneath a layer of peat 15–60 cm thick at different observation sites. The field was drained with open ditches with 20 m spacing. Groundwater level was high, particularly at low elevations of the field, and the acid sulfate subsoil was at or near saturation for much of the investigated period (15 months). Within the soil profile, CO₂ concentration increased and O₂ concentration decreased with increasing depth, indicating microbial activity, while the variation of N₂O content within the profile was not as clear. The acid sulfate subsoil was predominantly saturated with water and consequently had slow gas exchange and only modest microbial activity. These results explain previous results of unexpectedly low greenhouse gas emissions from this location. They also suggest that a thick peat layer may protect against the oxidation of underlying sulfidic horizons, even if the extent of protection remained inconclusive.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70120","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of 20 Years of Contrasting Tillage on Distribution of Ammonia Oxidisers and Denitrifiers Within Soil Aggregates","authors":"Kristina Ocvirk,&nbsp;Sara Pintarič,&nbsp;Anton Govednik,&nbsp;Klemen Eler,&nbsp;Rok Mihelič,&nbsp;Marjetka Suhadolc","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70118","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microbial functional groups are heterogeneously distributed between soil aggregate fractions, which is strongly influenced by soil microenvironmental conditions. Intensive tillage practices disrupt soil aggregates, altering microbial niches and potentially affecting nitrogen (N) transformations, including processes leading to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. This study aimed to identify linkages between soil aggregation and microbial community functional composition using field samples after 20 years of differential tillage management: conventional mouldboard tillage (CT) and noninversion minimum tillage (MT). Soil properties, including soil organic carbon (SOC) and the abundance of total bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities and N-functional guilds, were examined in two types of samples: (i) bulk soil and (ii) soil aggregates within three soil fractions: large macroaggregates (4–8 mm), mid-sized macroaggregates (2–4 mm) and small macroaggregates (&lt; 2 mm) in relation to tillage system and soil depth. Our results revealed that MT led to an accumulation of SOC in the upper 0–10 cm of bulk soil. At the same depth, the mid-sized and small macroaggregates exhibited significantly higher SOC content compared to the large macroaggregates. While the mean diameter of aggregates did not significantly change under MT compared to CT, the stability of aggregates improved significantly compared to CT in both observed fractions (1–2 and 2–4 mm) at both depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). Total bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities' abundance was significantly higher under MT than in CT. Among aggregate size fractions, the highest abundance of total bacteria and fungi was observed in the smallest macroaggregate fraction in the topsoil of MT. Nitrifier and denitrifier communities were more abundant under MT in the 0–10 cm soil layer than in CT and decreased with increasing sampling depth. Among the N-functional genes examined, our results indicated a trend towards higher abundances of bacterial <i>amoA</i> and <i>nosZI</i> genes in small macroaggregates within the MT 0–10 cm layer. AOA/AOB and <i>nosZI</i>/<i>nosZII</i> ratios increased with depth within MT, indicating tillage-specific niche differentiation as a result of changed environmental conditions. Overall, our findings suggest that MT influences aggregate stability and the abundance of N-cycling guilds but does not significantly alter their distribution across different soil macroaggregate size fractions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70118","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of LUCAS and Italian Sampling Procedures for Harmonising Physicochemical and Biological Soil Health Indicators","authors":"Sara Del Duca,&nbsp;Elena Tondini,&nbsp;Francesco Vitali,&nbsp;Erica Lumini,&nbsp;Adriano Garlato,&nbsp;Ialina Vinci,&nbsp;Elisa Tagliaferri,&nbsp;Stefano Brenna,&nbsp;Silvia Motta,&nbsp;Emile Maillet,&nbsp;Antonio Bispo,&nbsp;Alberto Orgiazzi,&nbsp;Arwyn Jones,&nbsp;Stefano Mocali,&nbsp;Maria Fantappiè","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70108","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ejss.70108","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Comparability of soil data derived from different sources is crucial to obtain consistent results when evaluating the soil health status. Discrepancies may arise due to various factors, including uncertainties resulting from different sampling methods. In this study, we compared various soil Physicochemical properties (ST)—pH, organic carbon, texture, cation exchange capacity, nutrients, heavy metals—and microbial diversity (BIO) of samples collected following both the LUCAS Soil (performed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, JRC) and the Italian (performed by two regional agencies) procedures. The aim was to evaluate the effect of applying different soil sampling protocols on ST and BIO data. Soil samples from 58 LUCAS Soil 2022 sampling sites located in northern Italy were collected following both sampling protocols. Data obtained from ST analyses highlighted that the LUCAS and Italian protocols are comparable for most of the soil properties. Nevertheless, results can differ significantly depending on the parameter being considered, as evidenced by the concordance index varying from 0.37 to 1. Concerning BIO analyses, although the investigation of the microbial diversity indicators did not show a good concordance between the two sampling strategies, an analysis of the community structure highlighted a good correlation (Pearson's <i>R</i> &gt; 0.6). An effect of the different land cover was observed for both ST and BIO analyses, suggesting that this could be a parameter to be considered when combining soil data obtained by different sampling protocols. Also, fungal communities showed lower concordance between LUCAS and Italian samples, highlighting a higher heterogeneity and a minor replicability with respect to bacteria and ST soil properties. In conclusion, this comparison generally showed consistency among the two sampling methods, suggesting that an integration of data from different sources is indeed possible for most of the parameters being analysed. However, further research is needed to obtain a sufficient level of harmonisation between LUCAS Soil and Italian sampling procedures for those soil properties for which a significant discordance was found.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70108","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144066054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing Soil Compaction Assessment: A Comprehensive Study in Ireland","authors":"Vajihe Shahrokh,&nbsp;Giulia Bondi,&nbsp;Alan Fahy,&nbsp;Lilian O'Sullivan","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70122","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Soil degradation is a substantial threat to agricultural productivity and ecosystem service provision across Europe. However, the nature of soil degradation varies across spatial scales, with considerable regional disparities observed amongst individual member states. In Ireland, soil compaction represents a significant soil threat, imposed by the country's environmental conditions, inherent soil characteristics and prevailing land management practices. Despite being a widely recognised issue, this study presents the first Indicative Soil Compaction map for Ireland. The map helps to inform strategic management practices to mitigate soil compaction at regional scales. We utilise a dual indicator approach, with soil bulk density serving as an indicator of compaction and soil moisture deficit and trafficable days as an indicator of environmental conditions. This integrated approach provides an assessment of soil compaction at soil association level. Our findings reveal that compaction is high in Ireland, although its degree varies geographically across the country, influenced by management practices and intrinsic soil properties. High bulk density soils are found to dominate the country, particularly in the east and southeast of Ireland, indicating a high degree of soil compaction. Whilst much of central Ireland is characterised by moderate compaction, it is imperative to implement good management practices in both moderate and high bulk density soils to prevent further compaction. It is evident that management practices (e.g., intensive arable farming) have a potentially overriding effect compared to intrinsic soil susceptibility to compaction, which is apparent across the southeast of Ireland. This research now provides a valuable tool for developing targeted regional strategies to manage and reduce soil compaction, aligning with broader European Union ambitions to achieve healthy soils by the year 2050.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70122","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating and Improving the Performance of the Models Underlying the Soil Navigator Tool on Drained Peat Grasslands","authors":"Clarisse T. Kraamwinkel,&nbsp;Sarah C. Feron,&nbsp;Carmen Vazquez Martin,&nbsp;Rachel E. Creamer,&nbsp;Anne Beaulieu,&nbsp;Wytse de Haan,&nbsp;Yizan Li,&nbsp;Ruth A. Howison","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70117","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Soil Navigator Tool is a decision support system designed for farmers and advisors to assess the capacity of a selected field to perform five soil functions: primary productivity (PP), water regulation (WR), habitat provision (HP), climate regulation (CR), and nutrient cycling (NC). The original tool was developed and validated primarily with mineral soils as the focus. In this paper, we tested and updated the underlying models of the Soil Navigator Tool for the context of drained peat grasslands. The performance of both the original and updated models was evaluated using input and validation data originating from 30 peat grasslands situated in the north of the Netherlands, managed either as semi-natural grassland, organic production grassland, or conventional production grassland. For PP, only minor changes were made to the original model. Both versions produced reasonable assessments with respect to yield. For WR, the sub-function Water Storage (WS) was updated, yielding scores that are more in line with soil moisture measurements from these drained peat grasslands. Only minor changes were applied to the original model of HP. As a result, the performance improved on conventional production grasslands, but the model still struggles to accurately assess semi-natural grasslands. For CR, major changes were applied to the sub-function carbon sequestration (CS) to accurately represent carbon cycling on drained peat. The updated version produced more reasonable outcomes than the original, especially on conventional production and semi-natural grasslands. Despite major changes to the original model of NC, both versions performed poorly, suggesting the need for a completely new model with a depth and time component to accurately account for peat oxidation. Our outcomes suggest that the updated models generally produce more reasonable outcomes than the original models on drained grassland peat. However, more research to further improve and validate the updated models is needed, with a particular focus on NC, before the use of the Soil Navigator Tool on drained grassland peat by farmers or researchers is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70117","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agricultural Cultivation Improved Soil Nitrogen Sequestration by Accelerating the Accumulation of Labile Nitrogen","authors":"Shu Liu,&nbsp;Junhua Zhang,&nbsp;Guodong Li,&nbsp;Ran Wang,&nbsp;Xixi Sun,&nbsp;Shengxin Wang,&nbsp;Jingting Qin","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70119","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Soil organic nitrogen (SON), particularly its labile fraction (LN), is pivotal in nutrient supply and soil fertility maintenance. However, the retention mechanisms of LN under low-nitrogen conditions in conservation agriculture remain unclear. This study, conducted in the Yellow River sedimentary area, applied SON functional fractionation (labile vs. stable pools) and a coupled analytical framework of soil particle composition, enzyme activity, and management practices to explore the vertical differentiation of LN under different land-use types. Results showed that LN content was greater in agricultural soils (381.36–467.85 mg/kg), primarily driven by elevated activities of invertase and alkaline phosphatase. Silt (&lt; 50 μm) improved the efficiency of stable nitrogen (SN) sequestration through organic-mineral bonding, while sand particles (&gt; 250 μm) led to increased LN leaching flux. Integrated fertilisation improved LN availability and SN stability through dual C<span></span>N interactions and enzyme activation pathways. These findings highlight LN's ‘rapid response, high loss’ behaviour in sandy soils and offer a scientific basis for organic nitrogen regulation in fragile agroecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143939417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to “Cover Crops Affect Pool Specific Soil Organic Carbon in Cropland—A Meta-Analysis”","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fohrafellner, J., K. M. Keiblinger, S. Zechmeister-Boltenstern, R. Murugan, H. Spiegel, and E. Valkama. 2024. “Cover Crops Affect Pool Specific Soil Organic Carbon in Cropland–A Meta-Analysis.” <i>European Journal of Soil Science 75</i>, no. 2: e13472. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.13472.</p><p>The authors would like to report errors in the original version of the article. On page 10, 3rd paragraph, “(−28% or lnR = −0.33)” should have read “(−3% or lnR = −0.033).” Further, on page 13, 3rd paragraph, “(24% or lnR = 0.22)” should have read “(17% or lnR = 0.16)” and “(11% or lnR = 0.10)” should have read “(8% or lnR = 0.07).”</p><p>These changes do not affect the main results or conclusions of the article. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70114","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Soil Science in European Higher Education to Meet Growing Soil Awareness Needs","authors":"Ana Villa,&nbsp;Erik Fahlbeck,&nbsp;Jennie Barron","doi":"10.1111/ejss.70112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70112","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Humanity is facing a number of global challenges coupling soils and essential ecosystems, biodiversity, food production, and climate change. Hence, knowledge and expertise in soil science and soil management are increasingly needed to address these issues for sustainability and development. Soil science in higher education (HE) will be one essential vehicle to provide a new generation with skills and expertise. The aim of this study was to assess the current state of soil science in European higher education by assessing the existing degrees offered, teaching and learning approaches (TLAs) used, and exploring collaborations in internationalisation among higher education institutions (HEIs) in Europe. A survey was conducted in 2020–2021 and 94 responses were received from HEIs teaching soil science in 25 European countries. Results showed that only 16% of HEIs hosted a dedicated soil science department. In most cases, soil science was embedded in departments with other academic topics, mainly environmental sciences and agronomy. Full degree programs in soil science were offered in 28% (BSc), 37% (MSc) and 37% (PhD) of the HEIs (<i>N</i> = 75). Regarding internationalisation of HEIs, only 6% responded that they had international joint programs in place at all levels of education. Twenty-five HEIs (37%) expressed aspirations to establish international programs while 24 (35%) saw no need for joint programs. The top three priorities among the HEIs were to attract students from abroad, develop strategic research partnerships, and provide more opportunities to send students abroad. Traditional lectures dominated TLAs in most soil science courses, especially at BSc level, where 40% of the HEIs responded that more than half of a soil course is delivered as lectures. Several respondents claimed curricula had not changed significantly in the last 5 years. Computer/modelling was either not included or included as a small share in teaching according to 96% (BSc) and 98% (MSc) of the HEIs. We conclude based on the sample, soil science at European HEIs appears conservative, but with scope to strengthen to deliver better soil science expertise for the future. More diverse TLAs and updated teaching materials are needed to provide the next generation of experts with the skills needed to address local and global sustainability challenges related to soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":12043,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Science","volume":"76 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejss.70112","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}