Bulletin of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) | November 2010

IIUUSSSS BBuulllleettiinn

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IUSS BULLETIN 1172

International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)The IUSS Bulletin is the official Newsletter of the International Union of Soil Sciences. It is freely distributed through the IUSS website. All contributions are welcome and should be send to the editor.

Editor Alfred HarteminkISRIC – World Soil InformationP.O. Box 353 6700 AJ WageningenThe NetherlandsPhone +31 (0) 317 483 722 E-mail: alfred.hartemink@wur.nl

Secretary General Alfred Hartemink alfred.hartemink@wur.nlDeputy SG Alex McBratney Alex.McBratney@sydney.edu.auPresident Jae Yang yangjay@kangwon.ac.krVice President Kye-Hoon John Kim johnkim@uos.ac.krTreasurer Jim Gauld j.gauld@macaulay.ac.uk

Division 1 Karl Stahr kstahr@uni-hohenheim.deDivision 2 Martin Gerzabek martin.gerzabek@boku.ac.atDivision 3 Rainer Horn rhorn@soils.uni-kiel.deDivision 4 Charles Rice cwrice@ksu.edu

Budgets Stephen Nortcliff iuss@reading.ac.ukAwards Mary-Beth Kirkham mbk@ksu.eduStatutes Don Sparks dlsparks@udel.eduPresidential elections Roger Swift deannravs@uqg.uq.edu.au

ISSN 0374-0447

Copyright IUSS, PO Box 353, 6700 AJ, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Graphic Design: Daniël Loos, www.bureaucontrapunt.nl

NOVEMBER 2010 3

Editorial (S. Nortcliff) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

19th World Congress of Soil Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Students reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Council Meeting Minutes (abridged) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

New IUSS Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Division and Commission Officers 2010-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

IUSS von Liebig Award 2010: Don Sparks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

IUSS Dokuchaev Award 2010: Dan Yaalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

New Honorary Members 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

In Memoriam Dr. Dominique Righi (1943-2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

IUSS Alerts May – October 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

The 20th World Congress of Soil Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Five Questions to a Soil Scientist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Five questions to Jan Mulder (Norway) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Five questions to Jean Paul Legros (France) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Five questions to Allan Hewitt (New Zealand) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Five questions to Zueng-Sang Chen (Taiwan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

The Favorite Soil Science Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Paul Hallett (UK) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Victor Asio (Philippines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2010 Report IUSS Working Group on Global Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Soil memory and environmental reconstructions – a response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Statutes of the IUSS (new August 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Bye-laws of the IUSS (new August 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Reports of meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

New publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

IUSS Honorary members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Contents

At this time of the year eight years ago I was planninga trip to Vienna in the first stage of the handover ofthe role of Secretary General of the InternationalUnion of Soil Science from Winfried Blum to me. Nowas we approach the end of 2010 I have recently spentmy time sorting through a mountain of paperworkwhich has accumulated in the last eight years, decid-ing what should be kept and what can be ‘recycled’,prior to transferring what remains to my successorAlfred Hartemink. Fortunately in these days of elec-tronic data storage a small data stick will remove theneed for transferring at least part of the many kilo-grams of paper. Having stated when, in 2002, I ac-cepted the invitation to be Secretary General of IUSSthat I would do this for a maximum of two terms, Iam stepping down at the end of the year, having seenIUSS continue from strength to strength. I am pleasedthat Alfred Hartemink, who has been Deputy Secre-tary General for this eight year stint, was selected byCouncil at its recent meeting in Brisbane to take onthe role of Secretary General from January 2011. Al-fred will be supported by Alex McBratney as DeputySecretary General. Having known both Alfred andAlex for many years I know that the Union is in goodhands and I look forward to enjoying the fruits oftheir labours as they continue the developmentswithin IUSS to make it ‘your’ Union.Looking back over the past eight years we have madetremendous progress, particularly in terms of ourcommunication with the membership. The IUSS web-site was established in 2001 and with Alfred’s enthu-siasm this has become a major part of the IUSS andits communication with members. Alfred has devoted

an enormous amount of time in developing and up-grading the site so that it serves the internationalcommunity of soil scientists and many others, pro-viding a wide range of information, both current andhistorical. The ‘hits’ on the site continue to grow. Oneof the initiatives taken by Alfred was to archive theProceedings of the World Congresses of Soil Sciences.These are all available from the first meeting inWashington in 1927 in pdf format. This is a significantservice to the soil science community as whilst theseare available in a small number of libraries aroundthe world their access was very limited, yet, particu-larly in the early Congresses, there are some seminalpapers published in the Proceedings. Having these onthe website enormously increases their accessibilityand I would recommend to anyone that it is worthspending some time looking through these as thereare many ideas which have ‘surfaced’ again in lateryears a long time after they were first raised. I notefor example in the very first set of Proceedings a dis-cussion on nitrogen provision to crops in organic andfertiliser based systems, a debate which continuestoday! The early Congresses also reveal a very differ-ent lifestyle and pace of living, particularly shown inthe reports of field excursions.

When Alfred and I began our terms in 2002 the Bul-letin was published in paper format and had a circu-lation to old ISSS members and a few Libraries.Changing the status of membership from individualas in ISSS to National Society membership as is thecase in IUSS made in unfeasible to send out a paperversion to the membership which had increased to inexcess of 40,000. Initially we continued to publish theBulletin in paper form, but through a transition ofboth paper and electronic we now publish the Bul-letin only in electronic format. This has greatly in-creased the readership of the Bulletin and has alsosaved a number of trees! Following on from the shiftto electronic Bulletins, Alfred introduced in 2005 themonthly ‘Alerts’. This short monthly message is verywidely appreciated by the membership.

During the last eight years the ‘new’ scientific struc-ture of IUSS has fully settled down. The four Divisions

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Editorial

have, through their chairs, sought to provide focusand leadership within their broad areas of Soil Sci-ence. The current four Divisions and twenty oneCommissions have varied in their levels of activity.Some Commissions have annual meetings and en-courage the involvement of their membershipthrough regular updates and newsletters; othersshow far less evidence of activity and appear to‘spark to life’ only when a World Congress has to beplanned! Division Chairs and other members of theExecutive Committee have sought to encourage theless active parts of the Union to involve their mem-bers and where appropriate join with other Commis-sions to increase their level of activity, sometimeswith success, but at other times the encouragementhas been shunned! If we are to maintain a high pro-file for all areas of our subject we must ensure thatactivity takes place across the whole range of sub-jects covered by the Union. This will continue to bea task for the Union in the future.

Over the last eight years the Union has continued itsinvolvement in ICSU (the International Council forScience) and in particular, through close collabora-tion with fellow Unions in the broad Geo-Sciencesarea, has joined a Geo-Unions caucus which meetsoutside the main programme of ICSU meetings. Thisgroup seeks to ensure that the ‘Geo-Sciences’ arefully represented within the ICSU agenda in particu-lar in the development of priorities for research andpolicy foci. In addition the group encourages involve-ment of other Unions in its activities and meets withother bodies, such as UNESCO to ensure that the keyrole played by the broad Earth Sciences in many as-pects of our lives is fully recognised. In part arisingfrom the initiative of the ‘Geo-Unions’ caucus, IUSSbecame a Founding Partner in ‘The InternationalYear of Planet Earth’. The focus of IYPE was to en-courage wider awareness of and involvement in theGeo-Sciences amongst children and the broadergeneral public and to raise awareness amongst pol-icy makers at all levels, of the importance of the GeoSciences. As part of the IYPE programme, AlfredHartemink, David Dent and John Kimble produced onbehalf of IUSS and ISRIC a booklet about soils enti-

tled ‘Earth’s Living Skin’. This was produced in paperformat but is also available on the IUSS website inseveral languages.

During my eight years as Secretary General I havebeen helped and supported by many people and Iwould like to take this opportunity to thank you all.In particular I would like thank the two Presidentsduring my eight years, Don Sparks and Roger Swift,Gary Petersen and Neal Menzies who were the Vice–Presidents, the Chairs of Divisions, Jim Gauld theTreasurer, John Kimble, Robin Harris and in particu-lar Winfried Blum who has always been there to pro-vide support when needed. My time as SecretaryGeneral has been very enjoyable and it has been aparticular pleasure working with Alfred Hartemink,whom I thank most sincerely for his support andfriendship. I believe that in the last eight years wehave moved the IUSS forward and have made goodprogress in increasing the awareness amongst thepublic and policy makers of the importance of soilscience and soil scientists in many aspects of ourdaily lives.

Finally, I wish Alfred and Alex well for the future, Iam sure that under their stewardship the progressin IUSS will continue and the service IUSS providesto its to members will continue to increase. I am surethat you, the membership, will provide them withthe support and encouragement you have given meover these last eight years.

Stephen NortcliffReading

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When more than 1900 of the world’s foremost ex-perts on soil came together to discuss the impact ofour changing environment on soil, there were someheavy-hitting issues on the agenda. With the world’spopulation expected to top 9 billion by 2050, globalfood security in times of climate change and variabil-ity and resource scarcity was the key issue alongwith strong local debates e.g. how can we have bothmining and agriculture. And fundamentally, the re-searchers and scholars tackled topics such as soil his-tory and civilisation, soil biology and even soilforensics.

Welcome reception attendees 1496Dinner attendees 725BBQ attendees 501

Excursions1. South coast 782. Bay side 753. Brisbane city 354. Sunshine coast 635. Griffith uni 186. Lockyer valley 457. Ipswich 28

Pre/post tours1. Volcano coast 232. Agricultural heartlands 423. North Island NZ 244. Laterites WA 75. Grape to Graze SA 146. Tropical landscapes Qld 21

Event ProfileThe 2010 Congress, hosted by the Australian Societyof Soil Science Inc. (ASSSI), featured a program of 8keynote speakers, 343 oral presentations (including65 lead invited speakers), over 6 concurrent sessionsfor 4 days, 1227 research posters and a dynamic pro-gram of public events and scientific tours in Australiaand New Zealand. Registered delegates numbered 1914 (with a totalcongress population of about 2100), from 68 coun-tries. Australia last hosted the event in 1968.The Brisbane meeting had as its theme “Soil solu-tions for a changing world” in recognition of theneed to revisit the way in which soil science con-tributes to the unique challenges facing the worldover the next few decades.

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19th World Congress of Soil Science

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia1–6 August 2010

Congress ExcursionsSeven ‘ in-congress excursions’ were conducted onthe day preceding and the day following the Con-gress. This was a departure from the traditional ‘midcongress’ field trip. Themes for the tours were di-verse, correlating well with the overall Congresstheme. Tours with an agricultural focus includeddestinations such as the Sunshine Coast, BrisbaneBayside and the Lockyer Valley, all within 100 km ofBrisbane. The Brisbane City and Ipswich toursviewed issues related to civil infrastructure, mining,waste disposal and land rehabilitation, while boththe Sunshine coast and South Coast tours covered is-sues such as acid sulfate soils and the urban/agricul-tural interface. Running these tours on weekendsprovided some additional challenges, but all weresuccessful and received positive feedback.

Congress ToursDelegates attending the congress also participatedin a successful program of longer tours, five withinAustralia and one to New Zealand. The tours rangedgeographically from the temperate regions of NewZealand, to Western Australia, South Australia andVictoria, the subtropical landscapes of northern NewSouth Wales, and right up to the tropical coastal re-gions of Queensland that fringe the Great BarrierReef. The soil types examined ranged in age fromvery recent volcanic soil to some of the most ancientand highly weathered soil on the planet. The issues covered by these tours included: the

pedology of soil formed from widely varying parentmaterials and climates, to soil- and soil manage-ment-related issues that are challenging the sustain-ability of our agriculture, and some of our mostproductive soil for horticulture and viticulture.

Social eventsThese were very well attended. The Welcome Recep-tion and Gala Dinner were held onsite at the Bris-bane Convention & Exhibition Centre, and an offsitebarbecue took place at the Queensland MaritimeMuseum on the banks of the Brisbane River. TheGala Dinner proved to be a particularly enjoyablenight, with a captivating performance by a danceand quick change act, followed by a six piece bandwhich ensured the dance floor was never empty.

Destination Feedback from delegates on the destination wasvery favourable with climate clearly a highlight aswell as proximity to world class resort areas andplaces of visitor interest. One of the major drawcardswas the presence of a number of major cultural at-tractions within a few minutes walk of the Conven-tion Centre. ASSSI chose Brisbane based on anumber of factors. One was the relative strength ofthe local branch of the Society but the others in-cluded confidence in the venue and the city as a at-tractive place for overseas delegates.Brisbane’s accommodation and transport infrastruc-ture did a great job of taking care of delegates’needs with many commenting on the accessibility ofBrisbane and the ease with which international visi-tors were able to find their way around the city. Bris-bane was referred to as “this lovely city” at theCongress final session - reinforcing the decision tobase the Australian Congress here. In addition, theCongress organised day excursions just before andjust after the week of science sessions - ferrying peo-ple throughout south-east Queensland with both ascientific and sightseeing aim. A large number of del-egates were able to develop a feel for this part of theworld.

NOVEMBER 2010 7

ChallengesLarge scale international conferences always involvemajor changes, many of which relate to scheduling.With more than 2000 oral and poster submissions,making sure everything went to plan was a chal-lenge. According to Ashley Gordon from CarillonConference Management, a fully interactive webbased submission and speaker management system,combined with splendid work on the part of the Sci-entific Program Committee and Carillon’s programservices delivery, dealt with these issues and com-bined to produce a World Soil Congress programwith an exceptionally low rate of absent presenters.

Outcomes and LegaciesThe science progress announced at the Congresscovered a broad range of areas. Notable advancesincluded new understanding of the processesneeded for a new ‘green revolution’, substantialprogress in understanding soil carbon and its roles

in greenhouse gas mitigation and sequestration, re-markable new insights into soil biology and soil bio-logical function (probably a field of study making thestrongest advances), new studies on the importanceof soil and soil health for social stability, the latestunderstanding of the management of nitrogen andphosphorus needs as these essential nutrients be-come more scarce and a revitalised interest in thefrozen soils of the world and their complex role inclimate change and adaptation.

Environmental InitiativesFrom the very beginning, Congress organisers imple-mented a sustainability policy which was designedto minimise environmental impacts of the event. Alladministrative correspondence was electronic in-cluding the paper submission process. Congress pro-ceedings were produced on DVD format and hardcopy production was largely limited to the congresshandbook. All papers are freely available onwww.iuss.org

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Symposium: CS7 Soil Carbon SequestrationBy: Luke Spencer (The University of Sydney)

Carbon: Panacea or Poisoned chalice?Wading through the science and rhetoric of Carbon Se-questration on Agricultural Soils a symposium entitledSoil carbon sequestration at the 19th World Congress ofSoil Science in Brisbane, Australia certainly helped clar-ify the science currently underway by presenting someof the latest research and thinking surrounding thismost important issue. One presentation “Capturing Car-bon in Australian Soils: potential and realities” by JeffBaldock was particularly pertinent given the amount ofinformation being published on carbon (approx. 4,000scientific article last in 2009). The need to addressgreenhouse gas emissions (GHG), primarily atmosphericCO2 levels and the subsequent climate change associ-ated with it has thankfully moved beyond the debate ofwhether the phenomena actually exists. Discussion nowcentres on the appropriate technologies that will ad-dress the most significant challenge of our time. This ar-ticle introduces the issue of carbon sequestration as itrelates to agricultural soils and attempts to dispel someof the myths surrounding the contribution soils canmake to this modern day dilemma.

Where is it coming from?The argument on climate change can be cleanly splitinto two camps, Emissions and Sequestration. Emis-sions generally relate to the release of CO2 and otherGHG’s to the atmosphere from the burning of fossilfuels (primarily coal and oil). Atmospheric levels ofCO2 have risen by 32% since 1750, and contribute6.3 billion tonnes annually.

Where can it go?Sequestration of carbon involves the capturing of at-mospheric CO2 and subsequent storage. The primarypools of absorption are oceanic, biotic (trees, grassetc) and soils. The soil carbon pool represents 2,500Pg (billion tonnes) of this global pool and thereforeholds enormous potential.

The role of AgricultureAgricultural soils are present across a vast percent-age of the terrestrial portion of the earth, and havecontributed to atmospheric CO2 levels through poorland management practices such as clearing, culti-vation and the addition of fertilisers. The depletionof soil carbon (oxidation) has not only contributedto atmospheric CO2 but also lead to the general de-cline in soil quality. Therefore efforts to increase soil organic carbon(SOC) levels can contribute the following benefits toagriculture:• Increased water holding capacity• Improved nutrient holding through increased

Cation exchange capacity• Soil structural improvements• pH bufferingResearch in the area of carbon sequestration hashighlighted that increasing SOC can be achievedthrough:• Converting cropping land to pastures,• Introducing minimal or conservation tillage tech-

niques,• Eliminating stubble burning,• Cover cropping and introducing legume species in

crop rotations,• Introducing legume species into pasture phases,• Improved nutrient management,• Afforestation and reforestation.

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Student Reports

Figure 1. Is agriculture evolving with the times?

How well does it work?One of the major points to emphasis is that carbonsequestration is very much site specific being influ-enced largely by soil type and climatic conditions(primarily rainfall). It is also driven by human factorssuch as access to capital, landholder attitudes, man-agement flexibility and willingness to change.

IssuesLaboratory techniques have evolved to allow a veryhigh degree of certainty of actual carbon levels in agiven sample. However the question surrounds spa-tial variance. High spatial variability refers to theamount of difference over a particular area, and is amajor concern for verifying soil carbon content. Soilcarbon levels can vary greatly across a relativelyshort distance, even within soil classifications, pre-senting further challenges to determining carbonlevels. To improve accuracy increased sampling is re-quired, bringing with it cost issues. Advances in tech-niques such as infield Vis-NIR equipment(www.veristech.com) and GIS mapping systems arehelping to address these issues. Another major areaof concern is that of Permanence, which relates tothe expected timeframe that sequestered carbon willremain in the soil. If a farmer modifies practices andto improve soil carbon levels, how long is that addi-tional carbon expected to stay “locked up” in the soil.

Implementation This brings up the inevitable question of “a price forCarbon”. Prominent researchers are reluctant to openlystate their position however hesitate a conservative es-timate of $250/t. Other industry figures consider $40/ta realistic figure. This large discrepancy highlights theamount of work ahead. It is interesting to note that Ar-ticle 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol does not include carbonsequestration in agricultural soils, however does state“it is a possible item for future inclusion”. This furthercomplicates any negotiations and decisions farmersmay make to sequester carbon. Carbon will invariably

go down the path of becoming a commodity, tradinglike wheat, corn or even metals, the difference beingthat we’re paying someone to produce something andleave it locked up in the soil, a strange situation thatmany struggle with. The majority of current debate centres on the price ofcarbon, however, it is more appropriate to talk in termsof cost. Conversion of farm land to pastures may lead toreduced income due to loss of subsequent crops; orconverting to minimal tillage practices may require sig-nificant capital investment by the farmer. This raisesthe fiercely contested question of payment. Shouldpayments take the form of tax credits, government re-bates, or emissions trading?It seems the road to agreement will be long (giventhe inaction by government in recent months) andrequire the input of all interest groups includingfarmers. Farmers are notorious “price takers”, so it isessential that the process of determining any pricefor carbon involve strong representation by agricul-tural practitioners. More so that any other industry,the farming community have been exposed to count-less attempts by unscrupulous entrepreneurs (akaSnake oil salesmen) selling products or services thatpurport to “double your yield”, “triple your margins”and “slash your fertiliser bill”. This has never been more evident than with carbonsequestration on agricultural soils. It is withoutquestion that the science community, including soilscientists, ecologists, agricultural scientists, re-searchers, universities, extension agencies and alikehave an obligation to provide the critical informationthat empowers farmers so that “the wool is notpulled over anyone’s eyes”.Education and the transfer of knowledge are critical indispelling the myths that surround such a vital issue.This also stands as a clarion call to farmers to not juststand idle waiting for that information, move aside the“us and then” mentality and engage with the peoplethat know. Don’t leave it to resellers to tell you what todo, be analytical and question why more often. It should be clearly stated that building soil carbonlevels is certainly beneficial to soils and can evenboost productivity in many situations; however, it isnot the panacea that everyone is looking for. It cancertainly help and be part of the “carbon tool kit”that will contribute collectively to addressing thebiggest challenge of the 21st century ………..and pos-sibly many centuries to come.

IUSS BULLETIN 11710

Figure 2. Converting to perennial pastures: one of the

many tools.

Symposium presenters – Pavel Krasinikov, DavidRees, Catherine Fox, Rosa Maria Poch

By: Natalie Kempers (The University of Sydney)

A long long time ago the sleepy minds of fathers,brothers, sisters and mothers were stirring. Life wasgood. Land was being cultivated, food abounded andthe population was expanding. Satisfied with thestate of affairs people were content...perhaps toocontent. Life was going well but why? Curiosity afterall is one of humanity’s strongest driving forceswhich cause us to seek beyond our own knowledgeand to expand our minds. Why did some crops growbetter in some areas and not in others? What wasthe soil beneath our feet? How can we classify andidentify different soils based on properties such asyield and colour? In parts of Egypt land becameknown as Kemet meaning fertile black alluvial soils,and areas were named Deshret meaning red desertland. In Ancient China 2500 y.b.p a book was madeto classify three categories and nine classes of soil.Soil science was being born. The 16th century saw aleap forward in soil science as soil surveys were be-ginning to be carried out by the Russians. This wasachieved by asking peasants about the productivityof their land. It was not until the 19th century in Eu-rope and the USA that lab and field analysis was car-ried out for classifying soils.

Jumping to present times, the evolution of soil clas-sification has seen a lack of practicability, such astransmitting knowledge of nutrient availability andhydrological features which are important for practi-cal users of soil classification such as farmers in agri-culture. Promising research by Catherine Fox inCanada has lead to the development of A horizonprotocols. These protocols involve a characterisationkey using subscript lettering to convey properties ofthe A horizon. Incorporating these into soil analysis,changes in soil properties can be tracked as land usechanges. Four levels are identified including geneticprocesses and impacts from anthropological activi-ties, primary structure, organic matter content (%)and pH (0.01MCaCl2).Although this system requires additional analysis ofsoils its use simply builds on current soil classifica-tion systems as it communicates properties of the Ahorizon. This does not alter soils’ classifications. Thisis a problem which has developed over the years asvarious soil classification systems have developedwith different names and terminology. This has beento the detriment of universal communication be-tween soil scientists. To amend the current confu-sion there is work under way to convert current soilclassifications from differnet backgrounds into glob-ally used classification such as the World ReferenceBase (WRB). Examples of this include studies on theSodosols of Australia and the Eurobaz soils of Hun-gary as well as the updating of old soil maps, againby using the WRB soil classification.A review and evaluation of available data on soilswas conducted on the western slope of la ReunionIsland due to assessments on the ground water vul-nerability. Old French classification maps were de-termined not to be utilisable as the classificationsystems was no longer used and lacked georefer-enced data. A new soil survey was conducted whichidentified 30 types of soils according to the WRBclassification. Adding to the streamlining of soil classification is theincorporation of global soil classification into currentsoil surveying. The masses of trees in the forests ofKeroudkenar watershed are classified in categoriesof soils as follow Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols andAlfisols and nine subgroups: Lithic Vermudolls, In-

NOVEMBER 2010 11

Soil classification - benefitsand constraints to pedology

ceptic Hapludoalfs, Typic Dystrudepts, Typic Haplu-dalfs, Lithic Udorthents, Inceptic Haplorendolls,Typic Paleudalfs, Humic Dystrudepts, and TypicUdorthents

Additionally, pedological processes have been sug-gested for use in viticultural zoning in Catalonia,Spain. It was identified that soil forming processesinfluence soil classification and properties which areused in determining management of vineyards toachieve specific grape quality. From this it was sug-gested that pedogenesis be used in viticultural zon-ing. Micromorphological identified argilluviation as aprocess influencing available water capacity andcation exchange capacity. Secondary carbonateswere being formed by soil forming processes. Theaccumulation of these carbonates could influencevine health due to iron induced chlorosis. This af-fects management decisions such as the planting ofresistant root stocks. Roots may also have difficultyin penetrating cemented layers where calcium hasaccumulated. An increase in the coarse fraction dueto calcification affects available water capacity.Eurobaz is a soil type in Hungary which develops onvolcanic lithology. The name is reflective of it con-stituents being the amalgamation of eruptive andbasic. This soil type is widely neglected in terms ofstudies being conducted on it. A study was con-ducted into whether or not this soil type can be clas-sified as an Andosol in the WRB classification system.Lab analysis determined that the Eurobaz and An-dosols share similar features in structure, humuscontent, colour and mineral composition. HoweverEurobaz do not contain andic or vitric horizon – diag-nostic criteria for Andosols. A mollic horizon sug-gested that the Eurobaz could be classified as aLeptosol, Luvisol, Cambisol or in the Phaeozemgroup. Analysis of each of these soil groups deter-mined that Eurobaz could not be classified into anyparticular WRB soil type.

The work on the soils of Hungary has highlighted thecomplexities with which the soil science communityface in developing a new classification system forglobal use. Convergence and divergence in the evo-lution of soils and the naming of different soil typesin different classification with similar/same namescauses much confusion. Adding to the confusion isthe apparent need for trace element characterisa-tion of soils outside of global classification schemeswhich are said to be inadequate in conveying traceelement information in soils. Three trace elementkeys have been suggested by Denis Baize which in-clude the geochemical background, soil processesleading to natural pedogeochemical concentration(NPGC) and contamination induce by man. With the development of digital mapping and theusefulness of “mathematical ad-hoc classifications”it is possible and plausible that the need of soil clas-sificaiton has become redundant. However if soilclassification is to remain, a Universal Soil Classifica-tion System “should be accepted”. This classificationneeds to be simple, flexible, and universal and haveclear terminology and functionality. Our happily everafter awaits us.

ReferencesBugbog (2010) Map of Hungary, viewed 23rd August 2010

http://www.bugbog.com/maps/europe/hungary_map.html

Editors of Proceedings, editors, Symposium 1.4.2 Soil classifica-

tion – benefits and constraints to pedology; Soil solutions

for a changing world, ISBN 978-0-646-53783-2; Published

on DVD; http://www-iuss.org; 2010 August 1-6, 29p.

Le Centre Cultural Francophone de Vancouver (2010) Camp

Virgule 2010, viewed 23rd August 2010 <http://www.le-

centreculturel.com/html_an/children.html>

Massemo Belloni (2010) Maxbelloni personal photoblog –

the world as I see it, viewed 23rd August 2010

http://www.maxbelloni.com/2008/09/27/grape-vine-pat-

tern/ine%26start%3D36%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa

%3DN%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1

IUSS BULLETIN 11712

List of oral presenters: Declan McDonald, Angela Clough, Eric Craswell, Alfred Hartemink, Robert White

By Kimberly Lam (The University of Sydney)

This is a poem about food, energy and soil,it was a symposium theme at the World Congress of Soil*.

The soil is the foundation in which all things are based,and so my dear readers this is the case.

For food it was about security and how much there is left,for energy it’s about resource allocation and whether it’s theft.

Presented were five speakers from places like China,In addition to dozens of posters that made it non-minor.

The people from Brazil were concerned about cane,the sugar I mean, and global dominance they will gain.

The crop that they value ravages the ground,for the need of machinery to recover the pounds.It is the farmers that grow the crop for the yield,

with sustainability and soil health that does not appeal.They fear the monoculture,

as these canes can become vultures.According to Clough that issue comes second,

when time and cost are a beckons.For the hydrocarbon substitute that questions the source,

is this the best use of our soil without any remorse?Millions of people continuing to suffer,

as their living conditions continue to get tougher.It is harder to grow food from a source that’s depleting,

and all over the news it’s what everyone’s repeating.For China and India with their population so high,their diets will change to proteins beyond supply.

Modellers such as Ye paint a picture that is unfortunate and bleak,by 2050 23% deficit in food we will now have to seek.

What is identified is the correlation that’s lacking,the link between food security and soil health without that much backing.

In White’s study of support tools - GIS is the way of the future, to accurately measure the carbon and the nitrogen capture.

With savings in money due to less nitrogen fertiliser,It seems only with time stakeholders will get wiser.

There needs to be work on increasing the yields,but also consideration for the space of the fields.

Scandrett has said these agricultural fields they call sinks,doesn’t have the solution for carbon as we all might think.

NOVEMBER 2010 13

Symposium 4.2.1 Soil, Energy and Food Securityat the Congress of Soil

* 19th World Congress of Soil Science ‘Solutions for a changing world’ Brisbane, Australia 1-6 August 2010.

And Bindraban wrote it’s the ‘Epidermis of the Earth’,but it seems to be everyone’s piece of turf.

Other papers presented were about crop rotations and weeds,what is apparent is the irrelevance to needs.

McDonald hints towards a national policy of action,unfortunately for him there is only reaction.

With our growing population,this is the situation

For many of the parameters require site only specifics, deter the big players from committing to targets that might be horrific.

What was lacking in the solutions was clear,the tools for national action was absent from fear.

How does a soil scientist talk to the world,about a problem that gets worse, as it unfurls?

IUSS BULLETIN 11714

ReferencesBindraban PS, Batjes NH, Leenaars JGB and Bai Z, 2010, Rele-

vance of soil and terrain information in studies of major

global issues, 19th World Congress of Soil Science p 38-41

(CD-Rom)

Bolonhezi D, Branco RBF, Perdona MJ, Carbonell SADM, Chio-

rato AF, 2010, Intercropping of sugarcane with common

bean in no-tillage and different nitrogen rates, 19th World

Congress of Soil Science p 23-26 (CD-Rom)

Chellemi DO, 2010, Soil fertility as a limiting economic factor

for sustainable biodiesel feedstock production, 19th World

Congress of Soil Science p 49-50 (CD-Rom)

Clough A, MacEwan R and Riffkin PA, 2010, Perceptions of

grain growers towards their soils in the high rainfall zone

of Southern Australia, 19th World Congress of Soil Science

p 31-34 (CD-Rom)

Craswell ET, Vlek PLG and Tiessen H, 2010, Peak phosphorus –

Implications for soil productivity and global food security,

19th World Congress of Soil Science p 27-30 (CD-Rom)

Dyera costulata in a West Malaysian tropical forest, 19th World

Congress of Soil Science p 42-44 (CD-Rom)

Firdaus MS, Hanif AHM, Safiee AS and Ismail MZ, 2010, Carbon

sequestration potential in soil and biomass of Jatropha cur-

cas, 19th World Congress of Soil Science p 62-65 (CD-Rom)

Freire FJ, Oliveira ECAD, Freire MBGDS, Oliveira RID and

Oliveira ACD, 2010, Growth indices of eleven sugarcane va-

rieties grown under full irrigation environments in Brazil,

19th World Congress of Soil Science p 16-19 (CD-Rom)

Hartemink AE, 2010, Growing sugarcane for bioenergy – ef-

fects on the soil, 19th World Congress of Soil Science p 13-

15 (CD-Rom)

Jeyanny V, Zuhaidi YA, Suhaimi WC and Amir SK, 2010, Site

suitability assessment for sustainable forest plantation es-

tablishment of

Kenney I, Blanco-Canqui H, Presley D, Rice C, Nelson N, Olson

B and Janssen K, 2010, Water quality effects of crop

residue removal for cellulosic ethanol production, 19th

World Congress of Soil Science p 59-61 (CD-Rom)

McDonald, D, 2010, Progress towards sustainability – a con-

sensual delusion or viable process? 19th World Congress of

Soil Science p 35-37 (CD-Rom)

Monteiro MM, Veiga LBE and Coutinho HLC, 2010, Sugarcane

crop for biofuel production, demand on soil resource and

food security in Brazil, 19th World Congress of Soil Science

p 55-58 (CD-Rom)

Odhiambo J, Whitbread AM, and Hargreaves JNG, 2010, Incor-

porating groundnut into the maize-based smallholder

farming systems in semi-arid Limpopo province, RSA, 19th

World Congress of Soil Science p 20-22 (CD-Rom)

Scandrett J, Oliver G and Doyle R, 2010, Soil carbon depth

functions under different land uses in Tasmania, 19th

World Congress of Soil Science p 45-48 (CD-Rom)

Singh A, Wilkens P, Jahan I, Sanabria J and Kovach S, 2010, En-

hanced efficiency fertilizers, 19th World Congress of Soil

Science p 9-12 (CD-Rom)

Sukreeyapongse O, Srisawat L, Chomsiri O and Notesiri N,

2010, Soil management for reduce Cd concentration in rice

grains, 19th World Congress of Soil Science p 51-54 (CD-

Rom)

White R, Li Y and Chen D, 2010, An agricultural decision sup-

port tool for wheat-maize cropping on the North China

Plain based on a spatially-referenced biophysical process

model of water, nitrogen and crop growth, 19th World Con-

gress of Soil Science p 1-4 (CD-Rom)

Ye L, Yang J, Verdoodt A, Moussadek R and Ranst EV, 2010,

China’s food security threatened by soil degradation and

biofuels production, 19th World Congress of Soil Science p

5-8 (CD-Rom)

Council Meetings, chaired by the President, RogerSwift, with 47 Member Countries represented, threerepresentatives of the Honorary Members and theExecutive Committee met 5 times during the Con-gress. There was lively and active discussion on arange of topics during these meetings.Some of the key activities during the meeting ofCouncil were:1. Reports from IUSS Officers including Division

Chairs covering the previous year and in somecases an overview since the last Council Meet-ing were received and commented upon bymembers of Council.

2. A report of the financial position of the Unionand the impact of the global financial problemson our investment income was outlined by theTreasurer Jim Gauld. The Audited Accounts for2009 were presented. The accounts were ap-proved and the report of the Budget and Fi-nance Committee accepted.

3. In response to the Budget and Finance Commit-tee Report it was noted that the contribution toIUSS would forthwith broadly reflect the num-ber of members rather than the previously verygenerous contribution in excess of $50000, a fig-ure which has been sustained for the last 8years. The reduction in the contribution fromthe USA would be between $14000 and $18000.The USA were thanked for sustaining this mostgenerous level of support during the early yearsof the new IUSS structure. It was noted that if allNational Members fully reported their NationalMembership of Soil Scientist and paid subscrip-tions on these figures the reduction in subscrip-tion income as a result of the change in USApolicy would probably be met.

4. The recommendation of Budget and FinanceCommittee that from 2012 the rates for mem-bership would be : Group I $7.75 per member;Group II $4.65 per member and Group III $1.55per member was accepted

5. Revised Bye-Laws were approved by Council.6. The winners of the IUSS Medals and Prizes were

reported and congratulated:-

Dokuchaev Medal and Prize – Dan YaalonLiebig Medal and Prize – Don Sparks,7. Following presentations and a vote Council de-

cided that the World Congress of Soil Sciencesin 2018 will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

8. Following from discussion at the Council Meet-ing in 2008 a formal proposal was presented toseparate the Presidency of IUSS from the hostingof the World Congress. From 2014 it is proposedthat IUSS will have an elected President who willserve for a term of 2 years. The Chair of the Or-ganising Committee for the World Congress willbe the Vice President Congress. Nominations forthe President will be called for in 2011 with anelection during 2011-12. This proposal was ac-cepted.

9. Commission 3.6 Salt Affected Soils was estab-lished from the very active Working Group of thesame name. New Officers of the Commissionwill be elected at the next elections in 2011-12.

10. Three new Working Groups were established:Universal Soil Classification; Soil Monitoring; andSoil Information Standards.

11. China, India, Italy, Switzerland and the UnitedKingdom indicated their interests in hosting theWCSS in 2022.

12. Paul Bertsch on behalf of the USA presented aproposal for IUSS to be actively involved in ac-tivities to develop and establish a protocols forthe validation and verification of carbon seques-tration in soil systems. In the first instance thiswould be by means of a workshop when currentknowledge from the global soil science commu-nity on verification systems was shared andstrategies for standardising them discussed.

13. Council appointed new Chairs of Standing Com-mittees :-

Awards and Prizes – Mary Beth KirkhamBudget and Finance – Stephen NortcliffStatutes and Structures – Don SparksPresidential Elections – Roger Sparks.Suggestions were also made of possible members of

these Standing Committees, but nominationswere welcome.

NOVEMBER 2010 15

Council Meetings Minutes(Abridged)World Congress of Soil Sciences, Brisbane

14. The outgoing Chairs of the Standing Commit-tees; Awards and Prizes – Winfried Blum; Budgetand Finance – Robin Harris; Statutes and Struc-tures – John Kimble were thanked by the Coun-cil. Special thanks went to John Kimble who hadover the last 14 or 15 years, as part of a smallteam, developed from scratch the IUSS Statutesand Bye-Laws and then as Chair of the StandingCommittee endeavoured to revise them in thelight of their use and application.

15. The President thanked all those who had con-tributed to the support of IUSS over the time ofhis Presidency.

16. Following the end of my term of office as Secre-tary General in December 2010, it is very pleas-ing to record that Council resolved to appointAlfred Hartemink as Secretary General and AlexMcBratney as Deputy Secretary General fromJanuary 1 2011.

Stephen NortcliffReading, September 2010

IUSS BULLETIN 11716

President Jae yangProfessor of Soil Environmental Chemistry, Dean ofCollege of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Director ofAgricultural Experimental Station, Kangwon Na-tional University, 192-1 Hyoja 2 Dong, Chunchon,Korea 200-701, e-mail: yangjay@kangwon.ac.kr

Dr. Yang has been professorof soil environmental chem-istry since 1990 at KangwonNational University, Korea. Atpresent, he serves as theDean of College of Agricultureand Life Sciences and Directorof Agricultural Experi mentalStation. He received the Ph.D.

degree from Montana State University, USA in 1987and had postdoctoral experiences in USA andCanada until 1990. His current researches focus onbiogeochemical processes that affect contaminantbioavailability and risks in the soil-water-crop con-tinuum, development of new methods to evaluatesoil chemical processes that control bioavailabilityof nutrients and contaminants, and remediation ofthe contaminated soil and water by in situ immobi-lization/solidification methods with the beneficialuse of organic and inorganic by-products. He hasdrawn about 90 research grants and advised morethan 60 graduate students. Dr. Yang published morethan 180 peer reviewed research papers, +300 ab-stracts at domestic and international meetings,coauthored 20 books or chapters and registeredmore than 10 patents. Dr. Yang has demonstrated hisleaderships in teaching, research and administrationwith experiencing Dean, Vice-Dean, Director of Agri-cultural Research Institute and Director of the na-tional strategic education project of well-beingagriculture. He has served on a number of nationalpolicy and research committees, the councils of sci-entific societies and the editorial boards of severaljournals. Professor Yang feels that the field of soilscience is expanding because of the growing inter-ests in food security and safety as well as environ-mental quality. In addition, many state-of-the-artemerging technologies being developed in other dis-ciplines are waiting for soil scientists to use for edu-

cation and researches. Thus, IUSS should widen herroles in promoting food production, conserving en-vironment and developing education strategy on theworld wide scenes. As an IUSS president, he will de-vote himself to serve the global soil science commu-nities and to promote the IUSS activities withdeveloping various strategies with John Kim (VicePresident), Alfred Hartemink (IUSS SG), Alex McBrat-ney (IUSS Deputy SG), executive and council mem-bers and all of IUSS members in order to fulfill theobjectives and commitments of IUSS.

Vice-PresidentKye-Hoon John KimProfessor of Soil Science, Dept. of Environmental Hor-ticulture, The University of Seoul, Junnong Dong,Seoul, Korea 130-743, e-mail: johnkim@uos.ac.kr

Dr. Kye-Hoon John Kim earnedhis BS and MS in AgriculturalChemistry at Seoul NationalUniversity in Korea, and a Ph.D.in Agronomy majoring in soilconservation at the Universityof Georgia at Athens, Georgiain USA. He worked for twoyears at the Oak Ridge National

Laboratory as a postdoctoral research fellow dealingwith soils contaminated with radioactive materials.His six year’s work for the Korea Institute of NuclearSafety (KINS) as a senior researcher, especially partic-ipation of the joint expedition to the radioactivewaste dumping areas in the northwest Pacific Ocean,significantly influenced his interests in environmentalissues. Later, he joined the University of Seoul as aProfessor of Soil Science in 1997 and has worked ex-tensively in issues related with remediation of con-taminated soils since then. He was a visiting scholar atthe Integrated Waste Management Centre, CranfieldUniversity, UK in 2005. His current research interestsand projects are in: remediation of contaminated soilsin the urban areas; contaminated soil managementwithin the risk assessment framework; recycling of by-product gypsum, especially in agriculture; phytoreme-diation of the contaminated soils; development ofgrowing substrates for specific crops; standardization

NOVEMBER 2010 17

New IUSS Officers

of methods of soil analysis; and environmentally-safeburial of animal carcasses to prevent epidemics. Hewas a chair of commission 3.4 Soil Engineering andTechnology during 2006-2010 and will serve anotherterm, 2010-2014, as a chair of the commission. Healso has been an active participant to working groupSUITMA (soils of urban, industrial, traffic, military andmining area) of IUSS since 2003. Dr. Kim has been in-volved in standardization of methods of soil analysisby working with ISO (international standardization or-ganization) as a national representative of Korea since2003. He is currently working as a convenor of ISO/TC190/SC 7/WG 9 since 2008. He eagerly looks forwardto working with his colleague Prof. Jae E. Yang andother members of the IUSS Executive to encouragestronger involvement of young soil scientists and thesoil scientists from the developing countries to the20th WCSS particularly through the development ofthe Scientific Program of the Congress.

Secretary GeneralAlfred HarteminkISRIC – World Soil Information, PO Box 353, 6700AJ Wageningen, the Netherlands. E-mail:alfred.hartemink@wur.nl

Alfred Hartemink is a soilscientist at ISRIC – WorldSoil Information in Wa-geningen, the Nether-lands. He has worked assoil surveyor and soil fer-tility specialist in Congo,Kenya, Tanzania, Indone-sia, Papua New Guinea

and Australia. He coordinates the GlobalSoilMap.netproject that works on a fine resolution digital soilmap of the world. Alfred was the Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the International Union of Soil Sciences(2002-2010); he is joint editor-in-chief of Geodermaand Progress in Soil Science, and editor of the WorldSoils Book Series.

Deputy Secretary GeneralAlex McBratneyProfessor of Soil Scienc, Faculty of Agriculture, Food& Natural Resources, Rm. S224 John Woolley Build-ing, The University of Sydney NSW 2006. Australia.E-mail: Alex.McBratney@sydney.edu.au

Alex. McBratney is Profes-sor of Soil Science andPro-Dean in the Faculty ofAgriculture, Food & Natu-ral Resources at the Uni-versity of Sydney. Alex. isa soil teacher and re-searcher. He teaches gen-eral soil science, soil

physics and pedometrics. His main research inter-ests are in pedometrics and precision agriculture.His pedometric research is now largely focused ondigital soil mapping at various resolutions and spa-tio-temporal variation of soil carbon. He collabo-rates widely both formally and informally withcolleagues across the globe. Alex. is a strong advo-cate for the generation of novel and authentic soilscience knowledge (that addresses real-world prob-lems) and its wide promulgation in the scientific andlay media.

IUSS BULLETIN 11718

L to R: Alex McBratney, Kye-Hoon John Kim, Jae Yang, Alfred Hartemink

Division One – Soil in Space and TimeDivision Chair K. Stahr, Germany k.stahr@uni-hohenheim.de

1.1 Soil Morphology and MicromorphologyChair R.M. Poch, Spain rosa.poch@macs.udl.catVice Chair M. Gerard, France Martine.Gerard@impmc.jussieu.fr

1.2 Soil GeographyChair R. Jahn, Germany reinhold.jahn@landw.uni-halle.deVice Chair A. Faz Cano, Spain angel.fazcano@upct.es

1.3 Soil GenesisChair G.L. Zhang, China glzhang@issas.ac.cnVice-Chair Z. Zagorski, Poland zagorski@delta.sggw.waw.pl

1.4 Soil ClassificationChair J. Galbraith, USA ttef@vt.eduVice Chair P. Kravilnikov, Russia pavel.krasilnikov@gmail.com

1.5 PedometricsChair T. Behrens, Germany thorsten.behrens@uni-tuebingen.deVice-Chair A-Xing Zhu, USA azhu@wisc.edu

1.6 PalaeopedologyChair D. Sauer, Germany d-sauer@uni-hohenheim.deVice-Chair S. Sedov, Mexico sergey@geologia.unam.mx

Division Two – Properties and ProcessesDivision Chair M. Gerzabek, Austria martin.gerzabek@boku.ac.at

2.1 Soil PhysicsChair D. Or, Switzerland dani.or@env.ethz.chVice Chair Bin Zhang, China bzhang@issas.ac.cn

2.2 Soil ChemistryChair J. Chorover, USA chorover@cals.arizona.eduVice-Chair T. Miano, Italy miano@agr.uniba.it

2.3 Soil BiologyChair K. Inubushi, Japan inubushi@faculty.chiba-u.ac.jpVice Chair F. Kandeler, Germany ellen.kandeler@uni-hohenheim.de

2.4 Soil MineralogyChair D. Hesterberg, USA dean_hesterberg@ncsu.eduVice-Chair B. Singh, Australia balwant.singh@sydney.edu.au

2.5 Soil Interfacial ReactionsChair A. Violante, Italy violante@unina.itVice-Chair S. Staunton, France staunton@ensam.inra.fr

NOVEMBER 2010 19

Division and Commission Officers 2010-2014(short biography of all officers is on www.iuss.org under IUSS People)

Division Three – Soil Use and ManagementDivision Chair R. Horn, Germany rhorn@soils.uni-kiel.de

3.1 Soil Evaluation and Land Use Planning Chair S. Mantel, Netherlands Stephan.Mantel@wur.nlVice Chair G. Toth, Hungary gergely.toth@jrc.it

3.2 Soil and Water ConservationChair E. Cammeraat, Netherlands L.H.Cammeraat@uva.nlVice-Chair B. Lennartz, Germany bernd.lennartz@uni-rostock.de

3.3 Soil Fertility and Plant NutritionChair A. Garcia-Ocampo, Colombia sccsueloagarcia@uniweb.net.co Vice Chair B. Singh, India BijaySingh20@hotmail.com

3.4 Soil Engineering and TechnologyChair John Kim Key-Hoon, Korea johnkim@uos.ac.krVice-Chair S. Melchior, Germany melchior@mplusw.de

3.5 Soil degradation control, remediation, reclamationChair P. Gicheru, Kenya cdnarl@iconnect.co.ke Vice-Chair T. Kosaki, Japan kosakit@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp

3.6 Salt-Affected SoilsChair D. Suarez Donald.Suarez@ars.usda.govVice-Chair T. Toth tibor.toth@jrc.ec.europa.eu

Division Four - The Role of Soils in Sustaining Society & the EnvironmentDivision Chair C. Rice, USA cwrice@ksu.edu

4.1 Soils and the Environment Chair M. Aulakh, India msaulakh@satyam.net.inVice chair I. Vogeler, New Zealand ivogeler@hortresearch.co.nz

4.2 Soils, Food Security and Human HealthChair I. Pepper, USA ipepper@ag.arizona.eduVice-Chair Yong-Guan Zhu, China ygzhu@rcees.ac.cn

4.3 Soils and Land Use ChangeChair R. Hatano, Japan hatano@chem.agr.hokudai.ac.jpVice Chair M.H. Roozitalab, Iran roozitalab@dpimail.net

4.4 Soil Education and Public AwarenessChair S. Cattle Australia s.cattle@usyd.edu.auVice-Chair Wang Jinggou, China wangjg@cau.edu.cn

4.5 History, Philosophy and Sociology of Soil ScienceChair J. Churchman, Australia jock.churchman@adelaide.edu.auVice-Chair E. Landa, USA erlanda@usgs.gov

IUSS BULLETIN 11720

Donald L. Sparks was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1953.He gained his PhD at Virginia Polytechnic Instituteand State University at Blacksburg, Virginia in 1979.He has spent his entire professional career at theUniversity of Delaware, being appointed a full Pro-fessor in 1987. In 2002 he was appointed to the S.Hallock du Pont Chair at the University of Delaware.Don Sparks has published over 250 papers and bookchapters and three textbooks in the area of soil and

environmental chemistry. He has also edited Ad-vances in Agronomy for almost two decades. He hasbeen a visiting researcher at Universities and Insti-tutes throughout the USA and World. He is a Fellowof five scientific organizations, was President of theSoil Science Society of America in 1999-200 andPresident of the International Union of Soil Sciences2002-2006.

NOVEMBER 2010 21

IUSS von Liebig Award 2010:Don Sparks

Don Sparks at the conference dinner in Brisbane.

Dan Yaalon was born in the former Czechoslovakiain 1924. He studied at the Agricultural Universitiesof Copenhagen and Uppsala. In 1948 he became acitizen of the new state of Israel and in 1954 com-pleted his doctorate in Soil Science at the HebrewUniversity in Jerusalem. Since this time he hastaught and undertaken research at Institutes andUniversities around the world, including RothamstedExperimental Station, University of California, Uni-versity of Oxford, and the Australian National Uni-versity in Canberra. He has made very significantcontributions to advancing the scientific knowledgeof soils and sediments in aridic environments andwas a lead player in establishing the modern pedo-logical foundation of soil interpretation and re-search. In later years he has focused his attention onthe roles played by humans in inducing changes insoils and soil behaviour. In addition within ISSS andIUSS Dan has taken a significant role in encouragingand developing the history of the soil science.

IUSS BULLETIN 11722

IUSS Dokuchaev Award 2010:Dan Yaalon

Dan Yaalon.

His granddaughter at the conference dinner in Brisbane.

Christian FellerDr Christian Feller was born on the 2nd of June,1943. He obtained a PhD in organic chemistry in1972, and a French State PhD (the highest degreein the French University system) in soil science in1994. He is presently a Director of Research and asenior soil scientist at the “Institut de Recherchepour le Développement” (IRD-France), and the IRDrepresentative for Madagascar. He worked in nu-merous places in the world such as Senegal,France, the West Indies, Brazil, and Madagascar.The main research topic of Christian Feller has al-ways been soil organic matter. Indeed, he is one ofthe major pioneers in this field. Christian Fellermade a major breakthrough in soil organic mattercharacterisation when he proposed in 1979 anoriginal method for separating soil organic matterpools using a physical fractionation (Feller 1979).Several decades after his proposal, physical frac-tionation of organic matter is still one of the maintools used by soils scientists to separate soil or-ganic matter pools. In 1985, he was the co-author of the first paperusing in situ 13C natural isotope labelling for thestudy of organic matter dynamics after a land usechange. This new and powerful discovery hasthereafter been used by hundreds of soil scientiststo quantify soil organic carbon pools from differentorigins. Moreover, the combination of the twotechniques first proposed by Christian Fellerbrought sound insights into the concepts of carbonpools and carbon dynamics. His findings broughtabout tremendous changes to soil organic matterdynamics modelling and to the understanding ofthe functional properties of soil organic matterpools and components. Christian Feller anticipated very soon the impor-tance of the issue of soil carbon sequestration inglobal changes. His first studies on carbon stocksand fluxes according to management practiceswere realised before the Kyoto protocol. Using hislarge knowledge of tropical soils and organic mat-ter dynamics, he was able to propose simplegeneric methods to estimate C contents of tropicalsoils, their potential changes, and the degradationrisks linked to soil organic matter decrease (e.g.,Feller &

Kikuo KumazawaProf. Dr. Kikuo Kumazawa is a Professor Emeritus,Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty ofAgriculture, the University of Tokyo, Japan. Heearned his PhD from the University of Tokyo in1961 and has served as an assistant professor, as-sociate professor and professor of plant nutritionand fertilizers is the Faculty of Agriculture, the Uni-versity of Tokyo from 1953 to 1989, and then hetaught in Tokyo University of Agriculture from1989 to 1999. He worked as a second officer inIAEA from 1968 to 1969.He has devoted of teaching and research experi-ence in plant nutrition and fertilizers over 50 years.He studied on the role of organic acid metabolismin rice roots. Then he developed the emission spec-trometry of 15N analysis of small amount of sam-ples at the level of microgram. This method and 15Nanalyzer have been widely used in many laborato-ries in Japan and all over the world to study thefate of N in plant and soils. He applied this 15Ntracer method in nitrogen assimilation in rice rootsand nitrogen fixation in soybean nodules. He dis-covered that ammonium, either in the rice roots orsoybean root nodules, is initially assimilated inamide-N of glutamine via GS/GOGAT pathway by15N tracer experiments. He also analyzed N sourcesin natural and agricultural fields using naturalabundance of 15N. He gave a great effort to pro-mote recycling of waste organic matter to agricul-ture for sustainable and environmental friendlyagriculture. He served as President of the Japanese Society ofSoil Science and Plant Nutrition, President of Asso-ciation of Japanese Agricultural Scientific Societies,President of the Japan Organic Recycle Association,President of the Japan Soil Association, and Presi-dent of the Fertilization Research Institute. He wasgoverning board Member of ICRISAT (1982-1988)and of IBSRAM (1988-1994). He has published asubstantial number of books, research papers andreports.

Kazutake KyumaProfessor Dr. Kazutake Kyuma is Professor Emeri-tus, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan.He was granted Doctor of Agriculture from Kyoto

NOVEMBER 2010 23

New Honorary Members IUSS

University in 1961 and served as an assistant pro-fessor, associate professor, and professor in theFaculty of Agriculture and the Center for SoutheastAsian Studies, Kyoto University, from 1960 through1994 and as a professor in the School of Environ-mental Science, the University of Shiga Prefecture,Japan, from 1994 through 2001. He was also en-gaged in research as a visiting scientist in NorthCarolina State University, USA, from 1963 through1964 and taught as a visiting professor in KasetsertUniversity, Thailand, from 2002 through 2004.He devoted himself for nearly 50 years to researchand education in soil science, particularly in thefields of soil genesis and classification, soil fertilityevaluation, nutrient cycling in soil ecosystems, andthe establishment of sustainable agriculture underdifferent environmental conditions in the world.Among many of his study topics, “fertility evalua-tion of lowland soils in Tropical Asia” and “ecosys-tem study of shifting cultivation in Monsoon Asia”can be recognized as milestone research in the de-velopment of agricultural sciences in the tropicsand contributed to understanding soils, agricul-ture, peoples, history, culture and philosophy ofthat area.Professor Kazutake Kyuma served as President ofthe Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nu-trition (1990-1991), President of the Japanese Soci-ety of Pedology (1986-1990), President of East andSoutheast Federation of Soil Science Societies(1990-1991), a member of Board of Trustees in In-ternational Rice Research Institute (1989-1992),Vice-chairman of Soil Genesis and Classification Di-vision in International Society of Soil Science(1986-1990), Chairman of the Program Committeeof the 14th International Congress of Soil Science(1986-1990), and a member of Editorial Board ofGeoderma (1989-2001). He received Japanese Agri-cultural Science Award (1985), Award of JapaneseSociety of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (1975),Award of Japanese Society for Tropical Agriculture(1978) and became the first winner of East andSoutheast Asian Federation of Soil Science Soci-eties Award (2007). He was also honored with Pur-ple Ribbon Medal (1994) and Cordon of the Orderof the Sacred Treasure (2002) of the Governmentof Japan for his dedication to research and educa-tion in soil science, particularly those for the devel-opment of the countries in the tropics. Professor Kazutake Kyuma has published numerousbooks, research papers and reports.

John RyanDr John Ryan’s contributions to global soil scienceare reflected by:Publications related to soil fertility, plant nutrition,soil conservation, and agricultural education: 155+refereed journal articles, 48 proceedings articles,13 books, 20 book chapters, 4 training manuals, 23internally reviewed publications, 170 meeting ab-stracts, and 30 special reports. Furthermore thereare now Arabic, Russian and English language ver-sions of his Soil Laboratory Manual.International recognition as a Fellow of Soil ScienceSociety of America (1999), Fellow of the AmericanSociety of Agronomy (1998), being awarded a DScfrom University College Dublin (1999), an Interna-tional Soil Science Award (1997), an InternationalService in Agronomy Award (2004) the J. BentonJones Award (2007) and a “Distinguished Citizen ofthe University of Arizona” award (2000). His careerachievements have also been recognized by thepresentation of the Soil Science Distinguished Serv-ice Award, presented in New Orleans on November5, 2007 at the SSSA-ASA-CSSA meeting.Editorial board member for the following journals:European J. Agronomy; Nutrient Cycling in Agroe-cosystems; and Renewable Agriculture and FoodSystems; Turkish J Agriculture and Forestry;Ethiopian Journal of Natural Resources; IranianJournal Science and Technology; and Al-Awamia).International committee membership for the fol-lowing: Scientific Advisory Committee of the WorldPhosphate Institute; International Crop ScienceCommittee: Committee for the International SoilScience Award; Committee for the InternationalService in Agronomy Award; currently serves onthe Committee for Fellows of the American Soil Sci-ence Society; and is Chair of the L.B. FrederickTravel Grant Committee.Dr. Ryan has contributed to the IUSS in the follow-ing ways:He was elected Chair of Commission 3.3 (Soil Fer-tility and Plant Nutrition) in 2002.He was one of a number of international soil scien-tists to contribute to the IUSS publication (2006)on “The Future of Soil Science”.

B. A. StewartDr. Stewart is currently Distinguished Professor ofSoil Science and Director of the Dryland AgricultureInstitute at West Texas A&M University in Canyon,

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Texas. He received his B.Sc. (1953) and M.Sc.(1957) from Oklahoma State University and hisPh.D. (1961) from Colorado State University. Beforejoining West Texas A&M in 1993, Dr. Stewart had a40-year career with the U.S. Department of Agri-culture (USDA), serving as a Research Soil Scientistswith the Agricultural Research Service, and lateralso a Laboratory Director at the Conservation andProduction Research Laboratory in Bushland,Texas.Dr. Stewart is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society ofAmerica (SSSA), the American Society of Agronomy(ASA), and the Soil Conservation Society of Amer-ica. He has served on the Board of Directors ofboth SSSA and ASA, and was President of SSSA in1981. He has also served as the Associate Editor(1967-72) and Editor-in-Chief (1975-79) of the SSSAJournal. Within the International Soil Science Soci-ety, Dr. Stewart attended several congresses, par-ticipated in the 1966 meeting of Commission IV,and was Vice-Chairman of the Soil ConservationSub-Commission from 1990 to 1994.In addition to his participation in ISSS, Dr. Stewarthas other international activities to his credit. From1983 to 1993, he served as Scientific Liaison Officerfor the U.S. Agency for International Developmentto the International Center for Agriculture Re-search in Dryland Areas, Aleppo, Syria. For theFood and Agriculture Organization and the WorldBank he has conducted special assignments andwritten reports on Dryland Agriculture. For exam-ple, World Bank Technical Paper Number 221 waspublished in December 1993 entitled ConservingSoil Moisture and Fertility in the Warm SeasonallyDry Tropics. This report was based one that he co-ordinated and wrote for The World Bank in 1992-1993. In February 1995, Dr. Stewart chaired afour-person committee for an internal review ofthe Farm Resources Management Program at theInternational Center for Agricultural Research inDryland Areas (ICARDA), located in Aleppo, Syria.Dr. Stewart has been the impetus behind severalinternational conferences and workshops focusingon Dryland Agriculture. He conceived of the ideaand served as Chairman of the Organizing Commit-tee for the 1988 International Conference on Dry-land Farming, held in Amarillo and Bushland,Texas, and was attended by 450 participants from52 countries. As Director of the Dryland AgricultureInstitute, West Texas A&M University, he devel-oped a Training Workshop on Sustainable Agroe-cosystems and Environmental Issues. The first

Workshop was in 1994 and it has been held annu-ally. More than 100 participants from Thailand,China, Senegal, Ethiopia, Argentina, Pakistan, Jor-dan, Mexico, Uganda, Mali, Brazil, Australia, SouthAfrica, Yemen, and India have been involved. In December 1994, he participated in an Electronic-Mail “Conference on Management of Salt-AffectedSoils” sponsored by the Centre for Environment forthe Arab Region and Europe for representatives ofthe Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Agri-culture, and universities in Egypt, United Arab Emi-rates, Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, and Libya. In May1996, he was an invited lecturer to the XV Argen-tine Soil Science Congress, Santa Rosa, Argentina,and in December 1997 he was invited to present apaper at Belem, Brazil.Among the awards Dr. Stewart has received are the1985 USDA Superior Service Award and the 1994Hugh Hammond Bennett Award, the highest awardgiven by the Soil and Water Conservation Society.From 1991-93, Dr. Stewart served on the NationalResearch Council Committee on Long-Range Soiland Water Conservation, which resulted in the Na-tional Academy of Sciences report, Soil and WaterQuality: An Agenda for Agriculture.

Victor TargulianProf. V.Targulian was born in Russia, Moscow, onAugust 10, 1934 and received his Master in Soil Sci-ence at the Moscow Agricultural Academy in 1957and became Doctor of Geographical Sciences, SoilFormation and Weathering in 1968 at the Instituteof Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences.From 1965 – 1972 he was Senior Researcher at theInstitute of Geography of the Russian Academy ofSciences, and from 1972 – 1993 Head of the Labo-ratory of Soil Geography and Evolution. Since 1993he has been Leading Researcher at the Institute ofGeography, Russian Academy of Sciences.Since 1988 he has been Professor of Soil Genesisand Geography at the Lomonosov Moscow StateUniversity. From 1975 until today, he has been vis-iting professor and researcher at many institutionsin Europe, Asia and the Americas: Visiting Re-searcher at the Institute of Environmental Engi-neering of the Polish Academy of Sciences; VisitingResearcher at the Poushkarov Soil Science Institutein Sofia, Bulgaria; Visiting Professor at the EarthScience Department of the Hebrew University,Jerusalem, Israel; Visiting Professor at the OhioState University, Columbus, and the Laboratory of

NOVEMBER 2010 25

Soil Survey in Washington D.C.; Visiting Professorat the Laboratory of Geosciences and Environment,University of Marseille III, France; Visiting Profes-sor at the Institute of Soil Science of the ChineseAcademy of Sciences in Nanjing, China; VisitingProfessor at the Institute of Geology, UNAM, Mex-ico City, Mexico; Visiting Professor at the Agricul-tural University in Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany;and Visiting Professor at the University of NaturalResources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vi-enna, Austria.Prof. Targulian served on many international scien-tific programmes and projects, as chairman andleading scientist, e.g. in the MaB-UNESCO Pro-gramme, in the IGBP – Global Change Co-ordinat-ing Panel “Atmospheric aspects of hydrologicalcycles”.His services and co-operation in the national andinternational soil scientific community are numer-ous: At national level, he has been a member ofthe Presidium of the Russian Soil Science Society(Dokuchaev Society) since 1974. Since 1990 he hasbeen Vice President of the Dokuchaev Soil ScienceSociety of Russia, responsible for international re-lations of the Society with the international soilscientific community.Professor Targulian has held a number of postswithin ISSS-IUSS:1990 – 1994 Vice Chairman of Commission V “SoilGenesis, Classification and Cartography”; 1994-1998, Chairman of Commission V, 1998 – 2002,Vice Chairman of Commission V; 2002 – 2006,Chairman of Commission 1.3 “Soil Genesis” withinDivision I “Soil in Space and Time”.Prof. Targulian is author of more than 350 scientificpublications, among them 7 books, 15 book edi-tions, about 120 scientific papers in peer reviewedjournals and more than 230 further papers as bookchapters and technical papers. He has given morethan 200 invited lectures and more than 250 otherpresentations in national and international scien-tific events. His latest book was published in 2008,written together with S.V. Goryachkin, on “SoilMemory: Soil as a Memory of Biosphere-Geosphere Interactions” (in Russian).Prof. Targulian has received several prizes andawards: He is Honorary Member of the Polish SoilScience Society; he received the Dokuchaev Memo-rial Medal of the Russian Soil Science Society in1996 and was honored with the Dokuchaev Awardof IUSS in 2006.

György VárallyayProfessor György Várallyay, honorary president ofthe Hungarian Soil Science Society, and member ofthe Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) has sig-nificantly contributed to the development of soilscience and the activities of the InternationalUnion of Soil Sciences. Professor Varallyay has contributed to the under-standing of the salinization, alkalization, and sodifi-cation processes. Beside fundamental research heorganized and performed several national and in-ternational courses on the topic. As Vice President(1978-1982) and later President (1982-1986) ofCommission VI, Soil Technology, he took an activepart in organization scientific meetings and activi-ties. - Research, teaching and leadership of scientificactivities on soil degradation processes, environ-mental sensitivity/vulnerability and mapping/moni-toring soils. Professor Varallyay participated in and coordi-nated several national and international programsrelated to land degradation (GLASOD, Digital SoilData Base of Europe, CE-SOTER. etc) He took theleadership in the development of the HungarianSoil Monitoring System (TIM), that is among thebest performing examples for other countries, andwas the early initiator of harmonized Europeanand global soil monitoring systems. He organizedseveral meeting in the area under the umbrella ofIUSS and introduced the new findings into educa-tion programs.- Contribution to science policy and institutionaldevelopment of scientific organizations:In his past positions and functions as director ofResearch Institute for Soil Science and AgriculturalChemistry of HAS, the president of the HungarianSoil Science Society and member of the ScientificCommittee of European Soil Bureau (ESB) (onlythe most important are mentioned) he signifi-cantly contributed to the development of the na-tional and European soil science and soilprotection policy. He has also been serving as amember of the Committee on Prizes and Awardsand President of the Hungarian National Commit-tee of IUSS.His scientific recognition is well expressed by hismembership in international organizations and edi-torial boards of several journals which are listedalong with his many awards in the detailed curricu-lum vita of Professor Varallyay (attached). Themost important ones are:

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- President (1993-) of the HAS Scientific Commis-sion on „Soil Science and Agrochemistry”;Honorary President of the Hungarian Soil ScienceSociety; Member of the Scientific Committee of Eu-ropean Soil Bureau (ESB);Member of the HungarianNational Committees of UNESCO, ICSU, MAB, IGBP,NHP, ICID, CIGR and ISTRO;-Editor-in-Chief of „Agrokémia és Talajtan” (Agro-chemistry and Soil Science), Member of the inter-national editorial boards of „Archiv für Acker- undPflanzenbau und Bodenkunde”; „Geoderma”; „In-ternational Agrophysics”; „Land Degradation andDevelopment” and „Matica Srpska”;-„Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic, Com-mander’s Cross” - President of the Hungarian Re-public, 1997; „Order of Work” (silver) - President ofState, 1985; „Doctor Honoris Causa” of 3 Hungar-ian Universities, Foreign Member of the SlovakAcademy of Agricultural Science, Medal „MichalOczapowski” – Section of Agriculture and ForestrySciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 1991.

J.S.P. YadavBorn on July 30, 1922, Dr. J.S.P. Yadav had very bril-liant academic career throughout, and also obtainedPost Graduate Diploma in Forest Soils from OxfordUniversity, U.K. Dr. Yadav has long distinguished ex-perience of research, teaching and administration inthe capacity of Soil Chemist and Senior Research Of-ficer (Soils), Forest Research Institute, Dehradun(1956-69), Project Coordinator of All India Coordi-nated multi-disciplinary project on Soil Salinity andWater Management (1969-74), Director Central SoilSalinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal (1974-82),Vice Chancellor Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar(1982-83) and Chairman Agricultural Scientists Re-cruitment Board (1983-86). Following his retirement,Dr. Yadav served USAID, India, New Delhi as SeniorProgramme Specialist/Project Officer (1987-91).Dr. Yadav is widely recognized for his outstandingcontributions on soil and water management, lead-ing to efficient and economic use of these two keyresources which are basic to robust agriculturalgrowth and sustainable socio-economic develop-ment. As Coordinator, Dr. Yadav steered, guided andevaluated successfully research at several locationsrepresenting different agro-ecological situations ofIndia. Very valuable scientific information of vastpractical applicability emerged regarding water re-quirement of different crops, irrigations methods, in-troduction of IW/CPE ratio concept for scheduling

irrigation, identification of critical growth stages ofcrops, drainage needs for different soils and otherrelated aspects aiming at higher productivity with-out ecological harm. Tolerance limits of major cropsfor salinity/sodicity of water were determined, andmanagement practices refined for safe use of suchwaters for increased crop production. Our researchfindings have shown that waters having higherMg/Ca ratio impaired soil physical condition by in-creased degree of dispersion and decreased hy-draulic conductivity as well as the crop yield. It wasinferred that under such condition, Mg acts like Narather than Ca, and hence, Mg should not beclubbed with Ca for calculating SAR values. Extensiveoccurrence of salt-affected soils presents a seriousconstraint to crop production in India, especially inthe Indian Gangetic Plain. Techniques were stan-dardized for proper characterization and diagnosisof these soils. Our research work (1956) showed thatpH 8.2 instead of pH 8.5 denoted ESP 15 for distin-guishing the sodic soils. Based on an intensive inves-tigation, a salinity and alkali scale was prepared in1956 to evaluate these soils for crop responses. Thisscale has proved of immense practical value foradopting appropriate management practices forcrops like rice, wheat, sorghum and barley. Detailedstudy (1959) was conducted to assess the dynamicsof soil changes taking place during reclamation. Inan Operational Research Project undertaken inseven villages of Karnal district under his guidance,lush green crops of rice and wheat were grown withadoption of CSSRI technology on a number of farm-ers’ fields of highly deteriorated barren sodic lands.These and other efforts prompted the governmentsof Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to reclaimmore than 1 million ha of sodic lands in these stateswith additional production of about 6-8 Mt of food-grains every year.The research initiated by Dr Yadav in 1970 after es-tablishment of CSSRI on afforestation of sodic landhelped rehabilitation of these problematic areasthrough agroforestry / social forestry. Voluminousdata were generated to define the soil properties re-sponsible for good or poor growth or even motalityof forest species. The publication of Dr. Yadav on‘Problems and Potentials of Reforestation of Salt-af-fected Soils in India’ brought out in 1988 by FAO Re-gional Office Bangkok, has received widerecognition.As Director CSSRI, Dr. Yadav organized an Interna-tional Symposium on the Salt-affected Soils at Kar-nal in 1980, which was attended by more than 100

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eminent scientists from 26 countries. The quality ofresearch achievements presented by the scientistsof CSSRI not only earned honours in their profes-sional career but also placed CSSRI on the globalmap. Prior to this international event, Dr. Yadav or-ganized an Indo-Hungarian Seminar on the salt-af-fected soils in 1977. The remarkable success of thesetwo events still remains a historic record of CSSRIKarnal.Dr. Yadav participated in 11th International Congressof Soil Science in 1978 in Canada, and 12th Interna-tional Congress of Soil Science in 1982 at New Delhi.Besides, he participated in International Conferenceon Casuarina in 1981 in Australia; International Sem-inar on Scientific Agricultural Management in 1984in Sri Lanka; First National Congress of Soil Science in1985 at Lahore in Pakistan; FAO World Food DaySymposium on Environmental Problems in Bangkokin 1989; International Seminar on Soil Resilience andSustainable Land use in 1992 at Budapest; Interna-tional Rice Conference in 1995 at IARI; and Interna-tional Symposium on ‘Sustainable Management ofSalt-affected Soils in Arid Ecosystem in 1997 at Cairounder aegis of Sub Commission “Salt Affected Soils”of the IUSS. Dr. Yadav has been Vice Chairman, Com-mission VI and Sub Commission on Salt AffectedSoils of IUSS. Besides, he has been chairman/mem-ber of several professional/scientific committees,panels and meetings at State, National and Interna-tional level. He is Editor of National Academy Agri-cultural Sciences. Dr. Yadav has, to his credit, morethan 250 publications including research papers inforeign and Indian journals of repute, scientific re-views, books, bulletins, chapters popular articles etc.The book co-authored on ‘Saline and Alkali Soils ofIndia’ (1979) is still in great demand.In view of his outstanding contributions, Dr. Yadavwas conferred PADMA SHRI by the Govt. of India. Heis also recipient, singly or jointly, of other importantawards namely Guinness Award of CommonwealthScientific Association, Hari Om Trust Award, Dr. Ra-jendra Prasad award, Brandis Memorial prize, SchlichMemorial Prize, Honorary Member and Golden Ju-bilee honour of Indian Society of Soil Science, USAIDAward for Superior Performance, Samaj Gaurav Sam-man National Award, All India Pensioners Apprecia-tion for meritorious service in ICAR, and D.Sc. (h.c.)by GBPUAT, Pantnagar. Dr Yadav has been Fellow ofNational Academy of Sciences, India; Chemical Soci-ety, London; National Academy of Agricultural Sci-ences; Indian Society of Agricultural Chemists; Indian

Society of Coastal Agricultural Research; Indian Soci-ety of Water Management, and Soil ConservationSociety of India. Dr. Yadav has been President of In-dian Society of Soil Science, Agricultural Society ofIndia, Indian Society of Coastal Agricultural Re-search, Indian Society of Salinity Research Scientists,and Indian Society of Water Management. He hasvisited several countries and has been expert con-sultant to FAO, USAID, World Bank, UN-ESCAP, UNDP,AFC, WAPCOS, PPCL and United Rice Land Ltd.Dr Yadav passed away on 3rd April 2010.

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D. Righi, research scientist at HydrASA CNRS - Uni-versity of Poitiers, passed away in the evening onMarch 7. He was born on 1943, January 19th at LaRochelle where he grew up, then married Annickand had two children, Quantin and Nicolas. He wasgraduated in agricultural science and he got his PhDin 1977 and started working at the ‘Laboratoire dePédologie’ of the University of Poitiers with profes-sor Jacques Dupuis. During the nineties, this labora-tory evolved to a composite research team focussedon clay minerals. This was especially important forhim because he could deeply interact with other sci-entists having a very different background and aims.In that context he was capable to create a very fruit-ful interaction contributing in importing and export-ing data, methodologies and approaches betweenthe clay mineralogy and the soil science communi-ties.

The basics of his approach embrace two point of ref-erence: a multi-facets studying of soil (fine) clay aim-ing to understand soils and the use of soil formingfactors sequences. Indeed Dominique gave an enor-mous importance in analysing the soil system by em-ploying chrono-, topo- and lito-sequences concepts

as a mean of disentangling and understanding thesoil complexity. Then the analysis of such complexitywas challenged by integrating soil morphology withchemical, spectroscopic and ultramicroscopic ap-proaches of clay minerals.In the first part of his carrier Dominique became aleading scientist on podzol and podzolizationprocesses. Then as his carrier moved towards thestudy of clay minerals he became a leading interna-tional authority on soil clay mineralogy and its rela-tionship with soil type and soil morphology. Heproduces outstanding results concerning clay forma-tion during podzol development. On Swiss soils, hewas able to highlight phyllosilicates evolution bylinking geology, time and soil horizonation provingthat smectite is the end-product of mica alteration instrongly leached and acidified E horizons. He alsodemonstrated that the end-products of the weather-ing processes in either the A or the Bw horizons ap-peared to be quite different. More recently heestablished that eluvial pedogenic smectites ofFinnish podzols change over time with soil evolution,in terms of clay assemblage, chemistry and inter-layer charge. Dominique gave an outstanding contri-bution by studying factor time of pedogenesis

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In MemoriamDr. Dominique Righi (1943-2010)

throughout the rate of clay minerals change (smec-tite + mica = illite + mixed-layer minerals) in achronosequence of polders where the progress ofreaction in time appeared to be non-linear. His cut-ting-edge research has also advanced the world’sknowledge on the evolution of clay minerals in Ver-tisols. He proved the pedogenic formation of newclay minerals in toposequences of Vertisols in accor-dance to soil horizons and environmental settings.For instance, he demonstrated the neogenesis ofkaolinite-smectite mixed layers in toposequencesdeveloped from basaltic parent material (Italy) andrelated this finding to the drainage conditions in-duced by the slope, demonstrating that the pedo-genic formation of high-charge beidellite are inconnection with the unstability of montmorilloniticlayers in subalkaline soil environment. Then his find-ings largely dismantled classical pedological theoriesconcerning whole soil homogeneization and mont-morillonite stability in Vertisols. He has also givenimportant contribution in understanding the impor-tance of expandable phyllosilicate in the clay frac-tion for explaining organic matter complexesresistant to oxidation, in reviewing halloysite forma-tion in soils, demonstrating the role of fulvic andhumic acids in Oxisol-Spodosol toposequence(Brazil) and finally showing examples of the effect ofagricultural activities on the mineralogy of soil clays.He has also pioneered some important methodolo-gies in soils including high-gradient magnetic separa-tion techniques, the estimate of layer charge ofsmectites using infrared spectroscopy and, most im-portantly, the pioneer soil science applications ofXRD patterns decomposition. To this respect he de-finitively proved that the decomposition of XRD pat-terns gave realistic data, after having directlymeasured clay crystals size on HRTEM images. More-over he proved the important influence of microsys-tems on clay mineralogy by analysing weatheringsequences of rock-forming minerals in serpentiniteand basalt.Dominique has successfully trained and inspiredmore than 20 PhD and MSc students and postdoc-toral fellows, and hosted numerous international vis-iting scientists. Dominique was the head of HydrASA laboratory dur-ing the 2002-06 period. He has served on numerousnational and international scientific and academiccommittees. He also has served in the EditorialBoard of Clay Minerals and as referee for many in-ternational Soil Science and Clay Science journals.Dominique was an eminent scientist, a great educa-

tor, appreciated teacher and passionate soil scien-tist. He was indeed a man combining the rigour ofhis research activities with humbleness, kindnessand deep understanding of human being regardlesswhether students, young scientists, technicians orsenior colleagues. He had a passion for soil scienceand most of his students and colleagues have beenaffected by this passion producing a decisive influ-ence on their careers.Thank you, Dominique, from your friends and col-leagues.

IUSS BULLETIN 11730

IUSS at LinkedInLinkedIn is a business-ori-ented social networking site.LinkedIn had more than 65

million registered users, spanning more than 200countries. The site is available in English, French, Ger-man, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The purposeof the site is to allow registered users to maintain alist of contact details of people they know and trustin their profession. The people in the list are calledConnections. Users can invite anyone (whether a siteuser or not) to become a connection. This list of con-nections can then be used in a number of ways: Acontact network is built up consisting of their directconnections, and the connections of each of theirconnections. It can then be used to find jobs, peopleand business opportunities recommended by some-one in one’s contact network. Employers can list jobsand search for potential candidates. Job seekers canreview the profile of hiring managers and discoverwhich of their existing contacts can introduce them.Users can post their own photos and view photos ofothers to aid in identification. The IUSS has LinkedIngroup where Discussion, Jobs, New etc can beposted. More info www.linkedin.com

Newsletter on Soil Morphology & Micromorphology

The most recent Newsletter fromCommission 1.1 Soil Morphology &Micromorphology is now availableon the IUSS website. This volumeof the Newsletter includes a tributeto Dr. Maria Gerasimova, severalreports on workshops, spectacularmicroscopic images, and the win-

ners of the 2010 Young Micromorphologist’s Publica-tion Award are announced. Information is provided

about a new intensive training course on soil micro-morphology and a new book “Interpretation of Mi-cromorphological Features of Soils and Regoliths”will be available August 2010. To learn more, seethis and all previous newsletters go to:www.loess.umcs.lublin.pl/micro.htm

African soil profile data wanted!Soil profile data are needed for produc-ing digital soil maps of Sub SaharaAfrica. The Africa Soil InformationService (AfSIS) project is producing dig-ital soil maps, predicting soil property

values, and uncertainty, for 2.2 billion grid cells apply-ing approaches and standards that are compliant withthe GlobalSoilMap.net initiative. The principal out-come of the project will be a Globally integrated AfricaSoil Information Service, serving soil information thatpermits underpinning of policy- and decision making,and monitoring, at local, national and global scales.ISRIC - World Soil Information is collecting and compil-ing existing soil profile data, from any source, and theglobal soil science community is invited to contributewith soil data. The data are captured and harmonizedunder a common standard. If you can contribute dataholdings, either digital datasets or paper reports,please contact: johan.leenaars@wur.nl

New WRB homepage at FAOThe World Reference Basefor Soil Resources / WRB (thesoil correlation system of theIUSS) has a new homepage at

the FAO site: www.fao.org/nr/land/soils/soil/en/ It informs about all publications based on the secondedition of WRB (2006). Especially important are: 1.the latest revised version (first update 2007), 2. the

NOVEMBER 2010 31

IUSS Alerts May - October 2010

Information for and from the global soil science community IUSS Alerts are e-mailed to more than 12, 000 people in over 100 countries. If you have information toshare, please send it to alfred.hartemink@wur.nl Below are the still relevant contributions that appearedin the IUSS Alerts between May and October 2010.

translations (up till now: Arabic, Spanish, German,Polish, Russian), 3. the newsletters, 4. the “Guide-lines for constructing small-scale map legends usingthe WRB”. Originally designed for classifying pedons,with these Guidelines WRB can also be used for maplegends (at least for scales 1 : 250 000 and smaller).

Hot in climate research?The 2009 United Nations Summit on Climate Change,which attracted more than 100 world leaders, is onlyone recent manifestation of the growing internationalconcern over human impact on climate. The politicaland economic implications of the topic, of course, arevast. Science Watch confines itself to assessing thebody of research. To examine highly cited research onclimate change over the last decade, Science Watchturned to a special extraction of Thomson Reuters-in-dexed literature, based on such keywords as “globalwarming,” “climate change,” “human impact,” andother pertinent terms, in journal articles published andcited between 1999 and the spring of 2009. This searchproduced upwards of 28,000 papers. From this set, Sci-ence Watch identified the most-cited institutions, au-thors, and journals. Read the full article and analysishttp://sciencewatch.com/ana/fea/09novdecFea/

All papers now onlineThe conference pro-ceedings from the 19th

World Congress of SoilScience held in August in Brisbane are now onlineavailable at www.iuss.org The papers can bebrowsed by Symposia or searched by First Author orthe Title of the Paper. Each paper is available as PDFand the Information for Readers includes recom-mendations how the papers should be cited. Alsothe Congress Handbook is available as PDF. The pa-pers were edited by R.J. Gilkes and N. Prakongkep.

Directory of Geoscience Organizations of the World The Geological Survey Planning and Coordinating Of-fice of the Geological Survey of Japan National Insti-tute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST) has produced a Directory of Geoscience Organ-izations of the World. Although much information canbe obtained instantly through the internet today, thisdirectory includes major government/quasi-govern-ment organizations throughout the world and is a

handy reference. The Geological Survey of Japan, AISTcompiles and publishes both paper-based and digi-tized version of the directory for convenience of thosewho are concerned with earth sciences. The directoryis available as html and PDF:www.gsj.jp/Intl/index-e.htm

Quoting the soil“The soil itself must be the object of observation andexperiment and the facts obtained must be soil factsbefore they can be incorporated into soil science. Thescience of zoology was developed through the studyof animals, that of botany through the study ofplants, and soil science must be developed throughthe study of the soil.” by C. F. Marbut (1920). “Ancientpoetry and mythology suggest, at least, that hus-bandry was once a sacred art; but it is pursued withirreverent haste and heedlessness by us, our objectbeing to have large farms and large crops merely. Wehave no festival, nor procession, nor ceremony, notexcepting our cattle-shows and so-called Thanksgiv-ings, by which the farmer expresses a sense of thesacredness of his calling, or is reminded of its sacredorigin. It is the premium and the feast which tempthim. He sacrifices not to Ceres and the TerrestrialJove, but to the infernal Plutus rather. By avarice andselfishness, and a grovelling habit, from which noneof us is free, of regarding the soil as property, or themeans of acquiring property chiefly, the landscape isdeformed, husbandry is degraded with us, and thefarmer leads the meanest of lives. He knows Naturebut as a robber” From Walden (1854) by Henry DavidThoreau. And many more soil quotes at wikiquotehttp://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Soil

Soils in ItalyOn www.soilmaps.it you can find

the kml files of the Italian soil re-gions, soil systems and pedosites(soils of national cultural heritage).Just click on the related item of the

news box in the home page of soilmaps, Google willallow you to see or download the geography and theattributes of the maps. The information comes froma collaborative project involving all soil regional serv-ices of Italy, named “Badasuoli” (soil database ofItaly). Badasuoli stores more than 44,000 pedons,classified both according to Soil taxonomy (2003)and World Reference Base (1998).

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It is great privilege forKorean Society of SoilScience and Fertilizer(KSSSF) to host the next20th World Congress ofSoil Science (WCSS)which will be held in In-ternational Convention

Center of Jeju (ICC Jeju), Jeju Island, KOREA, in June8-13, 2014. Jeju Island, area of 1,950m2 and population of a halfmillion, locates at the southernmost of South Koreaand lies equidistant among South Korea, China andJapan. The Island is an extinct volcano with its peakjutting skyward at the center and a broad, gentle lit-toral all the way around forming a very unique geo-graphical condition. In June of 2007, the volcanicIsland and lava tube cave systems were designatedas UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites for theirnatural beauty and geographical values. Jeju has subtropical climate with four distinct sea-sons. Average temperature of June is 22°C. Jeju hasa rich and unique island cultures that attract touristsworldwide. Jeju Island is thus not only Korea’s mostprestigious resort destination but has been thevenue for several political joint summit talks andother major international meetings. It is only anhour flight from Seoul and also connected to majorinternational airport hubs. The ICC Jeju, spreading over an area of more than5,000 m2 and artfully merging the blessed tourist re-sources around, is the world-top resort style conven-tion center with fully equipped for internationalmeetings of any scales. One of the advantages forIUSS is that the 7 storied building is in whole re-served for the 20th WCSS which allows the organizingcommittee to plan a various functional activities.The ICC Jeju located within the Jungmun resort com-plex where participants can have a variety of experi-ences such as botanical garden, museums, temples,deluxe hotels, golf course, beach, waterfall, andbasalt pillars, etc. It extends to the cobalt-blueNorthern Pacific stretching to the south and tower-ing Mt. Halla commanding the north. More informa-tion on Jeju Island and ICC Jeju can be obtained athttp://www.iccjeju.co.kr/eng/.

The overall components of the 20th WCSS logo, giv-ing out a scent of the orient, are rectangle to reflectsoils and agricultural fields. Four trigrams depict theagricultural ecosystem and vital activities occurringinside such as plants, river, rolling hills and contour,etc.; the live organisms in soil such as earthworms,grub and roots, etc.; and major practices such asstrip-crops, plowing, windrows and erosion gullies,etc. There is a unity between them through form ofshape and style and they sit in harmony. In addition,the four trigrams represent the four divisions ofIUSS. The logo is a montage of soils embracing lifeand environment. We have formulated the organizing committee ofwhich the structure is similar to those of 18th and19th WCSS. The KSSSF is responsible for organizingthe 20th WCSS with assistances from governments,companies and sponsors. We are very grateful to ourcolleagues in the USA and Australia who have kindlyprovided a large amount of information arising fromthe organization and running of the 18th and 19th

WCSS. A number of field tours will be organized cov-ering a range of geographical regions in Korea, Chinaand Japan with a unique oriental mode. The website for the next congress (www.20wcss.org)is opened as starting and will be updated to providethe forum to cover all aspects of the Congress. TheCongress information will also be posted through theIUSS Bulletin and Alerts. The IUSS Inter-Congress Council meeting will be heldin ICC Jeju in early June of 2012 and the details willbe posted in IUSS Bulletin and Alerts.We will do our best in making the 20th WCSS to be anexcellent opportunity to get on top of the changesin soil science and to envision new perspectives forbasic and applied soil researches. The OrganizingCommittee is planning to set up the various pro-grams to encourage the participation of many soilscientists from every corners of the world. BeautifulJeju Island and warm hospitality of Koreans willmake the next congress a wonderful experience. Welook forward to seeing you in KOREA in 2014!

Jae YangIUSS Presidentyangjay@kangwon.ac.kr

NOVEMBER 2010 33

The 20th World Congress of Soil Science

5 questions to Jan Mulder

Position: Professor of Soil Science (since 1998)Age: 54Address: Dept. Plant & Environmental Sciences,

Norwegian Univ. Life SciencesE-mail: jan.mulder@umb.no

1. When did you decide to study soil science?During my first year at Wageningen university; partlybased on recommendations from older students. Ialso selected this study, because I was fascinated bysoils and soil processes and their importance for en-vironmental challenges.

2. Who has been your most influential teacher?Most influential has been my main supervisor dur-ing my PhD (Prof. Nico van Breemen); Creative, andstimulating. Curiosity-driven research.

3. What do you find most exciting about soil science?Understanding soils and soil processes has to buildon an integration of elements of biology, chemistry,physics and geosciences. Often exciting new insightsare developed at the interface of different disciplines(for example, the current research on biochar, butmany other examples could be mentioned here). It isalso exciting that soils are important reactors withrespect to global change processes (climate change,land-use change, changes in the global nitrogencycle). Thus a sound understanding of soils is crucialfor society and its development.

4. How would you stimulate teenagers and younggraduates to study soil science? Show how understanding of soils is important for so-ciety. Environmental change affects soils, but soilsand soil processes also modify the environment. Be-sides their importance for environmental science,

soils and soil management are also crucial for sus-tainable production of food.

5. How do you see the future of soil science?Soils are at the heart of many of society’s challenges,and there is a great need for recruitment. The futurefor soil science is bright!

5 questions to Jean Paul Legros

Position: President of French Soil Science Association – AFES (2009-2010)

Age: 67Address: 1 bis rue de Verdun, 34000 Montpellier,

FranceE-mail: afsol.legros@orange.fr

1. When did you decide to study soil science?When I began in agronomy in a specialized school, Iwas interested by all the subjects. So, I believed thatit would be logical to study first the soil, then theplant, then the food transformation, and finally themarket. Being 67 years old, I have not already dom-inated the first step (soil); it is a little too late tobegin with the other ones.

2. Who has been your most influential teacher? Professor Emmanuel Servat (Montpellier). He hadnot the best character and was not the more famousFrench professor that were in this old time PhilippeDuchaufour and Jean Boulaine. But when Servat ex-plained in his lectures the nature of podzols or cher-nozems he gave the desire to work in pedology to alot of students.

3. What do you find most exciting about soil science?Pedogenesis because it allows us to dream and to

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5 questions to a soil scientist

tackle the infinity, in the big dimension becausesome soils are several millions years old and also inthe smallest dimension if you consider that a parti-cle of clay has a structure as beautiful as diamondbut much more complicated and interesting.

4. How would you stimulate teenagers and younggraduates to study soil science? I try to explain that soil is the real center of theworld in term of biodiversity, food supply, Culture(archeology), etc.

5. How do you see the future of soil science?After three or four technological decades in whichmen tried to make abstraction of Nature with thehelp of machines and the use of too much simplifiedeconomical rules, I see that new views are emergingthat takes care of environment. In such a context Iam sure that soil science will be more and more rec-ognized as important. Finally, I am very optimist forthe future of our discipline. But we have to seize theopportunity and to prove each day its practical util-ity for everybody.

5 questions to Allan Hewitt

Position: Research LeaderAge: Mature, active, moderately weathered,

partly eluviated, 0.06 kaAddress: Landcare Research PO Box 40, Lincoln, New

ZealandE-mail: hewitta@landcareresearch.co.nz

1. When did you decide to study soil science?Childhood curiosity about a brilliant red-colouredroad cutting near my family farm made me aware ofearth materials. I completed undergraduate study inchemistry and geology and worked as an explorationgeologist, sampling soils for copper and tungstencontent. I realized that I was more interested in thesoils themselves than just the metal contents of the

samples. Thoughts for the future harked back to thatcutting. I had to know more about what that was.The threads of curiosity and accumulating knowl-edge all came together when I studied soil science,in a post-grad diploma, at Lincoln University, NZ.There was a feeling of homecoming.

2. Who has been your most influential teacher?I have been fortunate to have several enthusiasticteachers. Two that stand out are Prof’s Armand VanWambeke, and Marlin Cline, of Cornel U who gavethe vital ingredient of one-on-one discussion whichimparted and sharpened. Like others who have beena great influence, these two taught from the author-ity of long experience. Various supervisors and col-leagues in my work have also been inspiringteachers.

3. What do you find most exciting about soil science?The greatest excitement for me is to understand howa landscape works, and to capture some expressionof its orderliness. The exploration of planet earth isnot complete, and in 2010 we can still discover, char-acterize, and name new soils. We can take part infundamental discovery armed with just a spade andauger. It is a unique experience to arrive in a freshlandscape and gather clues about its genesis, andpatterns of soils, and then to extend that under-standing to make inferences about its managementpotential and risks. Another buzz for me is to workclosely as part of a project team where great ideasarise out of group interactions. This is only too rareand needs to be nurtured.

4. How would you stimulate teenagers and younggraduates to study soil science? This question is relates back to question 1. If wewere to survey “why we studied soil science” for alarge sample of soil scientists we may discover somecommon paths that might be used or adapted.

Because my path was curiosity, then I would natu-rally wish to stimulate curiosity in the young. For thevery young it would be to dig and delve – to searchfor the curious. For older more aware students thehook would be landscapes – to discover the naturalorder and think about why, how, and its significancefor people. The mystery needs to be posed then un-veiled by observation. Wouldn’t it be marvelous ifthe power of the gaming industry could be har-nessed to pose the mystery. The technology is avail-able to produce dynamic 4D visualizations of how

NOVEMBER 2010 35

landscapes evolve and work, at multiple scales. En-thusiasm is best caught from people but gamingmedia could stimulate the initial curiosity.Deep thought needs to be given to identifying whatis cool about soils! Biologists have the cute and cud-dly; geologists have dinosaurs and volcanoes. Whatdoes soil science have? Pin-up soils? Soil art is a startbut needs to reach a larger audience. Soil scienceneeds to engage the advertising industry. Give thema break, provide for them something really good topromote.

5. How do you see the future of soil science?If humans enjoy a good future on earth then part ofthe reason will be because they have gained a newregard for the underpinning soil. The future of soilscience is tied to the future of people on thiscrowded planet. Imagine a world where people un-derstand soil – not just the specialists but the public,officials, and businesses. Soil is popular. “Dirt” is nolonger a synonym for unhealthy. The idea of soil asnatural capital becomes embedded in the public andeconomic mind. Land use is configured to take bestadvantage of this natural capital, and all the soilservices it supports are monitored and managed, notjust the economically convenient ones. Intergenera-tional equity is a working principle and we under-stand resilience and how to manage it. Capitalwithdrawals from the soil are rebuilt where possibleby recycled waste streams. Less of the earth’s re-sources are devoted to frippery and more to sub-stance. We must communicate our ideas in new ways far be-yond our inner circles. They may be idealistic butwithout something to aim for we are destined to justhug the bottom line of expediency.

5 questions to Zueng-Sang Chen

Position: Distinguished Professor of pedology andsoil environmental quality, and AssociateDean of College of Bioresources andAgriculture, National Taiwan University(since August, 2007)

Age: 58Address: Department of Agricultural Chemistry,

National Taiwan University. 1, Sect. 4th,Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan

E-mail: soilchen@ntu.edu.tw

1. When did you decide to study soil science?While I was taking the course on “Soil morphology,genesis and soil classification” at the PhD programof Department of Agricultural Chemistry, NationalTaiwan University in 1980, I did a summer project tomake a soil survey and soil mapping in the hill landof Eastern Taiwan, I do understand the meaning ofsoil function in different landscapes and watersheds.I continued making the soil survey and studies onthe forest soils of coniferous vegetation in Taiwanfor next years, it promoted my interesting on thefield of pedology and forest ecosystem.

2. Who has been your most influential teacher?In 1986, I met Dr. Hari Eswaran, Director of Soil Man-agement Support Service (SMSS) of USAID at thattime, who gave me the opportunity to attend an in-tensive training course on the soil morphology andclassification in the Philippines. After that, he alwaysgive me many ideas and experience on how to studythe soil genesis and how to solve the problems onsoil classification. He and I joined together about 10times on the international workshops to attend thefield study tours for more than 300 soil pedons lo-cated at the Asian countries, Canada and UnitedSates during 1986-2000. The most influential con-cept from him on pedology is how to make an inter-pretation, prediction and assessment on the soil

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formation, soil function and soil quality under land-scape and also how to protect the soil resources toavoid the land degradation.

3. What do you find most exciting about soil science?As we know, soil is a natural body and a complicatedsystem which we can observe and make a modelprediction at different scales. In an agriculturalecosystem, we can predict and understand the nu-trient dynamics and cycling by a monitoring projectand a simulation model under landscape or water-shed scale. I have involved in some projects relatedto agricultural production in watershed scale or nat-ural forest ecosystem to monitoring the nutrientbudget and dynamics in Taiwan. What most excitingme is how to make a good prediction and to make asustainable soil and nutrient management strategiesin a watershed scale. The other exciting thing for meis by using the soil amendment materials or phytore-mediation technique to clean up the metals-contam-inated soils to recover the soil function. Thetechniques of biogeochemical process need more ef-forts by combined monitoring data, soil survey re-port and developing models for a better understandon the dynamics of nutrient or pollutants in soil sys-tem in the future.

4. How would you stimulate teenagers and younggraduates to study soil science?I try to show something for them. The first one is tocreate soil museum in the land which they can seeand touch during some student activities in the uni-versity campus or we try to make a demonstrationof different soil monoliths in the extension center ofagricultural experimental station. We have preparedmore than 200 soil monoliths for their visiting. Thesecond one is to organize the field study tour forthem by auger to find the secret by observing thesoil morphology during they study in the landscape.The third one is to show the different CD-ROM in-cluding soil profile pictures of the major soil groupsor soil order of the world and also including soil pro-file pictures collected from different soil monolithcenters established in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Viet-nam, New Zealand, and China. I find that they arevery enjoyable to see these pictures as a computergame they like.

5. How do you see the future of soil science?Everybody knows that soil resource is the most im-portant and should be protected. We must developsome strategies and technologies to avoid the soil

degradation for the sustainable agriculture. Somegovernment agencies of the Asia countries have thispolicy to produce healthy and safety agriculturalproducts by maintain the good soil and water qual-ity, including the budget and technologies for pro-tection and remediation the degraded soils. We areafraid of some soil scientists have shifted to the fieldon environmental sciences, not only for the interest-ing to study new fields related to soil, crop and en-vironmental quality, but also for the requirement ofbudget. The older soil scientists have the challengeto compete with the senior scientists by learningmore new knowledge to maintain their performanceactivities in the future.

NOVEMBER 2010 37

Paul HallettScottish Crop Research InstituteInvergowrie, DundeeDD2 5DA Paul.hallett@scri.ac.uk

Two of my three favourite soil science books arewell-thumbed textbooks found in my office (or usu-ally sitting on the desks of colleagues). The otherbook is popular nonfiction that is not a soil sciencebook per se but a very influential recent advocate ofour discipline.

Mitchell, J.K., and K. Soga. 2005 Fundamentals ofsoil behavior 3rd ed John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken,NJ. ISBN 13: 978-0-471-46302-7 This is a gem of a textbook aimed at geotechnical en-gineers but arguably the most valuable referenceavailable to anyone interested in the mechanical be-haviour of soils. The first few chapters appreciatehow the formation of soil underlies its complexity.Topics such as biological influence on soil behaviour,clay chemistry, organic matter and rheology are in-cluded. Soil mechanics theory is covered in depth,but unlike many other textbooks in this area, theconcepts are accessible and easy to follow.

Marshall, T.J., Holmes, J.W. and Rose, C.W. 1996.Soil physics. (3rd Edition). Cambridge UniversityPress, Cambridge. ISBN 0-52145-151-5My second edition copy of this textbook is starting tofall apart after 18 years of constant use. It is concise,well written and a good reference for anyone with abasic knowledge of soil science that needs informa-tion on physical behaviour. Like all soil physics text-books, soil-water relations are the central theme.However, topics such as soil structure, mechanicalbehaviour and physical conditions for plant growthare also included. Soil physics is a discipline blessedwith many excellent textbooks, each with particularstrengths. Marshall, Holmes and Rose is in my viewthe best ‘all-rounder’.

Wright, Ronald. 2004. A Short History of Progress.Anansi, Toronto. ISBN 0-88784-706-4.Ronald Wright found a common theme to explainthe downfall of past civilisations. From the fall of thefirst city, Uruk, to modern agriculture, he cites how

the mismanagement of soil destroys resources, foodand eventually life. Originally a Massey Lecture inCanada, this is an incredibly well researched and ar-gued thesis. By advocating the importance of soil inthe popular press, Wright has done a great favourfor our discipline. This book was not intended to bea soil science book, but it helps overcome the oldcliché of ‘soil being treated like dirt’. Useful ammu-nition if you come across unenlightened individualswho find your profession bizarre, boring or unimpor-tant.

Victor B. AsioVisayas State University, Philippines

Soil science is a rapidly growing ecological earth sci-ence. Consequently, the number of books on thesubject has greatly increased in the last two decades.So to choose my top three soil science books, Ithought of this criterion: the book must have beenvery useful to me when I was a student and it is stilluseful now in my research and teaching activities asa professor of soil science. The criterion automati-cally disqualifies some very good books that I usedas a student but for various reasons I seldom or donot use them today as well as some outstanding soilscience books published in recent years but were notyet available during my student days.

My first choice is the Properties and Managementof Soils in the Tropics by Pedro A. Sanchez publishedin 1976 by John Wiley and Sons. It discusses in asimple but in-depth manner the tropical environ-ment (climate, vegetation types, geology, land useand farming systems); the classification of tropicalsoils using Soil Taxonomy, FAO and some other im-portant systems; the physical and chemical proper-ties, clay mineralogy, and exchange processes oftropical soils; soil acidity and liming; soil nutrientsand fertility evaluations; and soil managementunder different tropical land use systems. This out-standing book certainly belongs to the most impor-tant and influential books on tropical soils. I still useit regularly and even require my graduate studentsto read certain parts of it.

My second choice is Tropical Soils. A Comprehensive

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Favourite Soil Science Books

Study of their Genesis by E.C.J. Mohr, F.A. van Baren,and J. van Schuylenborgh (3rd revised edition) pub-lished in 1972 by Mouton-Ichtiar Baru-Van Hoeve.The book has three parts. Part I deals on the funda-mentals of climate, rock and mineral weathering,and organic matter transformation. Part II discussesoxisols, leteritic soils, podzolic soils and podzols, ver-tisols, paddy soils, and andosols. Part III covers theexperimental and physico-chemical study of soil-forming processes. I find it an excellent and uniquebook on tropical soils because of the coverage anddetails in which the topics are presented. It has beenvery useful to me especially during my masteral anddoctoral studies (we used it for the course on tropi-cal soils in Hohenheim). I still consult this book oftenwhich is an important part of my personal library.

My third choice is the standard soil science text-book in German-speaking countries, theScheffer/Schachtschabel Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde(Textbook of Soil Science) now in its 16th edition(Spektrum Academisches Verlag). The book has un-dergone several revisions under different teams ofauthors. The latest edition was prepared by H.P.Blume, G.W. Bruemmer, R. Horn, E, Kandeler, I.Koegel-Knabner, R. Kretzschmar, K. Stahr, and B.M.Wilke, all leading soil scientists. It covers the originand development of soils; physical, biological andchemical properties of and processes in soils; nutri-ents and contaminants; soil systematics and geog-raphy; soils and soil landscapes of Europe and theworld; soil evaluation and protection. It is an excel-lent textbook for students who understand German.I find it also a vital reference for my research andteaching activities.

NOVEMBER 2010 39

The newly approved IUSS Working Group on GlobalSoil Change met on two occasions at the 2010World Congress of Soil Science held in Brisbane,Australia.

In the first WG meeting on 6 August, Richter andMermut reviewed the objectives of the new WorkingGroup and the recent history of this topic that hasresulted in this new Working Group that is affiliatedwith Division 1.0 but which has strong connectionswith the other three IUSS divisions. Richter and Mer-mut opened the meeting by crediting: • Prof. Dan Yaalon (2010 winner of IUSS Dokuchaev

Prize) for suggesting the idea of the WG;• Drs. Arnold, Szabolcs, and Targulian for author-

ship of the 1990 book entitled, Global SoilChange;

• IUSS-sponsored 2005 Global Soil Change confer-ence in Mexico City;

• Global Soil Change workshops held at Duke Uni-versity (2007, 2009), and

• Symposia organized at annual meetings of theSoil Science Society of America (2009, 2010 SSSA)and the American Geophysical Union (2009, 2010AGU).

How to observe and model human-forced changesin Earth’s soils and decadal pedogenic processeswill be the charge of this WG. Communicating withscientists of other disciplines and with policy mak-ers and the public is part of the WG charge.

This broad charge grows from a concern about thegenerally neglected state of the long-term soil-re-search base and the need for soil observation andmonitoring data to be better connected to next-generation soil mapping and models, and multi-scale environmental and social analyses of therapidly changing Earth system. The WG is aimed atenriching the science of anthro-pedology in the aidof soil-management sustainability, and improvingmanagement control over plant production, andsoil interactions with the atmosphere, lithosphere,and hydrosphere. The chairs are writing a whitepaper they call “The Changing Model of Soil” that

they will circulate prior to submission to a peer-re-view journal.

In the second WG meeting on 8 August, future ac-tivities and direction for the WG were discussed.Potential WG projects include review papers, newresearch projects, and future meetings (electronicand in person). To interact with others in IUSS, itwas suggested that the new WG contact individualsengaged in global soil mapping projects to discusspossible collaborations.

Richter suggested a number of potential researchprojects and review papers that could be accom-plished by researchers including students using theLTSE inventory that currently includes nearly 300long-term soil-experiments world-wide (seehttp://ltse.env.duke.edu, or google “ltse”). Cross-LTSE review papers including meta-analyses couldbe written based on already published data fromLTSEs. New cross-LTSE research based on new sam-pling at a set of LTSEs could be organized. Potentialtopics are many, for example:• Effects of long-practiced management regimes on

plant productivity; nutrient cycling; soil organicmatter quality, chemistry, and stabilization; min-eral weathering; microbial communities and func-tioning; soil structure and architecture; subsoilprocesses and properties; and greenhouse gasemissions.

• Scaling soil changes from field plots to regional,national and global scales.

• Linking soil carbon gains and losses to regional,national, and global models of land-use changeeffects on soil carbon.

Such hypothetical reviews or research are not onlyof academic interest. The recent and on-going de-bate in the Journal of Environmental Quality overwhether inorganic nitrogen fertilizers stimulate or-ganic matter decomposition and destabilizationcould be addressed by both a review paper, possi-bly with meta-analysis, followed up by cross-LTSEsampling and new research. A second issue of greatimportance concerns the effects of land-use change

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2010 Report IUSS WorkingGroup on Global Soil Change

on global carbon cycling. Current models couldlikely be greatly improved if more closely tied tosoil organic carbon data collected in many LTSEs. To explore these and other issues, Richter and Mer-mut are helping to organize soil-change symposiaat the 2010 annual meetings of SSSA and AGU. Weanticipate a workshop with Chinese colleagues inMay 2011 in Nanjing, with European contacts in thenext 12 to 18 months, and a symposium of talksand posters at the next World Congress in Korea.Scientists interested in any aspect of these issuesshould communicate with Daniel Richter or AhmetMermut to participate in WG activities.

Daniel Richter Ahmet Mermut (drichter@duke.edu; .)

NOVEMBER 2010 41

The note of Prof. D. Yaalon on the book “Soil Mem-ory” (IUSS Bulletin 116) seemed interesting to us anddeserves a response for two reasons. First, – our thanks for the attention of a distin-guished pedologist to the problem of soil memory,which we have elucidated in a recent book. Second, - the desire to explain more clearly why soilmemory is not the same as environmental recon-stractions.We agree with Prof. D. Yaalon that the concept of“soil memory” and “environmental reconstruction”appear to be close to each other, however the sec-ond term is included in the scope of the first. Thuswe believe it to be a mistake to consider these con-cepts as identical and overlapping.

The concept of “soil memory” is considered as thefundamental capacity of soils as natural systems andspecial bodies to reflect, remember and record insitu in their stable solid-phase the processes of theirformation and the main features of natural environ-ment. V.V. Dokuchaev in the late 19th century of-fered his famous formula including that “soil is themirror of the landscape”. As pedology continue todevelop, this formula has proved very meaningfuland useful not only for pedology, but also for otherearth sciences (geography, geology, ecology, paleo-geography, etc.). Initially this formula also served asthe theoretical basis for the development of pale-opedology. However, over time, the notion of soil as“mirror” in relation to climate and landscape wasnot quite accurate, and in the 1970s V. Targulian andI.Sokolov suggested that instead of “mirror”, theterm “soil memory” as was more universal and es-sential for the fundamental characterization of soilsand the pedosphere.

The concept of “environmental reconstruction”refers more to the interpretation of selected fea-tures of soils as they are believed to result from a se-quence of environmental conditions over time. Theproperties selected are usually those thought to beuseful in constructing the developmental pathways

of pedological features as working hypotheses. As aresult of such action a researcher creates a hypoth-esis (or hypotheses) about the paleopedological re-construction of soil-forming processes andpalaeogeographic reconstruction of soil-forming fac-tors (climate, biota, relief, etc.).

Thus, the memory of soils is, for us, an inherentproperty of soil, existing independently of the inten-tions of a researcher to propose innovative recon-struction of processes and factors of soil formation.Environmental reconstruction of paleosols is a cre-ative research operations to “read”, or rather decodeand decipher the information stored in the memoryof soils. We hope you sense the difference.

Further, the concept of “soil memory” proposed bythe authors concerns not only paleosols, but soils ingeneral at any point in time of their existence. Thisincludes paleosols of any age, modern Holocene andmore recent soils, such as Leptosols, Fluvisols, An-dosols, Arenosols, etc.

Soil memory seems to be a broader concept, not re-stricted to the problems of environmental recon-structions. It allows one to consider manytheoretical and empirical issues that are important,not only, those for the interpretation of paleosols.Basically, this concept offers the perception of soilsand the pedosphere as the complex organized infor-mation systems recording the signals from the exter-nal environment on the solid carrier of soil memory.This, in turn, implies, that a systematic study of soilmemory carriers can be conducted at all hierarchi-cal levels of organization, from macro- to submicro-and nano-level (soil matter, structure, informationcapacity, rates of recording of the information, its re-sistance to be erased in time, etc). There is a prob-lem of distinguishing high and low informationcapacity and, consequently, the completeness andstability of recording environmental information insoil is not always easy to determine. The concept ofsoil memory allows us to substantiate, theoretically

IUSS BULLETIN 11742

Soil Memory and EnvironmentalReconstructions – A Response

and empirically, and explain the phenomenon ofpolymorphism and isomorphism of soils in relationto climate which significantly improves the correct-ness of paleoclimatic reconstructions.The general theoretical perception of the conceptreveals its fundamental difference from the memoryof sedimentary rocks. Soil memory is a palimpsest-like record of exogenous factors and processes ateach “point” of the earth’s surface. The memory ofsedimentary rocks is more nearly a book-like recordof the same processes as those compiled for the ter-ritory of a sedimentary basin. In this sense, soils andsediments have complementary memory: wheresedimentary memory is being recorded, soil mem-ory is usually absent or weakly expressed and viceversa.

Soil memory can also be understood as the accumu-lated results of specific soil-forming processes, de-veloping during long-term functioning of soilsystems in certain natural environments. Theseprocesses can be viewed as mechanisms for trans-mitting and recording information from existing soil-forming factors to sustainable soil storage media(humus, clay minerals, oxides, salts, soil aggregates,phytoliths, cutans and cortexes, soil horizons, etc.).This understanding of memory allows us to raise thequestion of how the memory of a system accumu-lated in the past, determines its current and futurebehavior in time, just as we try to understand howhuman memory influences behavior in the presentand future.

Here we have attempted to present a few theoreti-cal and empirical consequences which makes theconcept of soil memory “friendly” efficient and of-fers a range of new pedological problems. More de-tails are provided in the book “Soil Memory”. We can not agree with Prof. D. Yaalon that “…the ac-tual content of the chapters is essentially equivalentto the topic of paleo-environmental reconstructionof soil genesis that is used by many soil scientistsand paleopedologists in other countries.”

We hope that readers comprehend that the mem-ory problem of soils is a more fundamental, broaderand more varied concept than the problem of envi-ronmental reconstruction of the genesis of soils.Prof. D. Yaalon is absolutely right, assuming such re-constructions related to the problem of soil mem-ory, but he is wrong, keeping the soil memory ofonly to environmental reconstructions.

There appears to be some confusion in interpreta-tion and use of terminology when discussing “soilmemory” and “environmental reconstruction”. Forus memory is more comprehensive than the latterand in his conclusion, Prof. D.Yaalon notes that “…Itis “soil memory” which enables us to apply environ-mental reconstruction of soil evolution and change”.We agree with this comment.

V.O. Targulian S.V. Goryachkin

NOVEMBER 2010 43

THE PURPOSE OF THE UNION

A. Name, objectives and seat of the IUSSA1. The name of the Union shall be the Interna-tional Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS). IUSS succeedsthe International Society of Soil Science (ISSS).

A2. The objectives of the IUSS shall be to foster allbranches of the soil sciences and their applica-tions, and to give support to soil scientists in thepursuit of their activities.

A3. The activities of the IUSS shall include:a. Arranging meetings, conferences and the World

Congress of Soil Sciences; b. Providing a structure for managing the science

of soil science;c. Arranging for the publication and distribution of

material, relevant to the interests of the Union,and its members;

d. Establishing cooperation with other related or-ganizations;

e. Arranging for studies in particular fields, such asspecific definitions, classifications and data-bases;

f. Establishing prizes or awards to encourage andrecognize excellence in the discipline;

g. Representing Soil Science to a wide external au-dience.

h. Taking any other action that will advance soilscience

A4 The seat of the IUSS shall be the professionaladdress of the current Secretary-General.

A5. All interpretations of the Statutes by the Coun-cil are final. The Council promulgates and amendsBye-laws where this is needed to clarify theStatutes, or to improve the operations of the IUSS.

B. MembershipThe classes of membership shall be as follows:B1. National Societies of Soil Science, or alterna-tively national organizations representing the soil

scientists of that country, may join as Full Mem-bers. Only one organization can join from eachcountry. Where the adhering organization is differ-ent from the National Soil Science Society, the Na-tional Society shall be a part of, or have a formalagreement with, the adhering organization. Re-gional associations may be formed by a group ofcountries that do not have a National Soil ScienceSociety, so that the associations may become FullMembers. To become a Full Member the agreedupon subscription fees must be paid as prescribedin the Bye-Laws or as negotiated.

B2 The individual members of a National Soil Sci-ence Society that is a Full Member of the IUSS, di-rectly or through an adhering organization will beMembers of the IUSS. They will pay no direct sub-scription, because the subscription of the NationalSociety or other adhering organization will be consid-ered to cover them. They will have rights to attend allIUSS World Congresses of Soil Sciences and meetings,to receive IUSS publications through their NationalSocieties or Regional Associations, and to vote for Di-visional, Commission and Working Group officers.

B3. Individuals may have Individual Membershipand retain their link directly with the IUSS, if theyreside in a country or region that is not a FullMember of the IUSS. They will have the samerights as Members, but will receive publications di-rectly from the IUSS, and will pay a subscription asdefined in the Bye-laws.

B4. Small National Soil Science Societies, societiesor associations for related disciplines, may be admit-ted as Associate Members. They will not have avote or seat in Council, but their members will haveall other rights as Members. Associate Members willpay a subscription fee as defined in the Bye-laws.

B5. Organizations or individuals that wish to supportsoil science in various ways may become SustainingMembers. This carries no voting rights. They will paya subscription fee as defined in the Bye-laws.

IUSS BULLETIN 11744

Statutes of the IUSS(Approved at Council August 2010)

B6. Membership in the Union shall be suspended ifsubscriptions are more than 1 year in arrears, ordelay negotiated with the Budget and Finance Com-mittee in extenuating circumstances, payment be-coming due on 1st January each year. If backpayment is made the suspension will be withdrawn.

B7. Honorary Members will be elected by Council,and shall be living at the time of election. They mustbe scientists of great distinction in Soil Science andhave made substantial contributions to ISSS/IUSS.The number of Honorary Members that can beelected every four years at the Intercongress meet-ing will be determined by the merit of the candi-dates but shall not exceed 15. Voting will take placeat the InterCongress Meeting as defined in Bye-Laws5.1h. The nominations for Honorary Membershipshall be made with supporting documentation asdefined in the Bye-Laws 5.1 h.

B8. A Member of any status can be expelled on a2/3 vote of the Council if the member has brokenthe Statutes of the IUSS, or has brought it into dis-repute, or has been persistently in arrears withsubscriptions.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE IUSS

C. The CouncilC1. The Council consists of the Executive Commit-tee, one accredited representative from each FullMember, and three elected representatives of theHonorary Members.

C2. The Council is the supreme body of the IUSS,and carries general responsibility for the efficientfunctioning and the success of the IUSS. The Presi-dent chairs the Council, unless he/she has specifi-cally delegated his/her authority to anothermember of the Presidents Committee for that occa-sion. Fifty percent of the Council members consti-tute a quorum. The Council must meet during theIUSS World Congress of Soil Sciences and for themid-congress meeting.The President or his/her del-egate shall report on the activities and decisions ofCouncil to the IUSS World Congress of Soil Sciences.

C3. Council members representing Full Membersmust be accredited by the relevant organization tothe Secretary-General at least one month before aWorld Congress of Soil Sciences in writing. They

shall normally serve from the beginning of oneWorld Congress of Soil Sciences to the beginning ofthe next, and can be re-accredited for furtherterms. Their method of selection is for the relevantFull Member to decide. A voting card will be issuedby the Secretary General to the appropriate adher-ing Full Member representative who is accreditedto serve as that organization’s Council member

C4. Each Full Member shall have one representa-tive and one vote on Council.

C5. The Council has the following specific func-tions, together with its general responsibility forthe well being of the IUSS: a. To ratify the country and venue of IUSS World

Congress of Soil Sciences and the Vice President(Congress). This ratification would be done at theInterCongress Meeting of Council, approximately6 years before the Congress. The selection of thehost country should take place at least 6 years(and normally 8 years) before the date of theWorld Congress of Soil Sciences. The selection ofthe hosts of the WCSS longer than the normal 6years is at the discretion of Council, but this deci-sion should be made no later than 6 years.

b. To appoint the Secretary-General, Treasurer andDeputy-Secretary-General, and if necessary ter-minate their appointments.

c. To determine the subscriptions fee and charges forall classes of Members (section B) upon recommen-dations from the Budget and Finance Committee.

d. To discuss and determine changes to the Divi-sion/Commission structure of the IUSS, on therecommendation of the Executive Committee.

e. To oversee and approve arrangements for IUSSWorld Congress of Soil Sciences and other majormeetings.

f. To set policy guidelines for the Presidents Com-mittee and Executive Committee, for action whenCouncil is not in session.

g. To establish Review Groups and Task Forces andprovide terms of reference for them to examinescientific, political, or financial, or administrativeissues affecting the Union, and to decide actionon the basis of their reports.

h. To receive the reports of the Secretary Generaland the audited accounts of the Treasurer, andto take appropriate action.

i. To elect Honorary Members. j. To establish and provide terms of reference for

the Standing Committees.

NOVEMBER 2010 45

k. To establish, the Electoral Committee that over-sees the elections of the IUSS. (As per section K1).

l. To establish and modify Bye-Laws for the smoothoperation of the IUSS.

m. Ratify and publish the results of elections.n. The Council will elect the President Elect from a

list of Candidates submitted by the Standing Com-mittee for Presidential Elections the membershipof which must be geographically representative.

C6. When required the Council is empowered tomake decisions by means of electronic or postalballot.

C7. The President Elect will succeed to the position ofPresident after 2 year, and following a further term of2 years will take the position of Past-President for twoyears. President, President elect and Past Presidentare all voting members of the Executive Committee.

D. The Presidents Committee

D1. The Presidents Committee is the collectivename for the IUSS Senior Officers, i.e. the Presi-dent, the Past President, the President Elect VicePresident Congress, the Secretary-General, theDeputy Secretary-General and the Treasurer. ThePresident or President Elect of the Union chairsPresidents Committee meetings.

D2. The Presidents Committee should meet pro-ceeding and at the World Congress of Soil Sciencesand Inter-Congress meeting to facilitate the organi-zation of the Executive Committee and Councilmeetings. Otherwise, the members shall remain inregular contact with each other.

D3. The President Elect shall succeed the Presidentif the latter is incapacitated or resigns, or judgedunfit to serve by the Council. If the President Electsucceeds the President, then a new President Electwill be elected by Council, by electronic ballot. Bothwill serve for the normal term of 2 years plus theremaining term of the President who steps down.

D4. The functions of the Presidents Committee areas follows:a. The continuing management of the IUSS, follow-

ing policy guidelines established by Council.b. Oversight of IUSS finances, as managed by the

Treasurer in collaboration with the Budget andFinance Committee.

c. Preparation of Council and Executive Committeebusiness, as proposed by the Secretary-General.

d. The production and dissemination of informa-tion and publications to members, as managedby the Secretary General.

e. Continuing contact with ICSU, other Unions andorganizations.

f. International representation of the IUSS.

E. The Executive Committee

E 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of thePresidents Committee, the Treasurer, and theChairpersons of the Divisions and Standing Com-mittees of the IUSS. The Chairperson of a Divisionmay delegate his or her Executive Committee au-thority to one of the Vice–Chairs of the Division ora Chairperson of a Commission within his/her Divi-sion, with the concurrence of the IUSS President.

E2. The Executive Committee shall be responsiblefor all scientific activities of the IUSS, includingoversight of the Divisional structures, the work ofscientific Review Groups or Task Forces, (C5g),Working Groups, scientific liaison and collabora-tion, and any other actions required on scientificgrounds.

E3. The Executive Committee shall meet one ortwo days prior to the World Congress of Soil Sci-ences and the Inter-Congress meeting, and duringthese meetings. The President of the Union shallchair the Executive Committee, unless he or shehas delegated his or her authority to a member ofthe Presidents Committee for a specific occasion.

E4. The Executive Committee shall consider all for-mal proposals (see G3, G7) for changes in the IUSSstructures, and shall pass them to Council for deci-sion, with their recommendation for action or rejec-tion. All proposals should be sent to the ExecutiveCommittee at least 3 months in advance of the nextCouncil meeting by the Secretary General.

E5. The Executive Committee shall make recom-mendations to Council concerning candidates forHonorary Membership, on the basis of proposalsmade by Full Members (see C5i).

E6. The Executive Committee shall review all Rec-ommendations/Resolutions at their meetings and

IUSS BULLETIN 11746

pass them to the Council with their recommenda-tion for approval or rejection.

E7 The activity of all Working Groups will be re-viewed by the Executive Committee at their meet-ings; a recommendation will be made to theCouncil concerning the status and activities of eachWorking Group and whether it should be main-tained or terminated.

E8. In case Council cannot meet to deal with ur-gent business, the Executive Committee shall act inits capacity, submitting such action to Council at itsnext meeting for ratification. The Executive Com-mittee may take needed action by electronic orpostal means as needed.

F. The Standing Committees

F1. Standing Committees may be established byCouncil to oversee areas of its business and to ad-vise it. The Chairpersons of the Standing Commit-tees are members of Executive Committee. TheSecretary General is a non-voting ex-officio mem-ber on all Standing Committees.

G. The Divisions

G1. The scientific work of the IUSS shall be carriedout through Divisions, which are defined by sub-ject, and are arranged to cover the whole area ofdisciplinary interests of the Union. The Divisionsshall be composed of Commissions and WorkingGroups.

G2. Each Division shall be managed by a DivisionalCommittee, consisting of Chairperson, First Vice-Chairperson, and Second Vice-Chairperson, the im-mediate past Divisional Chairperson, the DivisionChairperson elect, and the Chairs of the Commis-sions in that division.

G3. To ensure proper coordination with thearrangements for the subsequent IUSS World Con-gress of Soil Sciences, the First and Second Vice-Chairperson of each Division shall be appointed byand from the host country of the next World Con-gress of Soil Sciences will take place.

G4 The Divisional Committee shall manage and di-rect its scientific program, and shall ensure that

there is a suitable level of activity in all main topicswithin the Division. It shall give careful attention tothe development of the science, and ensure thatthe Division responds to new developments.

G5. The Divisional Committee may make proposalsfor changes in the structure within the Division, ormake comments upon proposals arising from else-where, and send them to the Secretary-General atleast 6-months in advance of World Congress ofSoil Sciences or the Inter-Congress meeting forconsideration by the Executive Committee, beforebeing sent on to Council with the views of the Ex-ecutive Committee.

G6 Each Division shall have a Nominating Commit-tee with a membership as defined in the Bye-Laws.The function of this committee is to nominatemembers for all offices within the Division, includ-ing all Commissions within their respective Divi-sion, excluding officers appointed (First ViceChairpersons of each Division as shown under G3).These nominations will be passed to the ElectoralCommittee established by the Council.

G7 Each Division shall report its activities to theSecretary General yearly and this information willbe published in the IUSS Bulletin and posted on theIUSS website.

G8. Division officers of the IUSS shall serve 6-yearterms. They will be “officers elect” from the Inter-Congress to beginning of the next World Congressof Soil Sciences and then serve a 4-year term as“officers” until the end of the following World Con-gress of Soil Sciences.

H. The Commissions

H1. Each Commission has the responsibility for anappropriate part of the subject matter related toits Division.

H2. Each Commission shall be managed by a com-mittee made up of a Chairperson and a first Vice-Chairperson elected by the procedures defined inSection K. The Chairperson is a member of the Divi-sional Committee.

H3 The activities of each Commission shall be re-ported yearly to the Divisional Chairperson and this

NOVEMBER 2010 47

information shall form part of division report,which will be published in the IUSS Bulletin orposted on the IUSS Website.

H4. Commission officers of the IUSS (excludingWorking group officers) shall serve 6 year terms.They will be “officers elect” from the Inter-Con-gress to the beginning of the next World Congressof Soil Sciences and then serve a 4-year term as“officers” until the end of the following World Con-gress of Soil Sciences.

I. The Working Groups

I1. Working Groups are part of one or more Divi-sion(s)/Commissions. Members with common in-terest’s topics not specifically addressed byDivisions or Commissions may propose the estab-lishment of a Working Group. If endorsed by theDivision(s), the proposal shall be sent to the Execu-tive Committee, which will confirm or deny theproposal.

I2. Working Groups will elect a Chairperson and aVice Chairperson as officers. The IUSS and the Divi-sion(s) to which they belong will give reasonablesupport for their activities. The Working Group willnormally exist for a short period of time as long asit maintains an active program of scientific work,but normally will not exist beyond 8 years.

I3. The activities of each Working Group shall be re-ported yearly to the Division(s) to which it belongs.

I4. The Working Group Officers shall serve a 4-year term and can be reelected. The period for theterm of office will be at discretion of the WorkingGroup (K8)

I5. The activity of each Working Group will be re-viewed at each meeting of the Executive Commit-tee. A Working Group showing no or very littlescientific activity will be disbanded by the Execu-tive Committee.

J. The World Congress of Soil Sciences

J1. The World Congress of Soil Sciences is themain event of the IUSS. It shall cover all parts ofthe discipline and of IUSS. It is open to all Mem-bers of the IUSS and other participants.

J2. The host country National Society or adheringorganization shall officially cosponsor and be finan-cially liable for the congress, and shall make allnecessary fundraising and other arrangements toensure the success of the World Congress of SoilSciences. These arrangements shall be submittedto Council at its meeting at the previous WorldCongress of Soil Sciences.

J3. The proceedings of the World Congress of SoilSciences may be published by the host country Na-tional Society, or other adhering organization,using methods agreed to by the Council.

K. Elections

K1 The Council will establish an Electoral Commit-tee that will manage the election procedures forfilling the offices of the Divisions and Commissions.The composition and duties of the Electoral Com-mittee are defined in the Bye-Laws (5.3).

K2. The Divisional Nomination Committees (DNC)will solicit candidates for the different officeswithin the Divisions and Commissions, screen po-tential candidates and provide candidate lists tothe Electoral Committee for preparation of ballotsone year in advance of the next Inter-CongressMeeting. Candidates may be suggested by FullMembers by submitting names to the DNC but onlythe DNC may place names on the list submitted tothe Electoral Committee.

K3 Voting for all Divisional and Commission offi-cers shall take place starting 6 months before Inter-Congress Meeting and be completed within 60days.

K4. Voting by Members is done by postal or elec-tronic means using a procedure developed by theNational Society or adhering organization to theUnion. Results of the election will be reported bythe National Society or adhering organization tothe Electoral Committee via the Secretary-General.The number of votes cast within each country shallbe based on a true and fair ballot of their nationalmembership. Item 5.2 in the Bye-Laws defines theprocedure.

K5. Elections will be decided by a simple majorityof votes cast.

IUSS BULLETIN 11748

K6. All officers except the President, PresidentElect, Past President, Vice President (Congress) andappointed First Vice-Chairs of the Divisions can bere-elected for one further term. The Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, Treasurer, andChairs of Standing Committees can be appointedby Council several terms.

K7. The election of Working Group officers shalltake place at any organized meeting of the Work-ing Group and elected officers will serve a maxi-mum 4-year term starting after the election.Working group chairs can be re-elected once. Theirnames will be submitted to the Secretary-Generalas soon as possible after the election takes place.

K8. The Honorary Members to serve on Councilshall be elected by a postal or electronic vote bythe whole body of Honorary Members as managedby the Secretary General.at least 3 months in ad-vance of the Mid-Congress Meeting.

OTHER REGULATIONS

L. Finance and Subscriptions

L1. The Union’s funds are in the care of the Treas-urer acting in consultation with the Chair of theBudget and Finance Committee. The Treasurer andBudget and Finance Committee Chair shall sharelegal access to and sign-off authority for all IUSSaccounts and assets. Budgetary line items pro-posed annually by the Budget and Finance Com-mittee are approved by the Executive Committeeand Council. Annual expenditures are authorizedby the Secretary-General acting in consultationwith the President, for minor sums above set limitsand for non-entitlement expense line items.

L2. An outside auditor shall be selected by the Ex-ecutive Committee. The Treasurer shall prepare ac-counts for each calendar year and send them foraudit. The audited accounts shall be integrated intoa time course Report on by the Budget and FinanceCommittee and this shall be published on the IUSSwebsite.

L3. For Full Members, at entry the adhering organ-ization from each country shall agree with the IUSSan appropriate position on the standard scale ofsubscriptions, in the light of the number of mem-

bers in that country’s National Society for Soil Sci-ence or adhering organization, the per capita in-come in that country, and the arrangements madeby the adhering organization. The subscriptionshall be due at the beginning of each calendar year.The Executive Committee shall review the scale ofsubscriptions for adhering members before eachIUSS World Congress of Soil Sciences when propos-als may be made to Council for its amendment. TheBudget and Finance Committee in consultationwith the Secretary General shall develop the sub-scription fees as defined in the Bye-Laws.

L4. The Council shall set the Individual Member,Associate Member and Sustaining Member sub-scription fees. The Budget and Finance Committeein consultation with the Secretary General shall de-velop the subscription fees as defined in the Bye-Laws.

M. Changes to the Statutes

M1.Council can only effect changes in thesestatutes, on a 2/3 majority of voting members ofCouncil. The proposed changes must have beenpublicized to the Full Members at least 6 monthsbefore the vote.

M2. A new or revised Statute shall come into forceon a date decided by Council, which shall be assoon as possible after the publication of the resultsof a positive vote.

N. Bye-Laws

N1. The Council will establish Bye-Laws to coverthe detailed interpretations of the Statutes and setrules for Subjects that are not dealt with in theStatutes.

N2. Changes to the Bye-Laws can be made by asimple majority vote of the Council on a formalmotion.

N3. A new or revised Bye-Law shall come into forceon a date decided by Council, which shall be assoon as possible after the publication of the resultsof a positive vote.

NOVEMBER 2010 49

O. Profit Sharing from Country Hosting the WorldCongress of Soil Sciences

O1. The IUSS is not responsible for any losses in-curred by the host country in hosting the WorldCongress of Soil Sciences.

O2. The IUSS shall share in the profits arising fromthe IUSS World Congress of Soil Sciences with thehost country.

O3. The funds contributed to IUSS by the hostcountry shall be used for program enrichment ofDivisions and Commissions, and for front-end fund-ing to the host country for the next World Con-gress of Soil Sciences.

P. Task Force(s)

P1 The President or Executive Committee aregiven the power to appoint Task Force(s) asneeded that would deal with specific items and fora specific time. The Task Forces would not be thesame as Standing Committees but appointed for afixed timeframe with a clearly defined agenda.Chairs of these Task Forces would not be membersof the Council as are Chairs of the Executive Com-mittee.

IUSS BULLETIN 11750

1. Definitions of the Bye-lawsBye-laws are secondary to and supportive to theStatutes, and cannot contradict Statutes (StatuteA5). The purpose of Bye-laws is to govern the de-tailed interpretation of the Statutes, and set rulesfor subjects that the Statutes do not deal with.They can be altered more easily and more fre-quently than the Statutes, as conditions change orexperience is gained. Changing a Bye-law requiresonly a simple majority of the IUSS Council on aformal motion, whereas changing a Statute re-quires a 2/3 majority on a postal and/or electronicballot (Statute M1).

2. President, President Elect and Past PresidentThe Union shall have a President who will be anoutstanding soil scientist of international stand-ing, who has financial support from his institutionor National Member. The President will serve fortwo years with the role of providing scientificleadership and representing the Union at interna-tional meetings. The President Elect shall serve inthis role for a period of two years providing sup-port to the President on the organisation andmanagement of the scientific activities of theUnion. After two years, the President Elect willsucceed to the role of President. After two yearsas President, he/she will succeed to the role ofPast President and serve in this capacity for twoyears. The President Elect and the Past Presidentwill support the President in running of theUnion.

3. Vice President (Congress)The role of the Vice President (Congress) is to leadthe National Committee of the host country for theWorld Congress of Soil Sciences, providing leader-ship in the development of the scientific pro-gramme and the logistical aspects of the WCSS. The host country will nominate a person who willbe confirmed by Council. In addition, the VicePresident (Congress) will be a member of the Pres-ident’s Committee. The Vice President (Congress)

serves from the end of the preceding Congress tothe end of the Congress for which he/she iselected.

4. Divisions, Commissions, Working Groups, and Standing CommitteesThe Secretary-General maintains an up-to-date listof the full Scientific Structure at all times. Changeswill be published in the Bulletin or on the IUSS website as soon as possible.

4.1 Divisional StructureThe Divisions are: D1. Soils in Space and TimeD2. Soil Properties and Processes D3. Soil Use and ManagementD4. The Role of Soils in Sustaining Society and

the Environment

4.2 Organization of the Scientific StructureD1. Soils in Space and Time C1.1 Soil Morphology and MicromorphologyC1.2 Soil GeographyC1.3 Soil Genesis C1.4 Soil Classification C1.5 PedometricsC1.6 Paleopedology

D2. Soil Properties and Processes C2.1 Soil PhysicsC2.2 Soil ChemistryC2.3 Soil BiologyC2.4 Soil MineralogyC2.5 Soil Physical/Chemical/Biological Interfa-

cial Reactions

D3. Soil Use and ManagementC3.1 Soil Evaluation and Land Use PlanningC3.2 Soil and Water ConservationC3.3 Soil Fertility and Plant NutritionC3.4 Soil Engineering and Technology C3.5 Soil Degradation Control, Remediation,

and Reclamation

NOVEMBER 2010 51

Bye-laws of the IUSS Approved by IUSS Council August 2010

C3.6 Salt Affected Soils

D4. The Role of Soil in Sustaining Society andthe Environment

C4.1 Soil and the EnvironmentC4.2 Soil, Food Security, and Human HealthC4.3 Soil and Land Use ChangeC4.4 Soil Education and Public AwarenessC4.5 History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Soil

Science

Divisions, Commissions and Working Groups, withtheir Chairpersons and Committees are defined inStatutes G1-G8, H1-H4, and I1-I5. The titles of theDivisions and the duties and functions of the Divi-sional Chairpersons and Committees are definedin the Bye-laws. The duties and functions of theCommission and Working Group Chairpersons arealso defined in the Bye-laws. However, their titleidentities are not defined herein as these shouldrespond to the views of the relevant members andto new developments in science. Accordingly,Council can decide changes in these as part of nor-mal business, on the basis of proposals made bythe Divisions to the Executive Committee (StatuteG5 or I1).

4.3 Duties and functions of Divisional Chairper-sons and CommitteesSupervisoryTheir task is to ensure that the Division and itsCommissions and Working Groups (if any) operateeffectively, and with appropriate activity. That theycollaborate in an interdisciplinary manner amongstthemselves and with other Divisions or partsthereof. That they organize appropriate scientificmeetings between IUSS World Congresses, aloneor in collaboration, and that they collaborate withCongress Committees and other relevant parts ofthe IUSS. The Division Chair should ensure thatCommissions complete annual reports and that asummary report is sent to the Secretary-Generalfor publication in the Bulletin or on the IUSS web-site with a copy to the Executive Committee. Thisreport should be completed by January 30 eachyear.

StrategicTheir task is to be proactive considering widerchanges in relevant sciences, make necessarychanges in the Divisional structure through the Ex-ecutive Committee and Council, and to address

other initiatives. They should also ensure appropri-ate links and collaborations with related but non-IUSS science bodies.

RepresentationalThe task of the Divisional Chairpersons is to repre-sent the members and component bodies of theDivision to and in Council and the Executive Com-mittee. The Divisional Chairpersons and DivisionalCommittee should make sure that the Council andthe Executive Committee are well informed, andthat the interests of the Division are well served.They should also help in representing Soil Scienceto a wide external audience.

OrganisationalTheir task is to maintain good contact with thePresidents Committee and Executive Committee ofIUSS, and to ensure that the Divisions play theirpart in the general activity of the IUSS, includingthe organisation of Soil Congresses, the provisionof assistance to soil science in developing coun-tries, and any other initiatives. They are account-able at the end of each year directly to thePresidents Committee.

Divisional and Commissions PrizeEstablish and bestow prizes and awards withintheir disciplines to soil scientists of great distinc-tion and international reputation, within their re-spective Division or its Commissions. These will berecognized at the World Congress of Soil Sciences.

4.4 Duties and functions of Chairpersons andCommittees of CommissionsThese are defined in Statute H1 and H2. It is thefunction of Commissions to organise meetings ofall types, as agreed with the Divisional Commit-tees, to maintain contact with members, and tocollaborate with other Commissions. They shouldalso take a full part in running the Divisions, partic-ularly as Commission Chairpersons are members ofthe Divisional Committees. Joint Commissions be-tween two or more Divisions are possible. Respec-tive Chairpersons of Joint Commissions would thenbe representatives on respective Divisional Com-mittees. The Chairperson shall complete an annualreport and send it to their respective DivisionChair. Reports should be completed by December30 of each year.

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4.5 Duties and functions of Chairpersons and ViceChairpersons of Working GroupsThese are defined in Statute I1 and I2. The dutiesand functions are to ensure that each WorkingGroup is properly established and has membershipof at least one Division. Each Working Groupshould hold at least one meeting between consec-utive Congresses of Soil Science, and show an ap-propriate level of scientific activity. It shouldprovide an annual report on its past and future ac-tivities to the Divisional Chairperson(s) before De-cember 30.

4.6 Standing CommitteesThese are defined in Statute F1. Council sets up aCommittee when it feels that it is likely to need ad-vice or supporting work on a given subject indefi-nitely into the future. The Executive Committeewill present a list of Chairs of the Standing Commit-tees to Council for approval. The Council appointsthe Committee Members. Chairs of the StandingCommittees can be appointed several times. Mem-bers other than the Chairs of a Standing Commit-tee may be reappointed by Council and normallyserve for not more than two terms of four yearseach. The title ‘Standing Committee’ should not beused for a short-term investigation, where the pre-ferred title is “Task Force”, or for a scientific group,where “Working Group” is more appropriate.

4.7 IUSS representatives to other OrganizationsIUSS is a member of ICSU (the International Coun-cil for Science) and through ICSU has representa-tives on a number of bodies SCOPE, IGBP, andCODATA together with links with other Unions (e.g.IUBS, IGU, IUGG, IUGS, and IUPAC). Representa-tives are appointed by Secretary General and/orthe President subject to ratification by the Execu-tive Committee normally to serve for four years orfor the duration of the activity if it is less than fouryears. Representatives may be reappointed for sev-eral terms. All of the appointed representatives willsubmit an annual report of their activities to theSecretary General by January 30 of each year.These reports will be published in the Bulletin ofthe IUSS or on the IUSS website.

5. Elections of officers for Divisions, Commissions, and Working Groups [See Statutes K1-K8]

5.1 Elections, candidates and nominationsa. Members (as defined in Statute B) who are in

good standing with a National Soil or GeoscienceSociety with close affiliation with the disciplineof soil science can take part in the voting proce-dure. It will be the responsibility of the AdheringOrganization or National Society to determinewho is in good standing and is eligible to vote.

b. Members can vote for as many different officersas they feel comfortable. Voting will be by postaland/or electronic methods. Voting will be con-ducted in advance of the Inter-Congress meeting(as defined in Statutes K1-K8).

c. If Members have joined more than one National So-ciety, they must choose one of these, and ensurethat they are registered to vote with this one by theNational Society. The records of Individual Members(Statute B3), Life Members (remaining from theISSS), and Honorary Members (Statute B7) will beheld centrally by the Treasurer. The Full or AssociateMembers will maintain lists of other Members.

d. The Divisional Nominating Committees shall nor-mally consist of the Chair and Past Chair of the Di-vision as well as one member from eachcommission within the Division, plus one addi-tional Member from the IUSS Presidents Commit-tee or Chairs of the Standing Committees. FullMembers may propose candidates to the DivisionalNominating Committees. Divisional NominatingCommittees shall submit nominations to the Elec-toral Committee at least 12 months in advance ofthe next Inter-Congress meeting for all officerswithin the Division including all the Commissionswithin the Division (Statutes K2). If any candidate isdiscarded by the Nominating Committee, the rea-son must be given. Nominations of candidates willbe accompanied by a short statement describingthe candidate’s contribution to Soil Science andIUSS and their views on the development of SoilScience. Every effort shall be made to have a broadgeographical representation of nominees. Thescreening of potential nominee candidates shouldresult in two nominees for each position. Memberscannot be nominated for more than one position.Candidates to be nominated cannot be membersof the Nominating Committee.

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e. Any person nominated as a candidate must be aMember in good standing as defined in StatuteB2, B3, B4, and B7.

f. The host country shall nominate members whoare in good standing for the First and SecondVice-Chairpersons of each Division 6 years and 6months before the Congress, they will host(Statute G3). These candidates will be presentedto Electoral Committee for ratification.

g. The Electoral Committee shall ensure that thereis a full list of acceptable names for all officesand that the ballot has a broad geographical rep-resentation of candidates. They need to ensurethat there are at least two candidates for eachoffice; there may be three but two is preferable.Council has the right to submit names to the Di-vision Selection Committee for consideration. Ifthere are not two candidates or if the geo-graphic distribution on the ballot is not, geo-graphically representative the ElectoralCommittee may add names to the ballot or re-move names from the ballot as needed to havethe desired geographical representation.

h. Honorary Members as defined in Statute B7 willbe nominated by any Full Member and this ma-terial shall be sent to the Secretary General atleast 6 months before the Inter-Congress meet-ing of the Council. The material shall not be morethan 2 pages long and should show the back-ground of the individual and his or her service tothe IUSS and the impact that this person has hadinternationally on soil science. The nominationsshould be distributed to the Council members atleast three months before the Inter-Congressmeeting. Elections shall take place by secret bal-lot among Council members present for the mid-congress meeting and the results announced inthe Bulletin after the Mid-Congress meeting. Thepresident will send a letter and a certificate tothe elected Honorary Members informing themof their selection. The new honorary memberswill be recognized at the next Congress. Councilmembers will vote only for candidates they con-sider to have the requirements of a HonoraryMember of the Union, Successful candidatesmust receive more votes than a number equiva-lent to half of the number of eligible votingmembers attending the Council Meeting.

i. Any proposal for expulsion shall be formally broughtto the attention of the Council in the form of a spe-cific motion/agenda item with supporting evidencesand shall be scrutinized carefully before voting.

j. If a vacancy occurs in the Divisional Vice Chairs,the host country will nominate a candidate. Thecandidate will be presented to the Electoral Com-mittee for ratification.

k. Where any vacancy occurs between normal elec-tion times (other than Divisional Vice Chairs(Item 5.1J)) the Divisional Electoral Committeeshall receive nominations and draw up a list ofcandidates (normally two). This list will be pre-sented to Council for a vote (which can be postalor electronic).

5.2. Voting procedurea. Elections for the Divisional and Commission offi-

cers will be conducted by postal and/or elec-tronic means on a one vote for one individual ineach National Member. Voting shall be started 6months before the next Inter-Congress meetingand completed within 60 days. Organising thevoting will be the responsibility of the NationalSociety (Full and Associate Members). Uponcompletion of the voting the Full and AssociateMembers will provide the Electoral Committeewith the votes from their Members (vote totalsand votes cast for each candidate). Preciseguidelines for the voting procedures will be dis-tributed to Members by the Secretary General 6months before the elections take place.

b. Working Group elections shall be organised bythe outgoing Chairperson and results of WorkingGroup elections will be reported to the Secre-tary General.

c. The Secretary-General in concert with the Elec-toral Committee shall develop a procedure forthe counting of all the votes.

5.3 Electoral Committeea. The responsibility of the Council to oversee the

elections is delegated to the Electoral Committeeconsisting of a Chairperson appointed by Council(usually the IUSS President), the Secretary-Gen-eral, acting as Secretary, The Chair of the Statutesand Structure Committee, and one member fromeach Division (who is not a candidate for election).The Division will nominate its candidate for theElectoral Committee at a Divisional Committeemeeting. The Electoral Committee will consolidateall nominations from the Divisional Committees toensure a geographic distribution. The ElectoralCommittee will prepare ballots that will be distrib-uted to all Full and Associate Members 9 monthsbefore the Inter-Congress meeting so they can be

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distributed to all Members so that voting can becarried out as defined in the Statutes (K3). The bal-lots will include a brief (one paragraph) CV foreach of the candidates.

b. The Electoral Committee shall receive all the bal-lots from all the voting constituencies. There willbe one vote for each member and not adjustedin any manner to reflect the number of mem-bers in a National Society (Note Members aredefined in the Statures item B2 and B3 and vot-ing is defined in K4). Those having the majorityof votes cast will then be declared elected. Thenames of those elected shall be notified offi-cially by the Secretary General and shall be pub-lished in the Bulletin and on the IUSS Website.

6 Activities of IUSS between World Congresses of Soil Sciences6.1 DivisionsEach Division is expected to organise a reasonablenumber of scientific meetings in appropriate scienceareas between Congresses, each under the aegis ofthe Division or one of its Commissions. WorkingGroups will notify the Division(s) with which theyare associated of their scientific activities. Informaland small meetings require no notification or per-mission, but formal meetings will be considered offi-cial activities of the IUSS and should be ratified bythe Division(s) at least 6 months in advance and thisinformation transmitted to the Secretary General.The IUSS logo can then be used. The Meetings willbe publicised in the Bulletin and on the IUSS web-site. Other assistance may be provided upon requestand approval of the Secretary-General. It is accept-able and may be desirable for such meetings to beorganised in collaboration with other relevant scien-tific bodies. Attendance at all such meetings mustbe open to all members of the IUSS. The attendanceand a summary of the specific activity should be re-ported as part of annual Divisional activities.

6.2 Standing CommitteesStanding Committees should keep the President,President’s Committee and Executive Committee in-formed of their activities throughout the inter-Con-gress period, and should report on their work atCouncil meetings. Chairs of Standing Committeesare proposed by the Executive Committee for ap-proval by Council. Membership of the StandingCommittees should consist of soil scientists of good

standing with international experience and reputa-tion and should seek a broad geographical repre-sentation. The current Standing Committees are:

Statutes and Structure Committee (SSC).The committee reviews the operations of Statutesand Bye-Laws at regular intervals and suggests tothe Presidents Committee changes, which will assistthe smooth and efficient operations of IUSS. TheChair and the Committee provide information tomembers on the operating procedures of the Union.

Budget and Finance Committee (BFC)The committee has oversight of all budgetary andfinical matters of the Union and develops an an-nual budget and projections for futures years.These are presented at regular intervals to the Ex-ecutive Committee and to Council.

Prizes and Awards Committee (PAC)The committee initiates the call for nominationsfor the two IUSS awards on receipt of the nomina-tions they evaluate and submit the names of awardwinners to the President. They may request assis-tance from the Divisional Chairs in the evaluationprocess. Nominations are requested after the Mid-Congress by announcements in the bulletin, IUSSAlerts and on the Wed Site. The announcementwill establish the timetable for when the nomina-tions need to be submitted. The President will in-form nominators of the decision of the Committeeand the President will inform the recipients of theawards and make the necessary arrangements forpresentations of the awards at the IUSS Congress.Nominations will be submitted electronically.

Committee for Presidential Elections (CEP)The membership of the committee will consist of soilscientists with a strong international reputation andconsiderable experience of management and leader-ship roles. The committee will provide guidance onthe criteria required to be President of IUSS and solicitfrom the Executive Committee, National Members, Di-visions and Commissions candidates for the positionof President Elect. The Committee will review thenominations and produce a shortlist of candidateswhich will be presented to the Executive Committee.The Executive Committee will review the list beforeforwarding it to the Council for voting, by an elec-tronic ballot in advance of the meeting of Councilwhen the President Elect takes Office. The successfulcandidate should achieve 50% + 1 of the votes cast.

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6.3 TreasurerThe Treasurer will be appointed by the Councilbased on a list of candidates determined by a TaskForce appointed by the President to develop a listof suitable candidates for the said Office. TheTreasurer is a member of the Executive Committeeand Council and serves at the pleasure of Council.The Treasurer maintains the accounts of the Union,reporting to the Presidents Committee on a regularbasis. The audited accounts are presented to theExecutive Committee annually and to the Councilat InterCongress and Congress Meetings of Council.The treasurer together with the Chair of theBudget and Finance Standing Committee producesan annual budget, which is presented to the Execu-tive Committee and the Budget and Finance Stand-ing Committee towards the end of each or in thefirst weeks of each Calendar Year. The Treasurer isresponsible for ensuring that the Union’s financialarrangements are legal and transparent. The Treas-ure is a member of the Presidential Committee.

7. Union Languages7.1 Business LanguageThe business language of IUSS, in which Counciland Committee business is transacted and officialpapers are published, is English. An adhering or-ganization may distribute part or all of the officialpapers in the original form (English) or their ownlanguage(s).

7.2 Congress LanguageThe language of the World Congress of Soil Sci-ences is English. The host country may use its ownlanguage, but must arrange for appropriate trans-lations into English.

8. IUSS LogoThe Union logo will be used on all official docu-ments of the IUSS. This should also be used on allmaterials sanctioned by the IUSS. Any changes tothe IUSS logo must be approved by Council.

9. Funding and Council Budget Control9.1 Standard Scale PointsThe IUSS shall have a standard set of scale points (S)dependent upon the wealth of the country in ques-tion (Statute L3) for admission as a Full Member or

an Associate Member. The three scale points shall bein the ratio to each other as 1:3:5. Council shall peri-odically review this scale, at least at each Congress,and on the advice of the Budget and Finance Com-mittee and the Executive Committee, may adjust allscale points. The General Rate R is a multiplier that isapplied to all subscriptions pro rata, and will be usedto alter the total subscription income of the IUSS. Countries are classified as Group I (High-incomecountry), Group II (Middle Income country), orGroup III (Low Income Country) depending on acombination of their Gross National Income (GNI)per capita from the Work Bank:www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/modules/eco-nomic/gnp/datanot.html and their Gross DomesticProduct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capitafrom: www.nationmaster.com/graph-B/eco_gdp_cap&int=-1. The CBF uses the scales setby these two sources to establish the economicgroup classification (I, II or III) for each country.

9.2 Budget NegotiationsEach adhering organization will enter the IUSS at ascale point S determined in negotiation between theBudget and Finance Committee in consultation withthe Secretary General of IUSS and the adhering or-ganization (Statute L3). The Budget and FinanceCommittee through its Chairperson shall take leader-ship in securing Full Members (as in Statute B1), In-dividual Members (as in Statute B3), AssociateMembers (as in Statute B4) and Sustaining Members(as in Statute B5) into the IUSS. The Budget and Fi-nance Committee shall make recommendations tothe Presidents Committee and Executive Committeefor concurrence concerning financial matters ofentry. Every attempt should be made for equity ofsubscription rate, but those countries with the abilityto contribute beyond their designated scale pointsshould be strongly encouraged to do so in negotia-tions between the Budget and Finance Committeeand adhering organization. This scale point shall bereassessed in the same way before each Congress. Ifagreement cannot be reached, the case may be ap-pealed to Council, whose decision shall be final. Ad-hering organization in temporary financial hardshipsmay be given special consideration the Budget andFinance Committee in consultation with the Secre-tary General.

9.3 Annual Subscriptions of Full MembersThe annual subscription of a Full Member shall becalculated as equal to US$ (SxNxR) where S is one of

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the three scale points (Group I S= 5; Group II S= 3;Group III S= 1), N is the number of members in theFull Member, and R is the General Rate, which is thesame for all Full Members. Through 2012- 2014, R =1.75 and the US $(R*S) for Full Members are US$7.75, $4.65, and $1.55 for Group I, II, and III mem-bers, respectively.

9.4 Minimum SubscriptionThe minimum size of a Full Member is 50 Members.

9.5 Annual Subscriptions of Individual Members,Associate Members and Sustaining MembersThe Budget and Finance Committee in consultationwith the Secretary General will determine the sub-scription fee for Individual Memberships, Associ-ate Members, and Sustaining Members.The rate for Individual Members, commencing2012 through 2014, will be $25 per member.The annual subscription of an Associate Membershall be calculated as equal to US$(SxNxR), where Sis one of the three scale points, N is the number ofmembers in the Associate Member, and R is theGeneral Rate, which is the same for all AssociateMembers. In 2012, R = 1.55 and the US$(R*S) ratesfor Associate Members are US $7.75, $4.65, and$1.55 for Group I, II, and III members, respectively.

The rate for Sustaining Members through 2014 isUS $775.00.

9.6 Annual BudgetThe Budget and Finance Committee shall preparean annual operating budget for approval by the Ex-ecutive Committee.

10. Life MembershipMembers who have previously taken out Life Mem-bership in ISSS will continue as Life Members ofIUSS, and will receive all due rights and amenities.

11. Cooperating JournalsThe IUSS may form a link with well-established in-ternational scientific journals of high reputation.These will be called Cooperating Journals of theIUSS. In return, it is expected that these Journalswill be made available on favourable terms to IUSSMembers (Statute B2), Individual Members(Statute B3), Associate Members (Statute B4) LifeMembers (remaining from the ISSS) and Honorary

Members (Statute B6), and that the Journals willmake a regular financial contribution to the IUSS.

12. Recommendations/ Resolutions for World Congress of Soil SciencesDrafts need to be submitted by a Full or AssociateMember in writing to the Secretary General at least 6months before the meeting of Council at which timethe proposal(s) will be discussed. These proposals willbe sent by the Secretary-General to the ExecutiveCommittee and Council for review so that the Execu-tive Committee can make a recommendation to thefull Council. The Council will discuss the drafts andmake changes they feel deemed appropriate and thevote to approve or disapprove the drafts.

13. Changes to the Scientific Structure of the IUSSMembers representing 10 Full Members of theUnion may submit to the Secretary-General a pro-posal for change in the scientific structure of theIUSS. The Divisional Committees may make recom-mendations for changes within their respective Di-visions as define in G5 of the Statutes. TheExecutive Committee will consider each proposalbefore it is sent to Council with its recommenda-tions. All proposals must be submitted to Councilmembers at least one year before the meeting ofCouncil at which the proposal(s) will be discussed.

14. Inter-Congress MeetingThe Inter-Congress Meeting of the Council is heldevery 4 years at the venue of the upcoming WorldCongress of Soil Science 2 years before the Con-gress. The major purpose of this meeting is busi-ness meeting of the Council. However, at thediscretion of the host country it can be linked to asymposium or other scientific activity that is atopic of general interest to soil science.

15. Succession of Divisional and Commission OfficersThe First Vice Chairperson shall succeed the Chair-person of a Division or Commission if the said offi-cer shall be incapacitated, resign, or judged to beunfit to serve by Council. Divisional Electoral Com-

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mittees shall receive nominations and draw up alist of candidates (normally two) to fill any officesnot filled by succession. This list will be presentedto Council to vote.

16. Membership in ICSUAs a member of ICSU, IUSS adheres to the princi-ples of ICSU and support the free circulation of sci-entific ideas and scientists and the other provisionsas defined by ICSU.

17. Profit sharing IUSS World Congress of Soil SciencesThe proportion of the profits paid to the IUSSshould be determined by negotiation between theLocal Organizing Committee and the Treasurer andthe Chair of the Committee on Budget and Fi-nance, not including the repayment of front-endcosts provided by IUSS.

18. IUSS BulletinThe Secretary General and Deputy Secretary Gen-eral shall produce, twice per year, a Bulletin whichwill present information about the organization ofthe Union, reports on activities within the Union,its Divisions, Commissions and Working Groups, re-ports on activities in other related Unions, and anyother information which may be of interest tomembers of the Union (including reviews of booksand other publications). The Bulletin will be pub-lished on the Union’s website.

19. IUSS WebsiteThe Deputy Secretary General shall maintain theUnion’s website and have broad editorial controlover the content.

20. Task ForceThe duties of a Task Force are defined by the Presi-dent or Executive Committee when a Task Force iscreated. The number of members of Task Force is atthe discretion of the President or Executive Commit-tee as are the members but it is expected that saidmembers will be representative of the IUSS and inmost cases, the members will not be members of theExecutive Committee. A Task Force is set up for a spe-cific purpose and for a specified length of time.

Examples of possible Task Forces and duties areone for the search for Secretary General, DeputySecretary General, and Treasure. Another exampleis a Task Force to develop a procedure for directvoting of Members for all officers not appointed bythe Council. At present each country holds elec-tions and forwards the result to the Secretary Gen-eral and this has not worked that well. WWWbased voting system is needed and a procedureneeds to be set up to all this. Several National Soci-eties used this type of systems, as do other largeOrganizations. The task force should exactly spellout all rules, investigate how web voting should bedone (by automatic check of IP addresses etc), anduse electronics to speed up the whole process.

21. Secretary General DutiesThe SG plays a key role in the administration, andmanagement of IUSS and assisting the President inscientific leadership. Duties include day- to-daymanagement and administration of IUSS includingclose communication with IUSS officers, nationalmember societies and representatives, and mem-bers. The SG will maintain, on behalf of IUSS, linkswith the International Council of Science (ICSU)and its Unions (in particular the GeoUnion groupwithin ICSU), and other organizations such as theFAO, UNEP and UNESCO. The SG will conduct elec-tions of division and commission officers; and or-ganize elections and ballots for Council Voting. TheSecretary General will work with the IUSS Treas-urer and Chair of the Budget and Finance Commit-tee to ensure the collection of dues andcertification of members; in concert with the offi-cers, prepare and disseminate the agenda, reports,and minutes for Executive Committee and Councilmeetings; and, in collaboration with the DeputySecretary General, publish the IUSS Bulletin andthe IUSS Alerts. Qualifications: a distinguished soil scientist with arecord of accomplishment in academe, industry orgovernment; a record of participation and leader-ship in IUSS and knowledge of IUSS structure andactivities; stability and flexibility in employment;support of employer in terms of time commit-ments to the position and use of facilities (office,computer, telephone, photocopying, printing, etc.);a level of financial support from employer/countryto support the activities of the SG (e.g., secretary,travel, etc.), outstanding interpersonal and organi-zational skills; excellent English and communica-

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tion (writing and speaking) skills; and willingnessto travel to meetings around the world to repre-sent IUSS. The candidates need good interpersonalskills to be able to interact with all sectors of theUnion and other cooperating bodies.

22. Deputy Secretary GeneralDuties: The DSG plays a key role in the administra-tion, and management of IUSS. Duties include: as-sisting the Secretary General when needed;maintenance of the IUSS website; responsibility forthe IUSS Bulletin; and dissemination of further in-formation about IUSS, e.g. “IUSS Alerts”. Qualifications: a distinguished soil scientist with arecord of accomplishment in academe, industry orgovernment; a record of participation and leader-ship in IUSS and knowledge of IUSS structure andactivities; stability and flexibility in employment;support of employer in terms of time commit-ments to the position and use of facilities (office,computer, telephone, photocopying, printing, etc.);a level of financial support from employer/countryto support the activities of the DSG (e.g., secretary,travel, etc.), outstanding interpersonal and organi-zational skills; excellent English and communica-tion (writing and speaking) skills; and proficiency ininformation technology.

23. President Duties The President provides scientific leadership andstrategic direction for the IUSS and on behalf ofIUSS interacts and represents with other organiza-tions (e.g. ICSU, UN bodies, National Societies andAcademies etc) and is responsible for the overalloperation of the IUSS.

24. President Elect and Past President DutiesSupport the President in all aspects of the opera-tion of IUSS and other assignments and duties asassigned by the President.

25. Submissions for Host CountiesInitial information will include proposed timingsand venues, brief details of how the National Soci-ety will mange the Congress and information relat-ing to any financial support available and asummary of the range of activities that might be

included in the program in addition to normal sci-entific activities.

26. Approved Working GroupsAcid Sulphate Soils CryoslsDigital Soil MappingLand DegradationWRBUrban SoilsProximal Soil SensingGlobal Soil ChangeHeritage Soils,Forest SoilsUniversal Soil ClassificationSoil MonitoringSoil Information Standards

27. IUSS AwardsIUSS awards the Dokuchaev and Liebig Awardsevery four years. These awards will be made foroutstanding research accomplishments, in the fieldof soil science and substantial contributions toIUSS. The awards consist of an engraved medal, acertificate, a US$ 1000 honorarium, and financialsupport to attend the presentation at the WCSS.Nominations for these awards may be made by Na-tional Members, Divisions, Commissions, and indi-viduals. Nominations will include a full case for theaward including a detailed curriculum vita (givingfull details of research accomplishments) and mayindicate the award for which the nomination ismade. This will not exceed 10 pages. The nomina-tion may additionally include supporting letters.

NOVEMBER 2010 59

The VII National Congress of the Cuban Soil Science SocietyIn its 25 Anniversary, the VII Congress of the CubanSoil Science Society was held at the Escuela Superiorde la Industria Básica at Havana City between July 7to 9 2010, with the participation of 250 members ofthe whole country and 20 participants from Mexico,Costa Rica, Brazil and USA. Five conferences andnear 220 papers of different subjects like: impact ofGlobal Changes on agricultural soils; urban soils; useof alternative nutrient sources; education of Soil Sci-ence; Geomatic and Soil Science; the National SoilConservation Program; etc, were discussed. On theGeneral Assembly, Dr. Olegario Muñiz Ugarte, fromSoil Institute (sccsmuniz@minag.cu) was reelectedPresident of the Society for the next 4 years. The dis-tinguished scientists, Pedro Sánchez from USA, Se-gundo Urquiaga from Brazil and Jean J. Drevon fromFrance, received the Members of Honor condition ofthe Cuban Soil Science Society.

Report on the International Conference of Soil Fertility and Soil ProductivityBerlin, 16-20th March 2010The International Conference of Soil Fertility and SoilProductivity, two features to be distinguished, differ-ences of efficiency of Soils for Land Uses, Expendi-tures and Returns was organized by the, InternationalUnion of Soil Science (IUSS) Division 3 - Soil Use andManagement, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany,and Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Germany, to-gether with WG Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition ofthe German Soil Science Society, Society for Plant Nu-trition of Germany, Society of Agronomy of Germany,International WG Soil Fertility (IOSDV). The hostHumboldt University, founded in 1810, celebrated in2010 its 200 years anniversary which was a good oc-casion to come to Berlin. The conference site was thelarge and impressive hall of the Faculty of Agricultureand Horticulture with the Daniel Albrecht Thaerstatue. His work is close related to the conferencethematic Soil Fertility and Soil Productivity. AlbrechtThaer discovered the importance of soil organic mat-ter content for soil fertility and inspired the former

Prussian State to make strong use of it to improve thefood supply of population from the often poor sandysoils in the 18th century. The conference was visitedby 139 participants from 40 countries and all conti-nents. There was a good participation (39) fromAfrica, Asia. and South America, from Europe 73. En-couraging was also the high attendance of womanand young scientists. Thus a good structure of partic-ipants was achieved and a lively conference commu-nity was the result. A big problem was the visaapplication for Europe, particular the restrictions foryoung scientists. Beside this today the procedure iscomplicated, often long lasting, and needs time andadditional travel costs to visit the consulate. Therewere many disappointments despite the capability tofinance the conference participation.The conference thematic soil fertility and soil produc-tivity was covered by 13 topics: (1) Concepts of soilfertility and soil productivity, contents chances, limi-tations and contradictions, (2) Soil quality conceptsand indicators, (3) Soil properties for soil fertility andfor use of soil services, (4) Soil productivity and soilinvestments based services, (5) Other natural plantproduction factors than soil, (6) Short time invest-ments for use of soil productivity, (7) Soil conserva-tion measures, (8) Modelling, (9) Soil changes andimpacts by shift from use of soil fertility propertiesto soil productivity properties, (10) Land manage-ment and policy requirements, (11) Future perspec-tive of soil use, (12) Changing global conditions, (13)Prospect of soil fertility and soil productivity.

The opening speeches were presented by Heino vonMeyer (OECD), Germany about macro-economicprospects, Chistian Feller (IRD), France about historyand role of soil fertility in different regions of theworld, and Stephan Dabbert, University Hohenheim,Germany about farm economics.The strongest interest did find the theme (7) mainte-nance and improvement of soil fertility with a focuson organic matter. Other soil conservation measuresseem to play a minor role in soil science researchtoday. Interesting is that there is only few discussionon the potential of soils for carbon dioxide seques-tration, and no about the optimum of organic mat-ter content of soils and other functions of organicmatter than soil structure stabilization, improvingfield capacity, and as carbon dioxide sink. The pre-

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Reports of meetings

sentations showed that for soil fertility research nec-essary long term field experiments are endangered.Most of the presented results were based on shorttime and green house experiments. In Asia, Africaand East Europe the spectrum of soil fertility re-search is broader than in West and South Europewere it is restricted on organic matter content andprevention of erosion. But in Eastern Europe a strongdecrease in soil fertility maintenance investments ofthe farms was observed since 1989. A larger number of presentations did deal with soilquality features and soil quality indicators. Missingwere discussions about evaluation scales. Other bigblocks on presentation did deal with nitrogen deliv-ery of soils, problems of soil fertility by extension oftillage in other climatic zones, maintenance of ex-treme high productivity as in the Indo-Gangethicplain in India, the exhaustion of soil Zn and Fe, theinfluence on soil fertility by under financing of smallfarms, the influence of land ownership and tenants,low education of particular female farmers. A greatnumber of other fields of soil fertility and productiv-ity were presented and discussed. The Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture of theHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin honoured ChristianFeller, France, John Ryan, Syria (ICARDA) and Wolf-gang Burghardt, Germany with the Daniel AlbrechtThaer medal.Part of the conference were a moving gala buffet inthe Albrecht Thaer Hall with music from a typicalBerlin organ grinder, and a one day excursion tosandy areas of Trebbin south of Berlin. 5 sites withsoil profiles were presented and the influence of lowelevation differences on soil humus content and soilfertility were demonstrated.The Conference of soil fertility and Soil Productivityin Berlin was a big event and success. For this the

local organizers many thanks. Many thanks also theGerman Science Foundation for financially supportof the conference and the Kali and Salz AG/Interna-tional Potash Institute for travel support.

Wolfgang Burghardt

Management of Natural Resourcesto Sustain Soil Health and QualityMay 26-28, 2010Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

International Soil Science Congress (ISSC) on “Man-agement of Natural Resources to Sustain Soil Healthand Quality” was held at Ondokuz Mayis University inSamsun, Turkey, in collaboration with The Soil ScienceSociety of Turkey and The Institute of Soil and WaterResources Research in Samsun, May 26-28, 2010. Theopening ceremony and the keynote speeches were inthe Atatürk Congress and Culture Center in OndokuzMay?s University with attendance of more than 350participants from 37 different countries.The congress was continued in three different meet-ing rooms at Tepe Hotel with 87 oral and 210 posterpresentations. The following topics in soil sciencewere discussed in the oral and poster presentations; I. Soil Physics and ChemistryII. Soil Ecology, Biology and BiochemistryIII. Soil Pedology, Classification and MappingIV. Soil Fertility and Plant NutritionV. Land Degradation, Management and Conser-

vationVI. Soil, Water Pollution and RemediationVII. Soil Health and QualityVIII. Sustainable use of Natural Resources in Agricul-

tural Ecosystem

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Congress participants presented a total of 297 pa-pers over the congress of two days, with keynotepresentations by Stephen Nortcliff (University ofReading, Department of Soil Science, UK), NicolaSenesi (University of Bari, Department of Agrofore-stal and Environmental Biology and Chemistry,Italy), Donald Gabriels (Ghent University, Depart-ment of Soil Management, Belgium), Ajit Varma(Amity University, Amity Institute of MicrobialTechnology, India) and, Mehmet Aydin (MustafaKemal University, Department of Soil Science,Turkey).The opening cocktail at the end of first day was heldin The Guest House of Ondokuz Mayis University. Itwas a nice time for participants to meet and knoweach other and start new friendships.There was an excursion from the congress center toBafra Plain in the afternoon of second day. After vis-iting two different soil profiles, participants weretaken to the wetland in Bafra plain which sheltersapproximately 320 bird species. Paphlagonia RockTombs and two big dams on Kizilirmak River,Alt?nkaya and Derbent, were also visited.After a short cocktail break in Kolay and walking inthe town, dinner was held near the lake of Derbentdam.Gala Dinner was in the OMTEL Hotel on the coast-line of Black Sea at the last day of the congress.

The 30th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Northwest Section of the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, USAThe 30th Annual Meeting of the Pacific NorthwestSection of the AOAC INTERNATIONAL was held atthe University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washing-ton, USA on June 22-23, 2010. We have held ourAnnual Meetings here since 1998. James P.Hungerford, Co-Chair of the Pacific Northwest Sec-tion, welcomed the attendees that included micro-biologists, chemists, toxicologists, biochemists, andmolecular biologists from universities, federal,state and provincial research stations, private labo-ratories, and government agencies. The theme ofthe meeting was “Preparing for Emerging Threats”.

Liz Cribbin gave an update on the activities of theAOAC INTERNATIONAL. There were five keynote pre-sentations. The meeting began with the followingkeynote speakers (1) Reopening Fisheries after an OilSpill: Tainting, Chemical Analysis, and Risks to HumanHealth: Tracy Collier (2) Microbiological Research atOARSA/CFSAN/FDA -Preparing for Emergencies: Mar-leen M. Wekell (3) Green Approaches in Taxol CancerResearch: Kevin Walker (4) Flow Injection Analysis:From Beakers to Microfluidics: Jarda Ruzicka, and (5)

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Emerging and Legacy Organic Pollutants and the Envi-ronmental Connection with Human Health: Donald G.Patterson, Jr.

The Seminar Sessions included lectures and informaldiscussions on topics in Microbiology, Soil and Envi-ronmental Chemistry, Pesticides and Industrial Con-taminants, Marine Toxins, and Paralytic ShellfishToxins. The Training Sessions included Microfluidic Au-tomation in Analytical Chemistry, Molecular Methodsin Food Microbiology, A Pragmatic Approach for UltraTrace Mercury Analysis, and Sample Pretreatment Au-tomation. The program also included Membership Re-ception and Vendor Expo (an exhibition of scientificequipment, supplies, and services). The Poster Pres-entation was concurrent with the Exhibitor/VendorSession on June 22. At the Membership Reception, theattendees participated in a quiz “Are you smarter thanyour fellow chemist or microbiologist, eh? At the ban-quet, Arlene Blum, gave an inspiring presentation on“Breaking Trail: Peaks, Public Health, and Policy”. The 2009–2010 Executive included James P. Hunger-ford (Co-Chair), Carlos Abeyta, Jr. (Co-Chair), Yash P.Kalra (Past Chair), Mike Grant (Co-Treasurer), FredKrick (Co-Treasurer), and Nancy Hill (Secretary). ThePlanning Committee included Carlos Abeyta, Jr., DonBark, Katherine Chan, Margaret Davis, Mike Grant,Nancy Hill, Jerry Hirsch, Jinxin Hu, James P. Hunger-ford, Ola Hungerford, Yash P. Kalra, Fred Krick, Shel-ley Lankford, Ed Paski, and Josephine Pompey. TheSection is committed to serve as a primary resourcefor networking, timely exchange of knowledge, andlaboratory information for the Northwest scientists.For further information on the Section, please visitus at www.aoacpacnw.com. The AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a global facilitator inthe validation of analytical methods. It was foundedin 1884 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA as the As-sociation of Official Agricultural Chemists. The namewas changed to the Association of Official AnalyticalChemists in 1965 and AOAC INTERNATIONAL in 1991.The Pacific Northwest Section is the first Section ofAOAC. It was formed in 1981. It includes four states

in USA (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) andtwo provinces in Canada (Alberta and British Colum-bia). Further information is available from AOAC IN-TERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Avenue, Suite500, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877-2417, USA;Phone: (301) 924-7077 or (800) 379-2622 (toll-freefrom North America); Fax : ( 301) 924-7089; Email:aoac@aoac.org.

Yash P. Kalra, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaEmail: yashpk1@hotmail.com

First International Field Summer School on Palaeopedology for young scholars “Paleosols as a depository of data on past envi-ronments”, August 3-7, Western Siberia, Russia.

The school was organized by the Institute of Soil Sci-ence and Agrochemistry of the Siberian branch ofthe Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk. TheInstitute is well known for its more then 20 years ex-pertise in paleogeographic reconstructions for con-tinental Eurasia based on the study of paleosols,with a special focus on humus substances (pedohu-mus method). The Commission on Palaeopedologyof IUSS and Dokuchaev Soil Science Society were ac-tive in the organization of the conference.The school was held around a small village Volodarka,250 km south of Novosibirsk and 100 km south ofBarnaul right on the bank of river Ob. This is a part ofextensive loess plateau famous for its loess-paleosolsequences with detail record of diverse lower, mid-dle and upper Pleistocene history. Due to combina-tion of tectonic activity and erosion cycles a set ofburied, surface and exhumed paleosols can be ob-served in river exposures up to 50 m high.Palaeopedology is experiencing such rapid develop-ment that latest approaches, methods and ideas areof state-of-the art, and are not presented in lecturecourses. The main incentive of the school was to giveyoung scholars knowledge on recent advances andfield techniques in paleosol studies.45 participants were senior undergraduate and post-graduate students from different parts of Russia(Novosibirsk, Ulan-Ude, Sverdlovsk, Moscow), Kaza-khstan and Ukraine. Training included both lecturesof distinguished experts in palaeopedology and fieldexcursions and master classes. Lectures were givenon general aspects of palaeopedology and Quater-

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nary stratigraphy (Alexander Makeev, Moscow), clas-sification of paleosols (Irina Fedeneva, Novosibirsk),records of the former environment in paleosols(Alexander Alexandrovski, Moscow), catenary se-quences of paleosols (Svetlana Sycheva, Moscow)and comparative studies of humus in surface andburied Chernozems (Igor Ivanov, Puschino). Few lec-tures were devoted to new techniques of paleosolstudies: microbiomorphic analysis (AlexandraGolieva, Moscow), pedohumus method (Maria Der-gacheva, Novosibirsk), paleomagnetic method (Zi-naida Gnibidenko, Novosibirsk), isotopic study of

organic substances (Wolfgang Zech, Germany).A special session was organized for student’s presen-tations. They all presented results of their studies ofburied and surface paleosols in different regions(Western Siberia, Tuva, Urals, Baikal area, RussianPlain, Central Mexico and others). Students wereawarded by books relevant for paleo.During the field part of the school students exam-ined loess-paleosol sequences of river Ob exposures.Master-classes, presented by lecturers (Alexan-drovski, Golieva, Dergacheva, Ivanov, Makeev) werefocused on the field study of buried and exhumed

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Fig. 1. Paleosols of three inter-glacial stages (according to ocean isotopic stages) in buried and exhumed bedding (in

the right corner) in exposure of river Ob: OIS 11 (lower horizon), OIS 9 (middle horizon), OIS 7 (upper horizon).

Fig. 2. School participants on the exposure in the ancient gulley with loess-paleosol sequence.

paleosols (morphology, field interpretation, sam-pling for different analyses, etc.). A separate masterclass was given on field research of paleosol se-quences of ancient erosion landforms (Sycheva).At the end of the summer school participants en-joyed a trip to Teletskoye Lake – one of the most fa-mous beauties of Altai Mountains.All participants (both students and lecturers) admitthat the first school on palaeopedology was success-ful. Next school is planned for the August, 2011. Students wishing to attend are advised to contactMaria Dergacheva (mid555@yandex.com).

Maria Dergacheva, Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry of theSiberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences,NovosibirskAlexander Makeev, Institute of ecological soil science, Moscow StateUniversity

XI Congress pf Croatian Society of Soil ScienceCroatia, National Park Plitvice Lakes, July 05.- 08. 2010

Following the tradition of the Croatian Society of SoilScience, after four years the XI. Congress was heldin National park Plitvice lakes, July 05.- 08. 2010.The Congress was organized in conjunction with theInternational Union of Soil Science and EuropeanConfederation of Soil Science Societies as a Croatian

congress with international participation, which wasevidenced by contributions of participants from 14European countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegov-ina, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithua-nia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,Slovenia and Croatia,The Congress was prepared and organized by teamsof organizers working in Congress committees ofmultidisciplinary structure, both with regard to pro-fessions and specialties and institutions and compa-nies from which they were elected. The Congresswas headed by Prof. Stjepan Husnjak, PhD, Congresspresident and president of the Croatian Society ofSoil Science, Prof. Nikola Pernar, PhD, chairman ofthe Scientific Committee, and Prof. Milan Poljak,PhD, chairman of the Organizing Committee. TheHonorary Congress Committee was made up of theleading Croatian and international soil scientists. After the four plenary lectures, given by the Presi-dent of Croatian Society of Soil Science Stjepan Hus-njak (Recommendations for soil management inCroatia), President of the European Confederationof Soil Science Societies Nicola Senesi (Interactionsof soil organic matter/humic substances with pesti-cide residues and metal ions in soil), Wilfried E.H.Blum (Food against biofuels: What are the futureperspectives?) and Karl-Heinz Feger (Functioning ofForest Soils in the Water Cycle), congress work pro-ceeded in the following sections: - Soil biology- Fertilization of soil- Land management- Laboratory methods

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- Soil tillage- Pedogenetic processes and soil properties- Soil and plant- Soil, water and climatic changes- Soil and water protectionThe program included 53 oral and 48 poster presen-tations. During the Congress one-day field excursionin Krbava field, with a several hours visit to the Na-tional park Plitvice lakes with professional guide, wasalso organized.

The gala dinner involved presentation of prizes forthe best posters, and awards of the Croatian Societyof Soil Science: “Prof. Mihovil Gracanin” to the bestresearch assistants, and deserving scientists for theircontribution to the development of soil science inCroatia. The Congress reflected the good traditions of theCroatian Society of Soil Science and point out impor-tance of organizing it.

Prof. Stjepan Husnjak, PhDPresident, Croatian Society of Soil ScienceSvetosimunska 2510 000 Zagreb, CroatiaE-mail: shusnjak@agr.hr; tloznanstvo@agr.hr

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Roadmap for Terrestrial Car-bon Science: Research Needsfor Carbon Management inAgriculture, Forestry andOther Land Uses. In April2010, the Terrestrial CarbonGroup released the Roadmapfor Terrestrial Carbon Sci-ence: Research Needs for Car-

bon Management in Agriculture, Forestry andOther Land Uses. This work represents a partner-ship among the Terrestrial Carbon Group, the UN-REDD agencies, the World Bank, and theConsultative Group on International AgriculturalResearch (CGIAR) institutions to identify scientificand technical advancements needed to accelerateavoided emissions and sequestration of terrestrialcarbon. The full report is available at: www.terres-trialcarbon.org

Synchrotron-based Tech-niques in Soils and Sedi-ments, Development in SoilScience 34, Edited By Bal-want Singh, Markus Grafe. El-sevier, Amsterdam. 2010ISBN-13: 978-0-444-53261-9.Over the past 20 years, syn-chrotron-based research ap-

plications have provided important insight into thegeochemical cycling of ions and the chemical andcrystallographic properties of minerals in soils andsediments. Of particular significance is the under-standing of local coordination environments withthe use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The highflux and brightness of the X-ray beams have allowedresearchers to work at environmentally relevant con-centrations. The use of focusing mirrors and aper-tures which allow for mapping and trace particlesurfaces, microbes, roots, channels and elements atthe micron and at a nano-meter scale in 2 and 3Dhave also been a great enhancement to science. Thisbook provides the most up-to-date information onsynchrotron-based research applications in the fieldof soil, sediment and earth sciences. Invited authorsprovide chapters on a wide range of research topicsincluding multiphase flow and transport processes(physical aspects), rhizosphere and microbial life (bi-

ological aspects), and dynamics of C, N, S, P andheavy metals and metalloids (chemical aspects). Inaddition, perspectives on the impact of synchrotronbased applications, particularly X-ray absorptionspectroscopy, and the role of synchrotron applica-tions in remediation, regulatory, and decision mak-ing processes are considered.

Keys to soil taxonomy, 11th

edition. By Soil Survey Staff.USDA-Natural ResourcesConservation Service, Wash-ington, DC. The 11th editionof Soil Taxonomy is nowavailable. For decades, NRCShas worked with soil scien-tists from around the worldto increase awareness and

expand knowledge concerning the importance ofsoil and its impact on all aspects of life. The “Keys”have been translated into Spanish. Soil scientists andother professionals from Latino America, the UnitedStates, and other countries will benefit from this ef-fort for years to come. While soils differ globally, theability to apply a system that is universally under-stood and accepted is a goal shared by many soil sci-entists. As the world struggles with global warmingand other environmental challenges, having a uni-versally accepted method that can be applied whenaddressing soil problems will contribute to success-ful outcomes. To download the 11th edition clickhere; the Spanish version (2006) of the 10th editionis available here.

The Architecture and Biologyof Soils: Life in Inner Space. Ed-ited by K Ritz, Cranfield Univer-sity, UK, I M Young, Universityof Abertay, Dundee, July 2010.Hardback, 400 Pages.9781845935320UK £95.00,€135.00. Soil is a fundamentaland critical, yet often over-

looked, component of terrestrial ecosystems. It is anextremely complex environment, supporting levelsof diversity far greater than any ecosystem aboveground. This book explores how soil structure devel-ops and the consequences this has for life under-

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New Publications

ground. The effects of spatial arrangement, of soil’sphysical and biological components on their interac-tion and function are used to demonstrate theirroles in ecosystem dynamics. Bringing together ex-isting knowledge in the areas of soil biology andphysics, this book explores the key characteristics ofsoil spatial architecture.

Soil Ecology and Manage-ment. By J K Whalen, McGillUniversity, Canada, L Sampe-dro, Centro de InvestigaciónForestal de Lourizán Ponteve-dra, Galicia, Spain December2009. Paperback, 304 Pages.9781845935634. £37.50€55.00. Soil Ecology and Man-

agement describes the organisms inhabiting the soil,their functions and interactions and the dimensionsof human impact on the activity of soil organismsand soil ecological function. Chapters discuss basicsoil characteristics and biogeochemical cycling, keysoil flora and fauna as well as community-level dy-namics (soil food webs). Unlike other soil biologyand ecology textbooks, this text also conveys a bet-ter understanding of how human activities impactupon soil ecology in a section on ecosystem manage-ment and its effects on soil biota. The authors pro-vide a unique perspective on the utility of soilorganisms by exploring the biodiversity of soil foodwebs, how they are impacted by human activitiesand intervention and their management.

Radionuclides in the Environ-ment. David Atwood (Editor).ISBN: 978-0-470-71434-8. Hard-cover, 522 pages. Wiley, May2010 £150.00 / €172.50. Theglobal growth of the nuclearpower industry will require acomplete under standing of theimpact of radionuclides in the

environment. A great deal is known about the sourcesof radionuclides and their occurrence in the environ-ment. However, the basic chemistry of these elementsis a continually growing area of research. There is nosingle resource for obtaining a holistic understandingof radionuclide environmental chemisty. The proposedbook will provide this resource with an element-spe-cific coverage of the occurrence, chemistry, and speci-ation of environmental radionuclides written byexperts in the area. The coverage for each element will

be presented in a standard format, which will make iteasier for the user to find all relevant information: 1.Occurrence. 2. Chemistry and Speciation with regardsto: a) soil (with adsorption or reactions on humic mat-ter and mineral phases); b) water (may include biolog-ical uptake where this information is known); c) air 3.Separation Techniques; 4. Analytical CharacterizationTechniques; 5. Remediation (potential techniques orexisting technologies).

Trace Elements in Soils. PeterHooda (Editor). ISBN: 978-1-4051-6037-7. Hardcover, 616pages. April 2010, Wiley-Black-well. £125.00, €143.80 Trace el-ements occur naturally in soilsand some are essential nutri-ents for plant growth as well ashuman and animal health. How-ever, at elevated levels, all trace

elements become potentially toxic. Anthropogenicinput of trace elements into the natural environmenttherefore poses a range of ecological and health prob-lems. As a result of their persistence and potential tox-icity, trace elements continue to receive widespreadscientific and legislative attention. Trace Elements inSoils reviews the latest research in the field, providinga comprehensive overview of the chemistry, analysis,fate and regulation of trace elements in soils, as well asremediation strategies for contaminated soil. The bookis divided into four sections: (i) Basic principles,processes, sampling and analytical aspects: presentsan overview including general soil chemistry, soil sam-pling, analysis, fractionation and speciation. (ii) Long-term issues, impacts and predictive modelling: reviewsmajor sources of metal inputs, the impact on soil ecol-ogy, trace element deficient soils and chemical speci-ation modelling. (iii) Bioavailability, risk assessmentand remediation: discusses bioavailability, regulatorylimits and cleanup technology for contaminated soilsincluding phytoremediation and trace element immo-bilization. (iv) Characteristics and behaviour of individ-ual elements.

Introduction to Process Geomor-phology. Vijay K. Sharma. CRC Press,2010. 435 pp. ISBN:9781439803370. Price: $119.95. In-troduction to Process Geomorphol-ogy provides an integrativeapproach to the process dynamicsand the origin of landforms by the

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contemporary processes involved in their evolution.The author highlights the physical and chemical lawsgoverning the activity of the earth-surface processesin specific environmental stress conditions and putsforward competing hypotheses on the evolution oflandforms, and discusses the bases of internal geo-logic processes for the explanation of the tectogenicfeatures of the earth. Landforms also evolve over along period of cyclic and geologic time, inheritingthe imprints of past process rates and/or process do-mains. The principles and methods of evaluating thesignature of environmental change are highlightedin the text by citing suitable studies. The process-form relationships provide the building blocks alsofor the optimum utilization of the land resources ofthe earth, and quantitative assessment of the stabil-ity of geomorphic systems and the quality of envi-ronment. The approach in this part of the textenables readers to gain an in-depth understandingof the application of the principles of geomorphol-ogy to the evaluation, planning and management ofthe earth’s resources for sustainable development.

Soil Physics with HYDRUS: Mod-eling and Applications. David E.Radcliffe and Jiri Simunek. CRCPress, 2010. 388 pp. ISBN:9781420073805 Price: $99.95.Numerical models have becomemuch more efficient, making theirapplication to problems increas-

ingly widespread. User-friendly interfaces make thesetup of a model much easier and more intuitivewhile increased computer speed can solve difficultproblems in a matter of minutes. Co-authored by thesoftware’s creator, Dr. Jirka Šimunek, Soil Physicswith HYDRUS: Modeling and Applications demon-strates one- and two-dimensional simulations andcomputer animations of numerical models using theHYDRUS software. Classroom-tested at the Univer-sity of Georgia by Dr. David Radcliffe, this volume in-cludes numerous examples and homeworkproblems. It provides students with access to the HY-DRUS-1D program as well as the Rosetta Module,which contains large volumes of information on thehydraulic properties of soils. The authors use HY-DRUS-1D for problems that demonstrate infiltration,evaporation, and percolation of water through soilsof different textures and layered soils. They also useit to show heat flow and solute transport in thesesystems, including the effect of physical and chemi-cal nonequilibrium conditions. The book includes ex-

amples of two-dimensional flow in fields, hillslopes,boreholes, and capillary fringes using HYDRUS(2D/3D). It demonstrates the use of two other soft-ware packages, RETC and STANMOD, that comple-ment the HYDRUS series.

Notes from the Ground: Sci-ence, Soil, and Society in theAmerican Countryside. Ben-jamin R. Cohen. Yale Univer-sity Press, 2009 - Technology& Engineering. 272 pages.Notes from the Ground ex-amines the cultural condi-tions that broughtagriculture and science to-gether in nineteenth-century

America. Integrating the history of science, environ-mental history, and science studies, the book showshow and why agrarian Americans—yeoman farmers,gentleman planters, politicians, and policy makersalike—accepted, resisted, and shaped scientific waysof knowing the land. By detailing the changing per-ceptions of soil treatment, Benjamin Cohen showsthat the credibility of new soil practices grew notfrom the arrival of professional chemists, but out ofan existing ideology of work, knowledge, and citizen-ship.

Soil Atlas of the NorthernCircumpolar Region. Cata-logue Number: LB-NA-23499-EN-C. ISBN:978-92-79-09770-6, ISSN:1018-5593. Euro 25. Theatlas describes the originand major characteristicsof the different soil typesthat can be found in thisenvironment. The atlas dis-

cusses the possible impacts of climate change onpermafrost-affected soils and explains the criticalrole that they play in the global climate and globalcarbon cycles. The distribution of soil types for theentire northern circumpolar region can be visu-alised in a comprehensible manner by the lay-per-son. Information on the major soil types ispresented in detail on twenty six map plates (theatlas has an A3 page size giving a dramatic A2spread for maps). In a novel exercise, the World Ref-erence Base for Soil Resources has been used as aframework for correlating knowledge from diverse

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national soil classification systems into a single, co-herent, inter-continental product. The atlas illus-trates the diversity of soil in the permafrost andseasonally frozen environments through a series ofmaps supported by explanatory and easily readabletexts, high quality photographs and descriptivegraphics. The atlas presents the reader with a seriesof maps that show the variation of soil propertiesin a circumpolar context and from a polar perspec-tive, allowing comparisons to be made across inter-national boundaries. In addition, larger scale mapsshow the distribution of major soil types by regionswith descriptions of the major issues. http://eu-soils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/library/maps/Circumpolar/Download.cfm

Land Degradation and De-sertification: Assessment,Mitigation and Remedia-tion. Pandi Zdruli, MarcelloPagliai, Selim Kapur, andAngel Faz Cano (Eds.).Springer, 2010. 490 pp.ISBN: 978-90-481-8656-3.Price: $179.00. This bookreports research results insustainable land manage-

ment and land degradation status and mitigation in36 countries around the world. It includes back-ground papers with continental and internationalperspectives dealing with land degradation and de-sertification studies. It assembles various topics ofinterest for a large audience. They include carbonsequestration and stocks, modern techniques totrace the trends of land degradation, traditionaland modern approaches of resource-base conser-vation, soil fertility management, reforestation,rangeland rehabilitation, land use planning, GIStechniques in desertification risk cartography, par-ticipatory ecosystem management, policy analysesand possible plans for action. Various climatic do-mains in Africa, Asia, Europe and The Americas arecovered. The book will be of interest to a variety ofenvironmental scientists, agronomists, national andinternational policy makers and a number of organ-izations dealing with sustainable management ofnatural resources. More onhttp://springer.com/978-90-481-8656-3

Nitrogen Assimilation inPlants. Takuji Ohyama andKuni Sueyoshi (Editors).ISBN: 978-81-308-0406-4.Hardcover, 378 pages. Re-search Signpost, July 2010US$ 165. In 20th century,the increase in crop produc-tion supported the worldpopulation mainly by the

use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. However, theproduction of nitrogen fertilizer requires a largeamount of fossil fuels, and the excess or inappropri-ate use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers caused envi-ronmental problems such as nitrate accumulation inground water, eutrophication of lakes, rivers, andoceans, as well as emissions of global warminggases. This book includes “Chapter 1: Nitrogen Nutri-tion in Plants and its Availability from Soil”, “Chapter2: Nitrogen Absorption in Plants”, “Chapter 3: NitrateReduction”, “Chapter 4: Nitrogen Fixation”, andChapter 5: Nitrogen Metabolism and Assimilation inPlants”. This book will provide many aspects of ni-trogen assimilation in plants, including biochemistry,metabolism, transport, and crop phsiology.

Proximal Soil Sensing.Progress in Soil Science, Vol.1. Edited by: Viscarra Rossel,Raphael A.; McBratney, AlexB.; Minasny, Budiman.Springer, 2010, 468 p. Hard-cover. ISBN: 978-90-481-8858-1. This book reports ondevelopments in ProximalSoil Sensing (PSS) and high

resolution digital soil mapping. PSS has become amultidisciplinary area of study that aims to developfield-based techniques for collecting informationon the soil from close by, or within, the soil.Amongst others, PSS involves the use of optical,geophysical, electrochemical, mathematical andstatistical methods. This volume, suitable for un-dergraduate course material and postgraduate re-search, brings together ideas and examples fromthose developing and using proximal sensors andhigh resolution digital soil maps for applicationssuch as precision agriculture, soil contamination,archaeology, peri-urban design and high land-valueapplications, where there is a particular need forhigh spatial resolution information. The book inparticular covers soil sensor sampling, proximal soil

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sensor development and use, sensor calibrations,prediction methods for large data sets, applicationsof proximal soil sensing, and high-resolution digitalsoil mapping.

Digital Soil Mapping - Bridg-ing Research, EnvironmentalApplication, and Operation.Progress in Soil Science, Vol.2. Edited by: Boettinger, J.L.;Howell, D.W.; Moore, A.C.;Hartemink, A.E.; Kienast-Brown, S. Springer, 2010, 473p. Hardcover. ISBN: 978-90-481-8862-8. Digital Soil Map-

ping is the creation and the population of ageographically referenced soil database. It is gener-ated at a given resolution by using field and labora-tory observation methods coupled withenvironmental data through quantitative relation-ships. Digital soil mapping is advancing on differentfronts at different rates all across the world. Thisbook presents the state-of-the art and exploresstrategies for bridging research, production, and en-vironmental application of digital soil mapping.It in-cludes examples from North America, SouthAmerica, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The chaptersaddress the following topics: - exploring new envi-ronmental covariates and sampling schemes - usingintegrated sensors to infer soil properties or status -innovative inference systems predicting soil classes,properties, and estimating their uncertainties - usingdigital soil mapping and techniques for soil assess-ment and environmental application - evaluatingand using legacy soil data - protocol and capacitybuilding for making digital soil mapping operationalaround the globe.

Amazon Forest and Sa-vanna Lands. -A guide tothe climates, vegetation,landscapes and soils ofcentral Tropical SouthAmerica. By Thomas T.Cochrane and Thomas A.Cochrane. ISBN1452866376. 190 pp. Thisbook provides an overview

of the land resources of the Amazon in terms of thecomplex of climates, landscapes, vegetation andsoils found throughout this vast, often misunder-stood region. Section 1 is an updated sequel to the

pioneering digital Land Systems study of the regioncarried by the senior author between 1976 and1980. The authors have re-digitized that study asa Personal Computer Version with Database avail-able free from their Web site. Section 2 summa-rizes 3 larger-scale Land Resource Studies of criticalareas of Amazonia, “The Geo-economic Region ofBrasilia”, “The Northern Amazon Region of Bolivia”,and “The Western Amazon State of Rondonia,Brazil”. Section 3 summarizes a series of findingsfrom the land resource studies in the Amazon, in-cluding discussions of climate, deforestation, the¨”Paradox of Savannas in Amazonia” and “Leachinglosses and the improvement of Amazon Forest andSavanna soils”. The main text is complementedwith an extensive Appendix which, amongst othersubjects summarizes the authors’ statistical proce-dure to enhance soil survey studies to help predictfertilizer needs, some novel analytical procedures,and other technologies.

Geostatistical Applicationsfor Precision Agriculture. ByOliver, M.A. (Ed.). Springer,2010, V, 295 p., Hardcover.ISBN: 978-90-481-9132-1.This book brings together inone place two dynamic sub-jects, precision agricultureand geostatistics, that havespatial variation at theircore. Geostatistics is applied

in precision agriculture (PA) to sampling, prediction,mapping, decision-making, economics, designed ex-periments, variable-rate applications and so on. Con-tributions from experts in both fields illustrate howgeostatistics can and has been used to advantagewith PA data such as yield, soil, crop, pests, aerialphotograph, remote and proximal imagery. Geosta-tistical techniques include variography, ordinary-,disjunctive-, factorial-, indicator-, regression-, sim-ple-, space-time- and co-kriging, and geostatisticalsimulation. The link between geostatistics and PAwill increase as more intensive information on thesoil and crops becomes available from sensors andon-the-go technology. This is not a recipe book, butis intended to guide readers in the use of appropri-ate techniques for the types of data and needs of thefarmer in managing the land.

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Out of the Scientist’s Gar-den. A Story of Water andFood. By Richard Stirzaker.CSIRO Land and Water, 2010.208 pages. Paperback - ISBN:9780643096585 - AU $29.95. Gives an in-depth un-derstanding on how plantsand soil work using stories

more than the language of science. It is not a ‘howto’ book, but a framework over which to lay yourown experience, to learn and reflect. Information forgardeners on the challenge of growing food andfeeding a family in the city. Covers plants, soil andrivers and the journey from hunter-gatherer to mod-ern agriculture. Reflects on the way scientists con-duct their craft. A book for anyone interested infood, how it is grown and how the world feeds itself.Out of the Scientist’s Garden is written for anyonewho wants to understand food and water a little bet-ter - for those growing vegetables in a garden, foodin a subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains.It is also for anyone who has never grown anythingbefore but has wondered how we will feed a grow-ing population in a world of shrinking resources. Al-though a practising scientist in the field of water andagriculture, the author has written, in story form ac-cessible to a wide audience, about the drama of howthe world feeds itself. The book starts in his own fruitand vegetable garden, exploring the ‘how and why’questions about the way things grow, before movingon to stories about soil, rivers, aquifers and irriga-tion. The book closes with a brief history of agricul-ture, how the world feeds itself today and how tothink through some of the big conundrums of mod-ern food production.

Soils of South Africa. By Martin Fey.Cambridge University Press, CapeTown, 2010. 287 pp. ISBN9781107000506. Soils of SouthAfrica is the first book in seventyyears that provides a comprehensiveaccount of South African soils. The

book arranges more than seventy soil forms intofourteen groups and then provides, for each group:maps showing their distribution and abundancethroughout South Africa; descriptions of morpholog-ical, chemical and physical properties; a detailed ac-count of classification and its correlation withinternational systems; a discussion of soil genesiswhich includes a review of relevant research papers;

appraisal of soil quality from a land use perspectiveas well as for its ecological significance; illustrativeexamples of soil profiles with analytical data and ac-companying interpretations. There is also a fascinat-ing account of the special relationship that existsbetween South African animals and soil environ-ments. Soils of South Africa should interest studentsand researchers in the earth, environmental and bi-ological sciences, as well as environmental practi-tioners, farmers, foresters and civil engineers.

European Atlas of Soil Bio-diversity. Catalogue Num-ber: LB-NA-24375-EN-C.ISBN: 978-92-79-15806-3,ISSN: 1018-5593. Price:

Euro 25.00 The European Atlas of Soil Biodiversityprovides a comprehensive source of information forresearchers, policy makers and teachers, and a con-tribution to the International Year of Biodiversity. Itselects and ranks potential threats to soil biodiver-sity, including land use change, habitat disruption,intensive human exploitation, invasive species, soilcompaction, erosion and pollution. The map pro-vides an evaluation of the potential risk of soil biodi-versity decline with respect to the current situation,showing that the risk of decline in soil biodiversitydue to human-induced pressures tends to be high-est in areas of high population density and/or in-tense agricultural activity. The 128-page atlas is theresult of collaboration between the European Com-mission, partners from academia and industry, theUN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Interpretation of Micro-morphological Features ofSoils and Regoliths. Editedby: Georges Stoops, VeraMarcelino, and FloriasMees. Academic Press,2010. 800 pp. ISBN:9780444531568. Covers themicroscopic study of undis-turbed soil and regolithsamples, making use espe-

cially of thin sections and petrographic techniques.Incorporates more than 2,600 different references.Features contributions from 46 experts in the field.Micromorphology is a discipline used in severalfields, such as pedology, quaternary geology, sedi-mentology, and archaeology. This book provides

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these researchers the state of the art in the field ofgenetic interpretation of micromorphological fea-tures, with coverage extending to processes of soilmaterial formation, weathering, regoliths, as well asthe results of human activities. The books is for:Postgraduate students and researchers in the fieldsof pedogenesis, soil classification, quaternary geol-ogy, sedimentology and archaeology.

World Soil Erosion and Con-servation. Series: CambridgeStudies in Applied Ecologyand Resource Management.Edited by David Pimentel.Cambridge University Press,2009 Paperback. ISBN-13:9780521104715. Land degra-dation from soil erosion hasbeen considered by many to

be a problem of significant proportion, affectingsome 30–50% of the earth’s land surface. At the timeof the first publication of this book in 1993, esti-mates indicated that 10–15 million hectares of landwere being lost each year through erosion and salin-isation from irrigation and that at such a rate of loss,topsoil reserves on most sloping lands would be de-pleted within two hundred years. Since humankind’sdependency on the land for food is almost total, soilerosion represents a real threat to the security ofour food supply. The need for the immediate conser-vation of the world’s soil resources is therefore clear.As part of the response to this need, the Interna-tional Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Com-mission on Ecology convened a special workinggroup to consider the problem of world soil erosionand to propose practical solutions for soil conserva-tion. This important book presents the outcome oftheir work.

Regolith Science. Edited byScott, Keith; Pain, Colin.Springer, jointly publishedwith CSIRO, Australia. 2009,462 pp. Hardcover. ISBN:978-1-4020-8859-9. Thiscomprehensive referenceon the fundamentals of re-golith science describeshow regolith is developed

from parental rocks and emphasises the importanceof chemical, physical, water and biological processesin regolith formation. It provides details for mapping

regolith landforms, as well as objective informationon applications in mineral exploration and naturalresource management. Regolith Science also pro-vides a concise history of weathering through time inAustralia. It includes previously unpublished infor-mation on elemental abundances in regolith materi-als along with detailed information on soildegradation processes such as in acid sulfate soils.Written by experts in the field, Regolith Sciencesummarises research carried out over a 13 year pe-riod within the Cooperative Research Council forLandscape Environments and Mineral Exploration.This book will be a valuable resource for scientistsand graduate/postgraduate students in geology, ge-ography and soil science, and for professionals in theexploration industry and natural resources manage-ment.

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IUSS Honorary members

Year Member Country Year Member Country

1924 L. Cayeux † France K. Glinka † USSR Jos. Kopecky † Czechoslovakia E. Ramann † Germany Sir John Russell † UK S. Winogradski † USSR

1927 P. Treitz † Hungary 1935 E.A. Mitscherlich † Germany

A. d’Sigmond † Hungary J. Stoklasa † Czechoslovakia G. Wiegner † Switzerland

1950 A. Demolon † France D.J. Hissink † Netherlands W.P. Kelley † USA

1954 S. Mattson † Sweden E. Truog † USA

1956 G. Bertrand † France E.C.J. Mohr † Netherlands

1960 F.A. Bear † USA 1964 J.A. Prescott † Australia 1968 F. Hardy † UK

W.L. Kubiena † Germany L.A. Richards † USA A.A. Rode † USSR

1974 R. Bradfield † USA G.V. Jacks † UK Ch.E. Kellogg † USA M.K. Kononova † USSR A. Oudin † France F. Scheffer † Germany

1978 G. Barbier † France V. Ignatieff † Canada Y. Ishizuka † Japan L. Krolikowski † Poland L. Vettori † Brazil

1982 Ph. Duchaufour † France W. Flaig † Germany V. Kovda † USSR E. Mueckenhausen † Germany E.W. Russell † UK

1986 H. Jenny † USA D. Kirkham † USA S.K. Mukherjee † India R. Tavernier † Belgium

1990 G. Aubert † France E.G. Hallsworth † Australia J.S. Kanwar India P. Schachtschabel † Germany R.W. Simonson † USA I. Szabolcs † Hungary

1998 G. H. Bolt Netherlands R. Dudal Belgium K.H. Hartge Germany M. Kutilek Czech Rep. J. Quirk Australia W.G. Sombroek † Netherlands K. Wada Japan D.H. Yaalon Israel S.V. Zonn † Russia

2002 R.W. Arnold USA G.V. Dobrovolsky Russia W. Gardner USA H.M. Hamdi † Egypt L.A.L. Sarmiento Colombia F. Mancini Italy B.S. Nosko Ukraine R. Rosell Argentina A. Ruellan France A. Tanaka Japan P.B.H Tinker UK

2006 W.E.H. Blum AustriaH-P. Blume GermanyJ. Bouma NetherlandsS-J. Cho South KoreaJ. Glinski PolandM.G.H. Jamagne FranceD.R. Nielsen USAJ.H.V. van Baren † NetherlandsL.P. Wilding USA

2010 C. Feller FranceK. Kumazawa JapanK. Kyuma JapanJ. Ryan SyriaB.A. Stewart USAV. Targulian RussiaG. Varallyay HungaryJ.S.P. Yadav † India

NOVEMBER 2010