Pavement joints, defined as the joint between paving stones and filled with different materials, in the inner-city area of Marburg (Hesse, Germany) show a moderate to high pollution with different heavy metals. Enrichment of heavy metals in pavement joints is related to surface runoff accumulation. As the pollution of pavement joints poses direct risks to the environment and humans in inner urban areas, the inconspicuous joints should be considered in urban water management strategies.

Humanity depends on the existence of healthy soils, both for the production of food and for ensuring a healthy, biodiverse environment. In the face of global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, a sustainable soil management strategy is essential to ensure food security based on more diverse, locally oriented, and resilient food production systems through improving access to land, sound land use planning, sustainable soil management, enhanced research, and investment in education and extension.

Agricultural long-term field experiments (LTFE) are an important basis for soil and agricultural sciences. A compilation of metadata and research data from LTFE in Germany shall enhance networking and simplify the access to this most valuable research infrastructure. The common analyses of similar LTFE on different sites can broaden the results. Therefore, LTFE were classified and their distribution in Germany was compared to two complex site classifications.

In this study geophysical observations from Ground Penetrating Radar with soil physical and geochemical properties from pedons excavated in four study areas of the climate and ecological gradient in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera are combined. Findings suggest that profiles with Ground Penetrating Radar along hillslopes can be used to infer lateral thickness variations in soil horizons, and to some degree physical and chemical variations with depth.

Global significance of metals (extractable Fe and Al phases) to control organic matter (OM) in recognized. Next key questions include the identification of their localization and mechanisms behind OM-metal relationships. Across 23 soils of contrasting mineralogy, Fe and Al phases were mainly associated with microbially-processed OM as meso-density microaggregates. OM- and metal-rich nanocomposites having narrow OM : metal ratio likely acted as binding agents. A new conceptual model was proposed.

Soil is a renewable resource for purposes ranging from agriculture to mineralization. Soil microbiome plays vital roles in facilitating process like providing nutrients to plants, or their mobilization for plant uptake, consequently improving plant growth and productivity. Therefore, understanding of these microbial communities and their role in soil is crucial for exploring the possibility of using microbial community inoculants for improving desert soil fertility and agricultural potential.