Soil records provide information about 5 millennia of heath management in cultural landscapes on sandy soils. Deforestations and the introduction of the deep, stable economy in the 18th century resulted in sand drifting and heath degradation. After the introduction of chemical fertilizers more than 90 % of the heaths were transformed into productive arable field or forests. Currently the last heaths are preserved as part of the cultural heritage.

Uncertainties concerning stabilization of organic compounds in soil limit our basic understanding on soil organic matter (SOM) formation and our ability to model and manage effects of global change on SOM stocks. One controversially debated aspect is the contribution of aromatic litter components, such as lignin and tannins, to stable SOM forms. Here, we summarize and discuss the inconsistencies and propose research options to clear them.

In tropical monsoonal Africa, sediment concentration data in rivers are lacking. Using occasional historically observed sediment loads, we developed a simple method for prediction sediment concentrations. Unlike previous methods, our techniques take into account that sediment concentrations decrease with the progression of the monsoon rains. With more testing, the developed method could improve sediment predictions in monsoonal climates.

Using laboratory heating, we studied effects of fire intensity on important topsoil characteristics. This study identifies critical temperature thresholds for significant physical and chemical changes in soils that developed under different climate regimes. Findings from this study will contribute towards estimating the amount and rate of change in essential soil properties that can be expected from topsoil exposure to different intensity fires under anticipated climate change scenarios.

Our study examines pre-Columbian agricultural raised fields in the Bolivian Amazon. It provides a new interpretation for pre-Columbian management of raised fields. The results show that differences in field size and height are the result of an adaptation to a site where soil properties vary significantly on a scale of tens to hundreds of meters. The analysis and dating of the raised fields sediments point towards an extensive and rather brief use of the raised fields, for about 100–200 years.

For calculating the effects of hydrological measures on agricultural production in the Netherlands a new comprehensive and climate proof method is being developed: WaterVision Agriculture (in Dutch: Waterwijzer Landbouw). End users have asked for a method that considers current and future climate, which can quantify the differences between years and also the effects of extreme weather events.

This is the first study quantifying total soil CO₂ efflux, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration in an old-growth kauri forest. Root biomass explained a high proportion of the spatial variation suggesting that soil CO₂ efflux in this forest is not only directly affected by the amount of autotrophic respiration but also by the supply of C through roots and mycorrhiza. Our findings also suggest that biotic factors such as tree structure should be investigated in soil carbon related studies.

Determining the behaviour of stony soils with respect to infiltration and storage of water is of major importance, since stony soils are widespread across the globe. The most common procedure to overcome this difficulty is to describe the hydraulic characteristics of a stony soils in terms of the fine fraction of soil corrected for the volume of stones present. Our study suggests that considering this hypothesis might be ill-founded, especially for saturated soils.

In soil the constant transport of nitrogen (N) containing compounds from soil organic matter and debris out into the soil water, is controlled by soil microbes and enzymes that literally cut down polymers (such as proteins) into single amino acids (AA), hereafter microbes consume AAs and excrete ammonium back to the soil. We developed a method for analysing N turnover and flow of organic N, based on parallel ¹⁵N tracing experiments. The numerical model gives robust and simultaneous quantification.

Gully erosion rehabilitation programs in the humid Ethiopian highlands have not been effective, because the gully formation process and its controlling factors are not well understood. In this manuscript, the severity of gully erosion (onsite and offsite effect), the most controlling factors (e.g., ground water elevation) for gully formation, and their arresting mechanisms are discussed in detail. Most data were collected from the detailed measurements of 13 representative gullies.

Soil microbial communities play a key role in the cycling of carbon (C) in Arctic tundra ecosystems through decomposition of organic matter (OM). Climate change predictions include increased temperature and snow accumulation, resulting in altered plant communities and soil conditions. To determine how soil bacteria may respond, we sequenced soil DNA from a long-term snow depth treatment gradient in Alaska. Results indicate that bacteria produce less OM-degrading enzymes under deeper snowpack.

We applied Py-FIMS, CO₂ measurements and hot-water extraction on farmland to investigate short-term effects of tillage on soil organic matter (SOM) turnover. SOM composition changed on the temporal scale of days and the changes varied significantly under different types of amendment. Particularly obvious were the turnover of lignin-derived substances and depletion of carbohydrates due to soil respiration. The long-term impact of biogas digestates on SOM stocks should be examined more closely.

The aim of this paper was to determine the impact of citrate and malonate on microbial activity and community structure in uncontaminated and diesel-contaminated soil. The results suggest that these carboxylates can stimulate microbial activity and alter microbial community structure but appear to have a minimal effect on enhancing degradation of diesel. However, our results suggest that carboxylates may have an important role in shaping microbial communities even in contaminated soils.