Coal is widely used for household heating in the cold residential areas of Zavkhan Province, Mongolia, shaping daily life and the local environment. This study was carried out to understand how long-term coal use affects soil quality by analyzing surface soils from residential areas. The results show that substances linked to coal ash accumulate in soils and may increase health risks through breathing dust and accidental soil intake, highlighting the need for cleaner heating options.

In the study, we reprocessed mapping results using a catchment-based method to reveal how properties change vertically with depth and horizontally across the landscape. Vertically, variations arise from factors like parent material, topography and tree uprooting. Horizontally, soils reflect erosion by wind and water. We identified sensitive areas. By combining two approach, we can better visualize soil variability, supporting better land management decisions in environmentally sensitive zones.

Soils store and conduct water, which is important for plants, farming, and the environment. Measuring how water flows through soil is difficult, especially in the moisture range where soil structure strongly influences flow. To address this gap, we developed a laboratory method that combines several measurements on the same soil sample. Tests on repacked sand and undisturbed soils show that the method captures how soil structure affects water flow and can improve future soil modelling studies.

A single patch of forest soil teems with hundreds of tiny animals—a puzzle long intrigued scientists. This paper presents an integrative framework connecting soil biodiversity across environmental gradients, morphological traits, food resources and phylogenetic relationships. It uncovers ecological processes and evolutionary history shaping soil biodiversity, predicts the climate change impacts, and informs preservation of species, functions and evolutionary heritage essential for healthy soils.

This study evaluates the use of compost made from rice straw and sewage sludge in Mediterranean citrus orchards. The results show that this recycled material improves soil fertility, increases nutrient availability, and enhances soil biological activity. Although short-term effects on yield and fruit quality were limited, this approach offers a sustainable solution for managing agricultural waste and improving soil health.

Climate change is putting pressure on the water management of vineyards. We tested in a temperate vineyard in Germany, whether moss could serve as a ground cover underneath the vines, as an alternative to bare soil or grass. Over 22 months, we measured how quickly and how much the soil became wet after rainfall. Moss kept soil moisture similar to bare soil, without the slower water entry seen under grass. This suggests moss could offer a low-maintenance option for future vineyard management.

To improve understanding of how coffee farming affects soil carbon storage, we reviewed 80 studies and found large differences in methods and reporting. Based on this evidence, we propose clear guidance for future research, including better study design, deeper soil sampling, careful measurement of soil density, and transparent reporting. Stronger and more consistent methods are needed so that research can produce reliable evidence to guide climate policy and sustainable coffee management.

Soil health tests often use sensitive indicators, but their reliability after long-term storage is unclear. Using air-dried archived soils from a cover crop experiment, we found that three years of storage nearly doubled water-extractable organic carbon. Similar water-extractable organic carbon patterns across different long-term agricultural experiment sites show that storage can distort results, so archived samples should be interpreted with caution.

Improving soil hydraulic properties by incorporating and mulching crop residues is a widely used management strategy. In this study, we show that the benefits in water retention were stronger with higher residue amounts but faded as the residues decomposed, especially for the fast‑decaying shoots. Taking into account the temporal dynamics of biodegradation and crop residue quality is particularly important for water simulations in soil-crop-atmosphere models.

Legumes constitute up to 50 % of all crops in organic rotations surrendering these susceptible towards a range of soil-borne pests and diseases. We investigated how plant-parasitic and other free-living trophic nematode guilds are affected by four diverse organic farming types. The Mixed Farm type (50 % legumes in the rotation) harbored the highest numbers of nematodes of all farm types. Pratylenchus was the most abundant genus and built-up large populations during the clover grass ley period.

Soil health is often assessed using laboratory tests that are slow and require specialized equipment. In a long-term grassland experiment, we evaluated whether rapid tools to measure soil structure, biological activity and microbial biomass provide comparable information to standard laboratory analyses. Some tools closely matched laboratory results, while others likely reflected different aspects of soil functioning. Overall, rapid methods captured similar ecological patterns.

We developed an ensemble approach that combines three agroecosystem models to predict crop yields and changes in soil carbon across the United States. The ensemble results were more accurate and consistent compared to individual model. Ensemble result matched closely the observed yield data and soil carbon measurements while reducing the uncertainty from the individual models. This work improves our ability to track carbon change and supports carbon farming, climate action, and land management.

Salt-affected coastal lands play a key but poorly understood role in the global climate system. Through controlled laboratory experiments with soils from China's Yellow River Delta, we discovered that both gases respond strongly to changes in moisture and salinity. The emissions peak at a specific moisture level, while higher salt content generally suppresses them. These findings are crucial for creating more accurate climate models and for managing these vulnerable coastal areas effectively.

Reliable estimates of soil carbon storage are essential for climate change mitigation and carbon credit schemes. This study compared long-term field measurements with carbon model based simulations in an olive grove amended with organic materials. Both approaches identified biochar as the most effective treatment, but differences between measured and simulated values remained. Integrating measurements and modelling can improve confidence in agricultural carbon accounting.

We examined how long-term fertilizer treatments shape the microbial community around sugarcane roots. Using gene sequencing, we found that although the types of microbes stayed similar, their interactions changed with each nutrient regime. These shifts suggest that fertilizer composition influences soil functioning. The results help guide more sustainable management of soils used for sugarcane.

We tested how soil carbon models predict carbon storage and respiration using soil incubation data. We compared 2-pool models based on particulate and mineral-associated carbon with 3-pool models that also include faster-cycling carbon. 3-pool models performed better because they captured carbon dynamics operating at different timescales. We then simulated alternative model structures and found that transfer rates into the most persistent pool were the main control on overall carbon persistence.

Coastal soils often suffer from salt stress and low fertility, limiting plant growth. We studied beneficial soil bacteria living around the roots of a native coastal plant in Morocco to see how they help plants grow. Several bacteria improved plant height and biomass by making nutrients more available and protecting roots. These findings show that natural soil microbes can support sustainable agriculture and help restore degraded coastal lands.

This study examined how different composts affect carbon dioxide emissions from tropical soil. We found that soil phosphorus and pH are key drivers and chicken dung compost resulting in the highest CO₂ release. The work shows that compost is not carbon neutral; its environmental impact depends on how it changes the soil. This research helps farmers select composts that enhance soil health while curbing emissions, advancing climate-friendly tropical agriculture.