World Soil Day 2024 in China
The theme for World Soil Day 2024 (WSD 2024) is “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage,” which underscores the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soil characteristics and supporting informed decision making on sustainable soil management for food security. (©FAO)
To celebrate WSD 2024, the Soil Science Society of China (SSSC) and related units held various events to improve public awareness of soil protection. Their contributions are described below.
Science Lecture at Guangdong Museum of Soil Science
Group photo (©Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences)
On December 5, 2024, the Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, hosted a scientific lecture at the Guangdong Museum of Soil Science. Prof. Nengchang Chen, Director of the SSSC Working Committee on Soil Science Popularization, presented a talk that elucidated the concept of soil, discussed the factors and processes involved in soil formation, as well as its biodiversity and functions.
After the lecture, attendees had the opportunity to explore the museum, where they learned about the nearly century-long evolution of soil science and the challenges faced by soil scientists. The museum features hundreds of valuable soil specimens of various types, which enhanced the visitors’ understanding of soil characteristics and health.
Fun Activities Organized by the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Photo of students participating in activities (©ISSCAS)
On December 5, the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSCAS) hosted two interesting activities. The first, titled “As you sow, so shall you reap,” invited participants to sort table tennis balls based on the connections between soil and crops. The second activity, known as the “Soil Poetry Chain,” encouraged collaboration through a series of poems, proverbs and sayings that highlighted themes such as “soil”, “field”, “land”, and “grain”. These creative and enjoyable activities successfully blended scientific exploration with cultural expression, enhancing the interest and enthusiasm of both faculty and students in soil conservation, while enriching the dialogue surrounding soil science knowledge.
The Publication of ‘Living Soil’ a book to Enhance Public Awareness
On December 5, the Phoenix Science Press released an article to introduce the science book, ‘Living Soil’ on social media. The book is co-authored by Prof. Yongguan Zhu, SSSC Vice President and Director General of the Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, CAS, Dr. Zheng Chen from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Prof. Nengchang Chen, Director of the SSSC Working Committee on Soil Science Popularization and Dr. Shunhua Yang from ISSCAS. The book, presented from a scientific viewpoint and characterized by a clear and straightforward writing style, aims to educate the public in the fundamental nature and functions of soil, the issues surrounding soil pollution, and the associated concerns regarding food safety. The authors aspire to enhance public understanding and concern for soil health, and to encourage collective action to safeguard the future of our planet.
A Virtual Special Issue Published by PEDOSPHERE
On December 5, 2024, the peer-reviewed international journal PEDOSPHERE published a virtual special issue to celebrate the WSD 2024. The articles are as follow:
(1) Spatial-temporal simulation and prediction of root zone soil moisture based on Hydrus-1D and CNN-LSTM-Attention in the Yutian Oasis, Southern Xinjiang, China
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016024000997
(2) Efficiency-enhancing methods for predicting nitrogen mineralization characteristics in paddy soils using soil properties and rapid soil extraction
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016024000924
(3) Agricultural and environmental significance of soil organic matter and plant biomass: Insight from ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016024000882
(4) Accessing global soil raster images and equal-area splines to estimate soil organic carbon stocks on the regional scale
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016024000699
(5) Comparing DSMART and Pure Polygon Disaggregation approach in disaggregating soil series maps
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016023001248
(6) Numerical modeling of double-ring infiltrometers for determining saturated hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous and anisotropic soils
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016023000905
(7) Global and regional soil organic carbon estimates: Magnitudes and uncertainties
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S100201602300067X
(8) Assessment of SoilGrids data for soil erosion estimation at watershed scale: A case study in northern Thailand
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016023000413
(9) Assessment of soil total phosphorus storage in a complex topography along China's southeast coast based on multiple mapping scales
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S100201602300111X
(10) Soil property mapping by combining spatial distance information into the Soil Land Inference Model (SoLIM)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016020600169
(11) A review of cadmium sorption mechanisms on soil mineral surfaces revealed from synchrotron-based X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy: Implications for soil remediation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016020600170
(12) Using diffusive gradients in thin films technique for in-situ measurement of labile phosphorus around Oryza sativa L. roots in flooded paddy soils
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016020600091
(13) Spatial interpolation of orchard soil pH using soil type and planting duration as auxiliary information
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016018600451
(14) Information extraction and dynamic evaluation of soil salinization with a remote sensing method in a typical county on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016017604788
(15) Limited Spatial Transferability of the Relationships Between Kriging Variance and Soil Sampling Spacing in Some Grasslands of Ireland: Implications for Sampling Design
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016019608015
(16) Evaluation of Different Predictor Models for Detailed Soil Particle-Size Distribution
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016017604223
(17) A Novel Evolutionary Genetic Optimization-Based Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System and Geographical Information Systems Predict and Map Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Across an Afromontane Landscape
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016017604612
(18) Estimating Soil Salinity in the Yellow River Delta, Eastern China-An Integrated Approach Using Spectral and Terrain Indices with the Generalized Additive Model
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002016015600716
