The input of fresh carbon can either enhance or suppress the mineralization rate of native soil organic carbon (SOC), a ...

For decades, soil management has relied on sparse field sampling and averaged recommendations. While effective in relatively uniform landscapes, this approach breaks down in real-world fields where ...

More art than science, earthwork engineering relied heavily on local custom in 1904 when Karl Terzaghi earned an engineering degree in Austria. After supervising a dam project in Croatia and studying ...

A worm burrows its way through the dark earth, ingesting particles of soil and expelling nutrient-rich casts in a constant forage for food. Charles Darwin described earthworms as one of the most ...

Human beings, like microorganisms, plants and animals, need sufficient food to survive. But beyond the provision of basic energy and nutrients, food must also be safe in order to prevent disease and ...

Wildfires may disappear from the landscape within weeks, but their hidden effects on the soil can persist for decades. An ...

Soil fauna includes a myriad of organisms, ranging from tiny microfauna invertebrates (with body sizes <100 μm) to meso (>100 μm to 2 mm) and macrofauna (>2 mm). Among soil mesofauna, some of the ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are revolutionizing the way we understand and predict soil processes. Yet, while data-driven models ...

A lush Hawaiian landscape in acidic volcanic soil is proof enough that plants can thrive in all sorts of soil. While too much acidity can be deadly for plants, many prefer moderately acidic soil with ...

The unique blend of fungi and bacteria in a region's soil may be the strongest factor explaining its rates of childhood ...