The Soil Nexus

Hamid Reza Pourghasemi is a professor of watershed management engineering in the College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, in Iran. His main research interests are GIS-based spatial modelling using machine learning/data mining techniques in different fields such as landslides, floods, gully erosion, forest fires, land subsidence, species distribution modelling, and groundwater/hydrology. Professor Pourghasemi also works on multi-criteria decision-making methods in natural resources and environmental science. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers in high-quality journals and seven edited books for Springer and Elsevier and is an active reviewer for over 90 international journals. He was selected as one of the five young scientists under 40 by The World Academy of Science (TWAS 2019) and was a highly cited researcher in 2019 and 2020 Sedigheh Maleki is an assistant professor of Soil Sciences at Shiraz University with over 12 years of experience in soil classification, mapping research, and pedological studies across arid, semi-arid, and subhumid environments. Her research focuses on understanding soil ecosystems, mapping soil resources, and promoting sustainable land-use practices through scientific inquiry. Since 2013, she has served as a guest lecturer for courses such as General Soil Science, Spatial Analysis, and GIS, emphasizing the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical fieldwork to prepare students for challenges in agriculture and environmental conservation. Over the past five years, she has published more than 10 papers in international journals, contributing significantly to the field. In April 2022, she began collaborating with governmental and international organizations on soil mapping and land rehabilitation initiatives, leading fieldwork teams in various environments to analyze soil profiles and spatial variability. Her work not only enhances academic understanding but also supports practical applications in land management and conservation.

• Part I: Defining Soil and Its Role in Ecosystems: Introduction to Soil Science and Its Contemporary Relevance 1. Soil’s Contribution to Biogeochemical Cycles (Water, Carbon, Nitrogen) 2. Microbial Drivers of Nutrient Cycling (N, P, C) and Soil Formation 3. Soil-Plant Interactions: Water Retention and Root Development 4. Soil and Sustainability: Balancing Agriculture, Ecology, and Climate 5. Urban Soil Science (Soil in Urban Green Space Design) 6. Biofertilizers and Organic Amendments 7. Past, Present, and Future Soil Changes with Emphasizing Studies of Soils for Long-Time Soil Management Part II: Digital Soil Mapping 8. Fundamentals and Definitions of Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) and Predictive Modeling of Soil Functions for Sustainability 9. Emerging Technologies for Soil Data Collection (Remote Sensing, IoT, UAV) 10. Applications of Digital Maps and Tools in Precision Agriculture, Soil Monitoring and Resource Management 11. Successful Global and Regional Projects of Digital Soil Mapping 12. Sensibility of the Data Quality in DSM 13. Application of High and Very-High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Satellite Multispectral and Stereo Imagery in DSM (e.g., Worldview, GeoEye, Dove, etc.) 14. 3D Mapping and Soil Depth Modeling 15. Applications of Artificial Intelligence Including Machine Learning and Deep Learning Algorithms in DSM with Integrating Microbial Data 16. Effect of Selected Methodology on Accuracy and Uncertainty of Soil Maps Part III: Economic Valuation of Soil and Policy Frameworks for Soil Management and Sustainable Development 17. Economic Valuation of Soil: Framework, Theory and Methods 18. Soil as Natural Capital: Valuation Methods (Ecosystem Services, Ecological Economics) 19. Costs of Soil Degradation and Economic Loss Calculations with Implementation Challenges in Soil Conservation Laws 20. Integrating Soil Value into National and International Policies (e.g., FAO, UNCCD Initiatives) 21. The Role of NGOs and Civil Society in Soil Protection 22. Challenges in Soil Valuation, Soil Governance and Soil Management 23. Smart Platforms for Trading Land Based on Soil Health Indicators 24. Circular Economy and Sustainable Agricultural Waste Management Part IV: Soil and Emerging Technologies 25. Innovations in Soil Monitoring and Management (AI, Big Data, Nanotechnology), Advantages and Limitations 26. Technologies for Soil Pollution Reduction and Restoration 27. Genomics and Metagenomics in Soil Health Assessment 28. Identification of Impacts of Geomorphological Processes and Soil Hazards (e.g., UAV Photogrammetry, TLS, ALS, etc.) 29. Introduction of Open-Source Software Tools in Soil Sciences 30. Google Earth Engine and Soil Sciences Part V: Soil and Food Security 31. Linking Healthy Soils to Global Food Production and Nutrition 32. Impacts of Chemical Soil Degradation: Pesticides, Heavy Metals on Food Insecurity and Soil Health 33. Sustainable Strategies for Enhancing Soil Health and Soil Productivity 34. Saline Soils and the Challenges of Food Production 35. Soil and Food Justice Part VI: The Future of Soil Science: Prospects and Challenges 36. Soil and Biodiversity: A Complex Underground Network 37. Climate Change Impacts on Soil Futures