1 Introduction

Introducing Discover Soil, a new journal from Springer Nature that hopes to place itself at the forefront of soil science innovation. Committed to advancing the field of soil science, Discover Soil sets itself apart with its innovative publication systems, designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts.

Our young and balanced Editorial Board, comprising diverse expertise across various soil sciences sub-disciplines, reflects our commitment to inclusivity and a multidimensional approach to soil research. Discover Soil aims to provide a platform that represents and amplifies the voices and perspectives of the entire soil science community. The increase in the use of digital tools is positively affecting soil science for soil spatial distribution at both plot and regional scales. Soil spatial knowledge needs to be fully understood; mapping exercises are needed to advance our knowledge and provide the stakeholders with new tools to boost soil conservation and productivity and allow policy development on a solid quantitative basis.

Soil, often referred to as the “skin of the Earth,” plays a crucial role in supporting life on Earth. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 fully focuses on “Life on Land” and soils playing a central role in maintaining ecosystem balance (e.g. Target 15.3). From pedogenesis to soil fertility aspects (e.g. organic carbon, nutrients and potentially toxic elements), the contributions of soil sciences are indispensable in addressing global issues such as food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, soil is an open system intercorrelated with plants, fungi, and animals. Therefore, soil–plant interactions need new data to understand the complex relationships between soil and plants, including nutrient uptake, root-soil interactions, and the impact of soil properties on plant growth. Publishing detailed soil profile descriptions and geographical considerations is crucial for understanding soil properties and their spatial distribution. These publications provide valuable information for various stakeholders, including farmers, land managers, environmental scientists, and policymakers. Key aspects to address include comprehensive soil profile descriptions, including horizon sequences, soil texture, structure, colour, pH, organic matter content, and other physical–chemical and biological soil properties. Additionally, classifying soils according to recognised soil classification systems and describing the geographic location and spatial distribution of the soil profiles is essential. Incorporating soil profile descriptions into soil mapping activities and spatial analysis to create soil maps and delineate soil boundaries is also needed methodologically and to raise awareness in the general public. Discussing the pedogenetic processes and environmental factors that have influenced the formation and development of the soil profiles, as well as providing information on the practical applications of soil profile descriptions, such as their relevance for land use planning, agricultural management, environmental conservation, and natural resource assessments, is crucial.

Finding an outlet for soil profile descriptions and geographical considerations in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and soil survey publications contributes to the advancement of soil science and supports evidence-based decision-making in various fields. It also facilitates the dissemination of valuable soil information to a broader audience, ultimately contributing to sustainable land management and environmental stewardship.

The overall trends in soil mapping and soil monitoring, reporting and verification of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks and soil diffuse pollution mapping, among other soil threats, are the most widespread topics of research in the 2020–2023 scientific peer review literature according to with a bibliometric search carried out in SCOPUS. The journal aims to provide insights into the latest methodologies and innovations in soil sciences to support sustainable farming systems and foster climate-neutral and more sustainable agricultural management practices on a global scale.

Discover Soil aims to be a resource for researchers, policy stakeholders, and the general public regarding recent advances in soil science and its uses in research development and society. As a fully open-access journal, we ensure that our research is highly discoverable and instantly available globally to everyone. The journal particularly welcomes work that aims to address the SDGs, Life on Land (15); Climate Action (13); Zero Hunger (2); and Sustainable Cities and Communities (11).

At Discover Soil, we invite submissions that span all soil science disciplines, encompassing fundamental sciences, survey and laboratory activities, and the environmental and social impacts of different soil systems and their management. By fostering a dialogue that spans disciplines and stakeholders, we aim to advance our collective understanding of soil science and its role in shaping a sustainable future for the environment and beyond.

2 Topics

Below, we list topics of interest grouped by section area that emphasises cross-cutting topics.


Soil survey


Soil genesis


  • Soil genesis and classification

  • Paleosols

  • Soil morphology and micromorphology


Soil chemistry and physics


  • Soil laboratory analysis and international standards

  • Soil composition and mineralogy

  • Soil structure and aggregation

  • Soil organic matter and carbon cycling


Soil microbe, biology and ecosystem


  • Soil microbial communities and diversity

  • Soil enzymes and microbial processes

  • Soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning


Soil fertility and nutrient management


  • Soil fertility use efficiency and management

  • Nutrient cycling and balances


Soil degradation and environmental management


  • Soil erosion

  • Soil pollution

  • Soil remediation technologies and applications

  • Land use and land use changes assessment

  • Soil management practices


Soil health and sustainable agriculture


  • Soil health assessment and indicators

  • Soil conservation


Soil–plant interactions


  • Rhizosphere interactions and nutrient cycling (e.g. salinity effects, enzymatic activity)

  • Mycorrhizal associations and plant nutrition

  • Root architecture and soil exploration


Soil and water interactions


  • Soil hydrology

  • Soil water retention and availability

Soil and climate change


  • Soil carbon sequestration

  • Greenhouse gas emissions

  • Soil respiration

3 EBM and section editors

Discover Soil is in the process of recruiting Editorial Board Members. At the moment, it is composed of several early career researchers and a number of senior experts from various relevant soil sub-disciplines and sub-domains, to guide the development of the journal, including suggestions for Topical Collections, review articles, invited articles, and editorials.

Section Editor and Editorial Board Members are tasked with executing the journal’s vision and transforming its goals into thoughtful, relevant, and impactful peer-reviewed published works. They also work with subject expert reviewers, ensure a transparent peer-review system, and provide guidance and feedback to manuscripts submitted for review that meet specific requirements of length and novelty in data production, modeling, and analyses. Authors need to provide their institutional affiliation and official email addresses.

The colleagues listed on the website below are part of this editorial effort: https://link.springer.com/journal/44378/editors

4 Invitation to contribute

Discover Soil welcomes submissions of original research, brief communications, comprehensive reviews, perspectives, case studies, and data papers, which cover any aspect of soil science. You will find further details about these article types, including length and format, in the submission guidelines on the journal website. Additionally, the journal will feature Topical Collections on emerging and pertinent soil science issues.