Aims and scope

Discover Soil is a fully open access, peer-reviewed journal that supports multidisciplinary research and policy developments across all fields relevant to soil science. The journal aims to be a resource for researchers, policy makers and the general public for 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 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Life on Land; Climate Action; Zero Hunger; and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Topics 

Topics welcomed at Discover Soil include but are not limited to the following:

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

Content types

Discover Soil welcomes a variety of article types – please see our submission guidelines for details. The journal also publishes guest-edited Topical Collections of relevance to all aspects of soil science. For more information, please follow up with our journal publishing contact.