Oral Session

S01 Soil Physics

Soil science is at a crossroads. While the relevance of our science is widely recognized, the status of our discipline is eroding. This is shown in absorption of soil science departments into faculties of environmental science and, more troubling, in the co-opting of soil science research by other disciplines. While the scientific community is increasingly emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary work, soil science, which is by its nature interdisciplinary, is waning in importance. The objective of this session is to bring together scientists, leaders in funding agencies, and leadership within soil science to map out specific actions to promote and enhance soil science.