The observation and assessment of animal biodiversity using acoustic technology has developed considerably in recent years. Current…
Earth & Environment
Soil Sciences
Soil Science encompasses one of the broadest fields of research, ranging from microbial biology and geochemistry to environmental management and conservation. Under this umbrella, scientists study soil properties and processes to create a better understanding of this field and inform policy and governance decisions for sustainable development.
PLOS ONE presents a curated collection of innovative research in the field of Soil Science. This interdisciplinary collection showcases the vast range of research in the field, with topics ranging from ecology and sustainable development to biogeochemistry and microbial diversity.
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PLOS ONE
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PLOS ONE Temporal and spatial dynamics in soil acoustics and their relation to soil animal diversity
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PLOS ONE Compositional stability of peat in ecosystem-scale warming mesocosms
Peatlands historically have acted as a C sink because C-fixation rates exceeded the rate of heterotrophic decomposition. Under future…
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PLOS ONE Quantifying the inhibitory impact of soluble phenolics on anaerobic carbon mineralization in a thawing permafrost peatland
The mechanisms controlling the extraordinarily slow carbon (C) mineralization rates characteristic of Sphagnum-rich peatlands (“bogs”) are…
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PLOS ONE Deciphering the microbial and molecular responses of geographically diverse Setaria accessions grown in a nutrient-poor soil
The microbial and molecular characterization of the ectorhizosphere is an important step towards developing a more complete understanding…
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PLOS ONE The legume-rhizobia symbiosis can be supported on Mars soil simulants
Legumes (soybeans, peas, lentils, etc.) play important roles in agriculture on Earth because of their food value and their ability to form…
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PLOS ONE Identification and predictability of soil quality indicators from conventional soil and vegetation classifications
The physical, chemical and biological attributes of a soil combined with abiotic factors (e.g. climate and topography) drive pedogenesis…
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PLOS ONE Bacterial diversity dynamics in microbial consortia selected for lignin utilization
Lignin is nature’s largest source of phenolic compounds. Its recalcitrance to enzymatic conversion is still a limiting step to increase…
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PLOS ONE Soil enzyme responses to land use change in the tropical rainforest of the Colombian Amazon region
Soil enzymes mediate key processes and functions of the soils, such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in both natural…
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PLOS ONE Determining soil particle-size distribution from infrared spectra using machine learning predictions: Methodology and modeling
Accuracy of infrared (IR) models to measure soil particle-size distribution (PSD) depends on soil preparation, methodology (sedimentation,…
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PLOS ONE Application of a catalytic oxidation method for the simultaneous determination of total organic carbon and total nitrogen in marine sediments and soils
This study presents the application of a simultaneous method for the determination of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN)…
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PLOS ONE Revisiting soil bacterial counting methods: Optimal soil storage and pretreatment methods and comparison of culture-dependent and -independent methods
Although a number of different methods have been used to quantify soil bacteria, identifying the optimal method(s) for soil bacterial…
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PLOS ONE Combining organic and mineral fertilizers as a climate-smart integrated soil fertility management practice in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis
Low productivity and climate change require climate-smart agriculture (CSA) for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), through (i) sustainably…
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PLOS ONE Alpha-, beta-, and gamma-diversity of bacteria varies across habitats
Bacteria are essential parts of ecosystems and are the most diverse organisms on the planet. Yet, we still do not know which habitats…
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PLOS ONE Investigating effects of soil chemicals on density of small mammal bioindicators using spatial capture-recapture models
Monitoring the ecological impacts of environmental pollution and the effectiveness of remediation efforts requires identifying…
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PLOS ONE First field estimation of greenhouse gas release from European soil-dwelling Scarabaeidae larvae targeting the genus Melolontha
Arthropods are a major soil fauna group, and have the potential to substantially influence the spatial and temporal variability of soil…
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PLOS ONE Patient propagules: Do soil archives preserve the legacy of fungal and prokaryotic communities?
Soil archives are an important resource in agronomic and ecosystem sciences. If microbial communities could be reconstructed from archived…
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PLOS ONE Survival of Escherichia coli O157 in autoclaved and natural sandy soil mesocosms
While the soil microbiome may influence pathogen survival, determining the major contributors that reduce pathogen survival is…
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PLOS ONE Selected wetland soil properties correlate to Rift Valley fever livestock mortalities reported in 2009-10 in central South Africa
Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever have devastating impacts on ruminants, humans, as well as on regional and national economies. Although…
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PLOS ONE Surface horizons of forest soils for the diagnosis of soil environment contamination and toxicity caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants that are released into soils primarily from the air, with wet…
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PLOS ONE Dynamic of the structural alteration of biochar in ancient Anthrosol over a long timescale by Raman spectroscopy
The presence of biochar with high carbon accumulation capacity and nutrient adsorption is causally associated with archeological soils.…
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PLOS ONE Citizen science improves our understanding of the impact of soil management on wild pollinator abundance in agroecosystems
Native bees provide essential pollination services in both natural and managed ecosystems. However, declines in native bee species…
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PLOS ONE Metal oxides and annealed metals as alternatives to metal salts for fixed-ratio metal mixture ecotoxicity tests in soil
In soil metal ecotoxicology research, dosing is usually performed with metal salts, followed by leaching to remove excess salinity. This…
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PLOS ONE A simple pyrocosm for studying soil microbial response to fire reveals a rapid, massive response by Pyronema species
We have designed a pyrocosm to enable fine-scale dissection of post-fire soil microbial communities. Using it we show that the peak soil…
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PLOS ONE Nine years of in situ soil warming and topography impact the temperature sensitivity and basal respiration rate of the forest floor in a Canadian boreal forest
The forest floor of boreal forest stores large amounts of organic C that may react to a warming climate and increased N deposition. It is…
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PLOS ONE Detailed global modelling of soil organic carbon in cropland, grassland and forest soils
Assessments of the global carbon (C) cycle typically rely on simplified models which consider large areas as homogeneous in terms of the…