Pedometrics

Complexity and nonlinearity in soils

EGU General Assembly 2009, Vienna 19-24 April 2009

Session NP3.9/SSS39. Complexity and nonlinearity in soils
Conveners: R. M. Lark , E. Perrier and A.M. Tarquis
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/sessionprogramme/NP#NP3

Soil is not only a support for vegetation, but it is also the zone of numerous interactions between
the mineral material of the original and added rock, soil life (micro-organisms, plants, animals),
climate (water, air, temperature), and its position in the landscape. Due to these various processes
associated to its formation and genesis soil dynamics reveals high complexity that creates several
levels of structure using this term in a broad sense. Soil complexity can thus be observed at
different physical levels (i.e., frequency distribution of aggregates’ sizes, order of strata,
etc.), biological levels (i.e., oxidable organic matter availability, population distribution, etc.),
interaction levels (i.e. mineral paths between compartments, etc.), or evolutionary levels (short term
variations on water availability, long term erosion, etc.).
In this session, we invite contributions related to the modeling and quantification of these systems
that provide an improved understanding. We especially encourage studies using an integrated,
cross-disciplinary approach, whether based on statistical approaches that allow for scaling
behavior analysis, on fully formulated physical-biogeochemical models or on other methods and
techniques of complex systems science, such as statistical learning, data mining, time series
analysis, network analysis, cellular automata, fractal/multifractals, wavelets, genetic algorithms
and graph theory.

EGU 2009, Digital Soil Mapping Session 19-24 April 2009

Dear Pedometricians and Digital Soil Mappers,

We are glad to announce you the DSM session (Soil System Science Group / Session SSS12-Digital soil mapping: novel approaches to the prediction of key soil properties for modelling physical processes) in the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2009 (Vienna, Austria, 19-24 April 2009).

The EGU DSM Session focuses on the mapping of key parameters and input variables for modeling soil processes. As we consider more complex models, applied to larger geographical regions, the demand for information on these inputs becomes harder to meet. Digital soil mapping is concerned with the provision of spatial information on soil properties on the basis of ancilliary variables, such as proxy and remote sensor data, and limited direct measurements.

We are looking for submissions under the following topics:

We are asking for 400-word abstracts (limited to one per presenting author). The deadline for abstract submission is 13 January 2009. These will be perused by a scientific committee. We will notify you if your paper has been accepted by Mid-February 2009. Details still to come.

For more information about the EGU Event, please consult: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/session/907

For abstract submission, you do it online at: http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2009/abstract_management/index.html

or sending an email to: Florence.Carre@jrc.it