In conclusion, it is imperative that we recognise the often pivotal role played by soils in the function of terrestrial environmental systems, if we fail to recognise this key role environmental sustainabil-ity may be impossible to achieve.
..........At a global level in 2013 FAO established the Global Soil Partnership recognising the key role of soils in global food security and recognising that the threat to soils was a major factor to be considered in global food security.
..........This collection of papers seeks to illustrate the diversity of soils and soil functions and show the importance of soils to all aspects of our lives. There is increasing recognition that we must manage and nurture the soil, because in the lifetime of man soil is a finite resources, and once lost it is gone! (from: Stephen Nortcliff, Soil Matters, p. 3) Stephen Nortcliff; Soil Matters ; Section 2: Soils and the Environment ; Karl Stahr ; Soils of the World; Peter Finke ; Soil and Landscape, Mary Beth Kirkham; The Soil Water Cycle, Charles Tarnocai ; Soil and Permafrost; Kazuyuki Inubushi ; Soil and Wetland (including paddy), H.-P. Blume and H. Fleige ; Extraterrestrial Soils; Section 3: Soil Threats; Rainer Horn. Soil Compaction and Consequences of Soil Deformation on Changes in Soil Functions ; Mark Kibblewhite ; Soil Contamination; Rattan Lal ; Soil Erosion, Jean Louis Morel, Wolfgang Burghardt and Gan-Lin Zhang ; Soils and Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas (SUIMAs); Sigbert Huber and Gundula Prokop ; Soil Sealing; Charles W. Rice ; Soils and Climate Change, Section 4: Soil Carbon and Biodiversity; Rattan Lal ; Soil Carbon; Guénola Pérès and Claire Chenu ; Soils and Biodiversity ; Section 5: Soil and Land Use; Roger S. Swift ; Soil and Fertiliser Resources: Will they Meet Future Needs? Scott X. Chang ; Soils and Plant Nutrition; Flávio A.O. Camargo and Segundo Uriquiaga ; Soil Nitrogen; Ganga M. Hettiarachchi ; Soil and Human Health; Michael Englisch ; Soils and Forestry; Edoardo A.C. Costantini ; Soil and Wine; Ivan Vasenev ; Soil and Land Use Planning; Section 6: Do we Value Soil? ; David A. Robinson ; Soils and Ecosystem Services; Sung Chul Kim, Su-Jung Kim and Jae E. Yang; Soil Value; Arwyn Jones ; Giving Soils a Voice: Encouraging Awareness through Societal Engagement and Education; Section 7: Soil and Society ; Christian Feller and Nikola Patzel ; Soil between Nature and Culture ; Winfried E.H. Blum ; Soil and Religion; Verena Winiwarter ; Soils and History; David L. Dent ; Soil as Heritage ; Alexandra Regan Toland and Jay Stratton Noller ; Soil Matters to Artists: An Overview of Artistic Activities in the International Year of Soils; Cristine Carole Muggler ; Soil and Education; Section 8: The International Year of Soils ; Stephen Nortcliff, Winfried E.H. Blum and Irb Kheoruenromne ; World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils ;
