Recipient Organization
FOREST SERVICE
201 14TH ST SW YATES BLDG
WASHINGTON,DC 20002-6405
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Despite decades of work, the mechanisms that stabilize and destabilize soil organic matter remain actively debated. This field of research is growing rapidly in part due to an explosion in new technological approaches, with researchers in different parts of the world approaching the science of soil organic matter stabilization from different methodological and conceptual points of view. It has become clear that the greatest and most rapid advances are to be made by combining different methods and perspectives from the international community. Unfortunately, there is no conference series that specifically addresses soil carbon stabilization and thus no specific opportunity for researchers from around the world to get together for focused discussion. This conference series is designed to showcase leading ideas and technology related to mechanisms of soil carbon stabilization, and brings together leading researchers in organic matter research in a focused environment with
the intent of fostering new ideas, approaches, and collaboration.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
30%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This proposal is in support of the 3rd International Conference on Mechanisms of Soil Organic Matter Stabilization in Soils and Sediments (SOM3). Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a major role in greenhouse gas fluxes and in maintaining soil fertility for agricultural and forest productivity. The last ten years have seen remarkable and unprecedented advances in our understanding of stabilization mechanisms in soil organic matter. This is due in no small part to advances in the applications of spectroscopic and other techniques for determining SOM composition, and in our ability to use stable and radioisotopes to infer process pathways and rates. Many of the most interesting advances and the most promising work are born of collaborations involving multiple researchers from a variety of backgrounds. This trend will continue as 'carbon management' becomes an increasingly important aspect of ecosystem management within the context of climate change. Increased pressure for
ever greater precision and clearer connections between scales will necessitate innovation on the part of traditional soil scientists, and draw scientists from other disciplines into the field. As with any discipline, scientists who study the stabilization of SOM require periodic and dedicated opportunities to discuss individual research progress, advances in the field, and the need for further advances. SOM is not the primary focus of any professional society, though it falls within the purview of many. This conference series has two fundamental objectives: 1) showcase leading ideas and technology related to mechanisms of soil carbon stabilization, and 2) bring together leading researchers in organic matter research in a focused environment with the intent of fostering new ideas, approaches, and collaboration. SOM3 in particular has been expanded to include organic matter geochemists who have focused on carbon stabilization in sediments. Our goal is to use their differing but
complimentary perspectives to cultivate new ideas, challenge old ideas, and share techniques.
Project Methods
The SOM conferences use an uncommon format that is specifically designed to encourage scientific discussion and social interaction, and thereby foster collaboration. The topic is quite focused - mechanisms relating to SOM stabilization, but there is a strong emphasis on including a wide range of views, disciplines and approaches to the topic. Both of the previous SOM conferences took place at reasonably secluded conference venues, where attendees shared meals, coffee breaks, and off-hours time within the venue. Rather than multiple concurrent sessions, whether oral or poster, only a single session was active at a given time. Oral presentations were typically 30 min in length followed by at least 20 min of discussion. Oral presenters were also encouraged to present posters to further promote discussion. Finally, each conference resulted in a special issue of a leading journal in SOM research (SOM1, Geoderma; SOM2, Biogeochemistry), containing perspectives from the
organizing committees and several invited articles. SOM3 will follow the successful presentation and venue format of the previous conferences. We plan to support three categories of US scientist with the combined funds that are generated by the multiple proposals: 1) More established members of the organizing committee who are helping with logistics as well as organizing invited speakers and the scientific Program. 2) Invited speakers from the US, per recommendation from the Australian organizers. Also, the leaders of the field who are interested not just in speaking at the meeting but in actively participating in cross-disciplinary discussions as well as in fostering research of young investigators. 3) Young investigators, not limited to graduate students. This category can and should include untenured faculty new to the research community but who have shown excellent research potential and interest in exploring new and cross-disciplinary research in SOM.