Fostering collaboration with other North American Soil Science Societies, The Soil Science Society of America will host scientists, professionals, educators, and students at the SSSA International Soils Meeting. "Soils Across Latitudes" will be held Jan. 6-9, 2019, in San Diego, California in collaboration with the Canadian Society of Soil Science and the Mexican Society of Soil Science.

Meeting website: sacmeetings.org

Important Dates:

• Abstract submission opens: May 15, 2018
• Early registration and housing opens: May 15, 2018
• Early abstract submission deadline: July 24, 2018
• Final abstract submission deadline: August 7, 2018
• Standard registration rates begin: November 30, 2018

Consider submitting an abstract to the sessions listed below. Find the full preliminary program here. 

CZ-related sessions, abstracts and events at SSSA 2019

Role of Soils in Mediating the Critical Zone

Division: SSSA Division: Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Format: Oral Topical Session | Poster Topical Session | Oral Symposium (Organizers: Alain F. Plante and Justin B. Richardson)
Organizers: Justin B. Richardson and Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Session Description: Soils are an integral part of the Critical Zone (CZ), the region from the top of the vegetative canopy to the bottom of actively cycled groundwater. Understanding how soils influence the Critical Zone and its life sustaining services is essential for human sustainability. However, the impacts of the Anthropocene poses many challenges that vary across latitude. These effects range from changes in hydrology, pedogenesis, and biogeochemistry of the Critical Zone. In this session, we invite contributions that investigate the physical and chemical links between soil and the Critical Zone and their combined functions and resilience in the Anthropocene.

Anthropogenic and Climate Induced Soil Change: A Transdisciplinary Overview

Division: SSSA Cross-Divisional Symposium
Format: Oral Symposium
Organizers: Hero T. Gollany, Nikolla P. Qafoku, Craig Rasmussen, Alain F. Plante and Aaron J. De Joia
Session Description: Worldwide, fundamental drivers including anthropogenic and climatic forces are transforming soil properties, processes, and function at unprecedented rates. Challenges to the soil research, education and outreach community include synthesizing scientific inquiry and practical application to assess, project and manage soil change to meet sustainable, multiple use goals under unprecedented current and future conditions. For example, difficulties associated with defining and measuring soil degradation processes often contributes to continued degradation. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to identify and pursue trans-disciplinary scientific inquiry that contributes to our understanding of the complexities inherent in the science of soil change.

SSSA Breakfast Plenary: "How Deep is Soil?"

Speaker: Dan Richter, Nyle C. Brady Frontiers of Soil Science Lectureship
When: Monday, January 7th, 8:25 AM
Summary: We explore the variety of ways that soils are spatially deeper than the solum, are indivisibly connected with the ever-changing wider environment, and are palimpsests that are currently being overwritten by human use and management.