Soil Science Society of America

Soil Science Society of America
Name	Soil Science Society of America
Formation	1936
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Madison, Wisconsin
Region served	United States; international
Leader title	President

Soil Science Society of America is a professional association dedicated to the study, management, and stewardship of soil resources. The organization connects researchers, practitioners, and educators across disciplines including agronomy, ecology, hydrology, and geology to advance soil science research and application. It fosters collaboration among universities, national laboratories, museums, and agencies to inform policy, land management, and conservation.

History

The Society traces its roots to meetings among agricultural scientists in the 19th and early 20th centuries linked to institutions such as Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Cornell University, Michigan State University, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its formal founding in 1936 followed precedents set by organizations like the American Society of Agronomy and interactions with entities including Smithsonian Institution, United States Geological Survey, Land Grant College, and National Academy of Sciences. Early membership included faculty from Pennsylvania State University, University of California, Davis, Texas A&M University, and researchers associated with Brookhaven National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Throughout the 20th century the Society engaged with programs at International Union of Soil Sciences, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, and United Nations Environment Programme. Its history intersects with major events and initiatives such as the Dust Bowl, New Deal, Soil Conservation Service, Civilian Conservation Corps, and the growth of soil mapping at the United States Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database.

Mission and Governance

The Society’s mission emphasizes research, outreach, and professional development, aligning with similar goals found at National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Governance is overseen by an elected board composed of officers and directors representing academic institutions like Rutgers University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Colorado State University, and federal laboratories such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Committees coordinate policy with organizations including American Association for the Advancement of Science, Ecological Society of America, Soil and Water Conservation Society, and Association of American Geographers. The Society interacts with publishers and standards bodies such as American Society for Testing and Materials, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and scholarly indexes like Web of Science.

Membership and Local Sections

Membership comprises professionals from universities (e.g., Purdue University, University of Florida, University of Minnesota), government agencies (Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service), private sector firms, and non-governmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund. The Society maintains local sections and chapters tied to regions associated with institutions such as University of Arizona, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, and Washington State University. International members collaborate with groups including International Soil Reference and Information Centre, European Geosciences Union, Australian Soil Science Society, and Canadian Society of Soil Science. Student chapters at schools like Iowa State University, University of Georgia, and University of Tennessee, Knoxville provide outreach and links to employers such as Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, and agencies including United States Agency for International Development.

Publications and Journals

The Society publishes peer-reviewed journals and technical resources comparable to publications from Nature, Science (journal), Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Geoderma, and Journal of Environmental Quality. Its flagship journals include titles that report research intersections with American Journal of Science, Agronomy Journal, and databases indexed by Scopus and PubMed. Editorial boards often include scholars affiliated with University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Yale University. The Society works with publishing partners and societies such as Springer Science+Business Media, Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, and Society for Range Management to disseminate monographs, position papers, and standards used by agencies like Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Meetings, Conferences, and Education

Annual meetings convene scientists, students, and professionals with participation from delegations associated with Smithsonian Institution, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and international bodies like International Union of Soil Sciences. Conferences address topics tied to programs at National Institutes of Health, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, and regional workshops with universities such as University of California, Berkeley and University of British Columbia. The Society offers continuing education, webinars, and short courses in partnership with Ecological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, Soil and Water Conservation Society, and corporate training by firms like Bayer and Adama Agricultural Solutions. Student competitions and symposia parallel events at American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America meetings.

Awards and Honors

The Society recognizes achievement with honors that parallel awards from National Academy of Sciences, Fulbright Program, MacArthur Fellows Program, and discipline-specific medals. Awards include career recognition akin to fellowships granted by American Association for the Advancement of Science and named lectures comparable to those at Royal Society and Royal Society of Edinburgh. Recipients are often faculty or researchers from institutions such as University of California, Davis, Iowa State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and government scientists from USDA Agricultural Research Service and United States Geological Survey. Award ceremonies commonly take place during the Society’s annual meeting alongside prize sessions similar to those at European Geosciences Union and American Geophysical Union convocations.

Category:Scientific societies based in the United States