The Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) is a
non-governmental
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
, non-profit organization for scientists, engineers, technologists, administrators and students involved in professional soil science. Its goal is to nurture the discipline of
soil science
Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...
in Canada.
Administration
The Society is administered by a 9-member Council consisting of a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, two Councillors (Western and Eastern Councillor), Graduate Student Representative, and the Editor of the ''Canadian Journal of Soil Science''. Council meets once annually, at the Annual Meeting, and conducts ongoing e-mail correspondence and business motions throughout the year. The Annual Meeting consists of both Scientific and Business Meetings, and concludes with an Awards Banquet.
2023 Council
*Amanda Diochon (President)
*Asim Biswas (Past President)
*Richard Farrell (President Elect)
*Lee-Ann Wilson (Secretary)
*Diane Knight (Treasurer)
*Henry Chau (Western Councillor)
*Adrian Unc (Eastern Councillor)
*Blake Weiseth (Student Representative)
*Anne Naeth (CJSS Editor)
2022 Council
*Asim Biswas (President)
*Angela Bedard-Haughn (Past President)
*Amanda Diochon (President Elect)
*Lee-Ann Wilson (Secretary)
*Diane Knight (Treasurer)
*Henry Chau (Western Councillor)
*Louis-Pierre Comeau (Eastern Councillor)
*Erika Young (Student Representative)
*Anne Naeth (CJSS Editor)
2021 Council
*Angela Bedard-Haughn (President)
*Nathan Basiliko (Past President)
*Asim Biswis (President Elect)
*Lee-Ann Wilson (Secretary)
*Diane Knight (Treasurer)
*Rich Farrell (Western Councillor)
*Louis-Pierre Comeau (Eastern Councillor)
*Erika Young (Student Representative)
*Anne Naeth (CJSS Editor)
Publications
The Canadian Journal of Soil Science
The ''Canadian Journal of Soil Science'' (CJSS), established in 1921, is a quarterly journal that is international in scope and publishes fundamental and applied research from all areas of soil science around the world. These areas include traditional soil biology, physics, and chemistry;
pedology
Pedology (from Greek: πέδον, ''pedon'', "soil"; and λόγος, ''logos'', "study") is a discipline within soil science which focuses on understanding and characterizing soil formation, evolution, and the theoretical frameworks for modeling ...
; use, management, and development; soil and environment interactions; land reclamation and contaminant remediation. It draws from and interfaces with numerous fields such as agriculture,
agrometeorology
Agrometeorology is the study of weather and use of weather and climate information to enhance or expand agricultural crops or to increase crop production. Agrometeorology mainly involves the interaction of meteorological and hydrological factors, ...
,
ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
, engineering,
environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...
,
environmental stewardship,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
, geography, geology,
hydrology
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...
,
land rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation as a part of environmental remediation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process (industry, natural disasters, etc.) has resulted in its damage. Many projects ...
, landscape processes, mapping and evaluation, microbiology, soil-plant interactions, and urban uses.
The journal welcomes interdisciplinary works, particularly those linking soil with climate change, food security, and sustainable development goals. The journal publishes regular research articles, reviews (and mini-reviews), letters to the editor, discussions (comments and replies), short communications, special issues on important topics in the field of soil science, and occasionally conference proceedings and book reviews. The journal also publishes reviews, letters to the editor, and occasionally conference proceedings. Special issues, or special sections within regular issues dealing with specific topics, are also considered.
The journal is published by
Canadian Science Publishing
Canadian Science Publishing (CSP) is Canada's largest publisher of international scientific journals. It started in 1929 as the ''NRC Research Press'', part of the National Research Council (NRC). In 2010, the organization spun off from NRC and wa ...
(CSP), Canada's independent, not-for-profit leader in mobilizing science-based knowledge, making it easy to discover, use, and share. As Canada's largest publisher of international scientific journals, CSP is committed to strengthening the integrity, relevance, reach, and impact of vital knowledge and research, across Canada and around the globe.
CSSS Newsletter
The CSSS Newsletter, published three to four times a year, is an information bulletin containing Society and member news. It is an informal forum through which CSSS members can share ideas and information and keep in touch with one another.
Books
The Canadian Society of Soil Science has sponsored several books such as:
*'
Digging Into Canadian Soils: An Introduction to Soil Science'', an open access textbook edited by Maja Krzic, Frances L. Walley, Amanda Diochon, Maxime C. Paré, and Richard E. Farrell (2021) and published by the Canadian Society of Soil Science.
*Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis, 2nd Edition edited by M.R. Carter and E.G. Gregorich (2008) and published by CRC Press and Taylor & Francis Group.
*Soil and Environmental Science Dictionary edited by E.G. Gregorich, L.W. Turchenek, M.R. Carter, and D.A. Angers (2001) CRC Press. Review of this book can be found a
*Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis, 1st Edition edited by M.R. Carter (1993) and published by Lewis Publishers and CRC Press.
Major Initiatives
*Annual conferences
:*
Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia - 2024
:*
Truro, Nova Scotia
Truro (Mi'kmaq: ''Wagobagitik''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Truru'') is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada. Truro is the shire town of Colchester County and is located on the south side of the Salmon River floodplain, close to the river's mouth at ...
- 2023
:*
Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...
- 2022
:*
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in 1 ...
- 2021 - virtual conference
:*
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in 1 ...
- 2020 - cancelled due to
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
:*
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as t ...
- 2019
:*
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, with a population of 88,071 at the 2016 census. It is part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census M ...
- 2018
:*
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
- 2017
:*
Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, w ...
- 2016
:*
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
- 2015
:*
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise. At above Banff is the community with the second highest e ...
- 2014
:*
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
- 2013
Virtual Soil Science Learning Resources*Summer Pedology School
Committees
*''CSSS Education Committee''
The committee, established in 2014,has the goal to enhance soil science education in Canada at both the post-secondary and K-12 level. The committee has following objectives: (1) compile and disseminate information about the soil science courses and programs at Canadian postsecondary institutions,
(2) enhance soil science education at the K-12 levels, (3) establish and maintain contacts with the international soil science community regarding new developments in soil science education, and (4) support informal education through communications and outreach with both specialists and the general public (including via social media).
The need for a Canadian soil science textbook had long been discussed by members of the Soil Education Committee of the Canadian Society of Soil Science, and in 2018, a proposal to forge ahead with the development of an introductory soil science textbook was enthusiastically supported by the membership of the CSSS at its annual general meeting. The textbook ''Digging Into Canadian Soils: An Introduction to Soil Science'', available in both English and French, is the result of this community-wide endeavour. This open access textbook provides an introduction to the core sub-disciplines of soil science, and introduces the concepts and vocabulary needed by students just beginning their soil science journey. Additionally, the textbook provides supplementary materials that are regionally specific, or may be of specific interest beyond what might be considered core soil science disciplinary material. Importantly, the textbook also is intended to introduce students to the Canadian System of Soil Classification using examples from across Canada, the world's second largest country by area, and to the Canadian Society of Soil Science, whose members share a common passion for soil science and are keen to share and instill this passion with students across the country and beyond.
*''CSSS Pedology Committee''
The Pedology Committee of the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) was established in 2005. The committee has three mandates: (1) Improvement of the taxonomic classification system for Canadian soils through revision of the system because of new information, (2) Maintenance of contact with the international pedological community on new developments in soil genesis and classification, and (3) Compilation and dissemination of information about the genesis, distribution, classification and wise use of Canadian soils.
The Canadian Digital Soil Mapping Working Group (CDSMWG) was established in 2016 after an inaugural meeting at the CSSS Annual Meeting in Quebec City. In response to a call from the UN-Food and Agriculture Program for countries to contribute to a new global soil organic carbon map, the CDSMWG agreed to take the lead in the preparation and delivery of the Canadian contribution to this global initiative. The ''Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Map of Canada'' was completed and submitted in 2017 for the 0–30 cm depth interval with contributions from researchers and organisations from across the country. The CDSMWG endeavors to continue improvements to the SOC map of Canada and expand the mapping to include other critical soil parameters.
The Pedology Committee is currently spearheading a revision of elements of the Canadian System of Soil Classification (CSSC) with a goal of producing a 4th edition. To date, the specific areas under consideration for revision include the inclusion of an order for human-disturbed soils, improved descriptions of A horizons and LFH horizons, and revisions to horizon nomenclature – especially around soils with deposition of secondary salts. Under the direction of the Classification Working Group, a new process for review and revision will be established. Venues for review will include discussion (at workshops and via online forums) and the sharing and vetting of proposed changes through peer-reviewed publication in the Canadian Journal of Soil Science.
References
External links
Canadian Society of Soil Science websiteThe Canadian Journal of Soil Science
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Soil and crop science organizations
Agricultural organizations based in Canada