The complexity of soils and sediments extends from the ecosystem to individual micro-meter sized aggregates. Within these particles nanometer-scale interactions between microbiota, organic matter and mineral particles are thought to control important ecosystem functions like the long-term fate of organic carbon, nutrients and pollutants. Large scale phenomena are controlled at small ‘hot spots’.
We invite both conceptual and methodological approaches to study biotic and abiotic processes at various scales starting at the nm-scale. A special emphasize will also be given to state of the art experimental techniques (e.g. microcosms, labeling studies) to pinpoint small scale processes in intact environments. Thus contributions on novel techniques (VIS-NIR, µ-CT, NanoSIMS, XANES, FISH e.g.) which enable the in-situ analysis of soil and sediment properties, biogeochemical processes, and microbial interactions in intact environments are highly welcome. To answer questions of representativeness and upscaling we want also include work on spatial statistics and modelling.

Solicited speaker: Philippe Baveye (AgroParisTech, France) "Characterization of microbial 'hot spots' in soils": Where are we, and where are we going?"