Soil is an excellent archive that documents and records the environmental landscape history. During the past millennia, human activities became a significant factor in shaping landscapes and the soils beneath. Accordingly, deciphering between the relative contribution of human factors and natural factors is complex, and considered one of the main challenges in current research.

Over the past few decades, the variety and availability of methodologies for soil study has increased greatly, allowing for a richer understanding and more straightforward deciphering of the landscape history.

As a result of these new methodologies, we have gained deeper insights into the anthropogenic impact on the landscape and soil system. These insights include the understanding that the different practices of diverse cultures (e.g. social rules and behavior, land use, settlement patterns, climate, topography) have had diverse effects on our environment. Analysis and correlation between the soil profile (layers and horizons) and various proxies provide insight regarding human impact vs. natural impact over time.

Today, the anthropogenetic impact on the landscape is immense. Studying history through examination of the soil archive enables us to explore the long-term impact of ancient human activities. This enables us to build prediction models for a more sustainable future.

You are invited to submit abstracts to lecture on the subject described above. The lectures should present case studies and/or research that examine landscape history through the soil archive. We invite both field-based or modeling studies. Results and conclusions from these studies should allow for the construction of better landscape management models in the future.