Soil is an intricate key layer in terrestrial ecosystems in which numerous biological, physical and chemical interactions occur among the mineral material of the original and deformed rocks, soil life (micro-organisms, plants, animals), and climate (water, air, temperature) at different scales. These various processes and mechanisms determine soils as very dynamic and highly complex systems, which exhibit structures at different scales. Soil complexity can thus be observed at different physical levels (i.e., pore and field scales), biological levels (i.e., oxidable organic matter availability, population distribution, etc.), interaction levels (i.e. mineral paths between compartments, etc.), or evolutionary levels (short-term variations on water availability, long term erosion, etc.). This poses remarkable challenge to rigour sampling design, data processing and scaling, conceptual assumptions, and adequate system state monitoring.

In this session, we invite contributions related to the integration of a) system monitoring and data processing, b) soil water and biochemical process quantification, c) process scaling and d) system understanding and management strategies. In particular, we encourage studies applying cross-disciplinary and cross-scale approaches - whether based on statistical techniques, theoretical conceptualisation or novel physical-biogeochemical models - which critically examine their sampling design, conceptual presumptions and scaling issues.