ISMC News 02 March 2026
Announcements
ISMC Conference 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - registration now open
The registration for the 5th International Soil Modeling Consortium Conference (ISMC 2026), “Advances and Challenges in Tropical Soil Modeling,” from 15–19 September 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosted on site at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro is now open. ISMC 2026 will cover following topics:
- Databases in PTF development to support soil modeling
- Soil structure and properties: Measurement, spatial and temporal variability, and uncertainty assessment
- Critical zone monitoring and modeling
- Modeling processes in highly weathered tropical soils
- Taking advantage of remote sensing and big data in soil modeling
- Modeling aspects of soil health
- General Session for model-related research
Abstract submission deadline is May 1st, 2026. For abstract submission or registration visit the ISMC 2026 homepage.
Webinar on Soil Structure
In the last news letter the webinar on Soil Structure on Monday 16th of March 2026 from 3 PM to 5 PM (Berlin time) with three presentations has been announced.
Nick Jarvis, SLU “A minimalist model of the effects of soil structure dynamics on soil hydraulic properties”
Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Uni Bayreuth “A modelling framework for temporal changes in soil structure and their effects on soil hydraulic properties”
John Köstel, Agroscope “Temporal evolution of soil macropore networks with respect to season, plants, macrofauna and land use and its expected impact on saturated hydraulic conductivity”
Unfortunately, the link was corrupt. Therefore, please use this new link to join in. The three presentations will be also recorded and made available via the ISMC YouTube channel after.
Short Course on DAISY
The short course offers an introduction to the 1D/2D DAISY agro-ecological model (daisy.ku.dk). It covers the main processes:
- Water flow (matrix and bioporeflow)
- Solute transport (mineral N, pesticides, particles, natural toxins, etc.)
- Heat transport
- Soil organic matter turnover
- Soil vegetation atmosphere transfer of water and energy
- Crop models
- Management practices (conservation vs conventional ag systems)
- And recent developments in terms of N20, PFAS and python-extension.
The course includes a series of short presentations, each followed by hands-on group exercises where participants learn how to use the Daisy agro-ecological simulation model and analyze a simple, pre-defined system. Specifically, you will learn how to prepare data for the model, run the model, and extract and analyze output from it. Students are encouraged to present their scientific topics and their plans for testing their hypotheses/research questions using DAISY.
Full attendance (7.5 ECTS): After the short course week, teachers assist students in setting up their Daisy projects through 1-hour online meetings over 2 months.
Simple attendance (2 ECTS): Students join only the short course.
Contact: daisy@ku.dk and registration via phdcourses.ku.dk
Featured Paper
Do you want your paper featured?
Please share your recent paper if you want to be featured in the ISMC newsletter. With your contributions, we will select one paper to be featured in every newsletter. Submission can be done here.
A unified representation of the temperature dependences of soil microbial growth and respiration
Temperature impacts on microbiological processes are crucial for soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning, yet existing models either fail to capture microbial temperature dependences across the full biokinetic range or risk overparameterization. Here we present the “Dual-Kinetics Ratkowsky” model (Ratkowsky DK), which simultaneously describes temperature dependences of microbial growth and respiration. Compared to established models (Arrhenius, Ratkowsky, MMRT, and MMRT-2S), Ratkowsky DK showed superior performance and parsimony when applied to soils along a climate gradient, with strong implications for estimating soil carbon stock changes. Although empirically derived, the model provides reliable estimates of microbial thermal traits and climate responsiveness, reflecting warm- and cold-shifted adaptations. It also offers a biological interpretation whereby temperature-driven cell death fuels respiration beyond a threshold, explaining the decoupling between anabolism and catabolism. Ratkowsky DK represents a promising tool for advancing our understanding of microbial and biogeochemical responses to climate and implementation of ecology into Earth system representations. More information can be founnd here.
Insights Into Water Vapor Uptake by Dry Soils Using a Global Eddy Covariance Observation Network
The exchange of water vapor between soil and atmosphere is a key component of land–atmosphere interactions, especially under dry conditions. Soil water vapor adsorption (SVA) occurs when the atmospheric water vapor pressure is greater than the soil air vapor pressure, which triggers the transport of water vapor from the atmosphere to the soil and its retention on the soil particle surface in liquid form. This process is largely caused by soil hydraulic properties and may play a significant role in dryland hydrology, yet remains understudied due to a lack of continuous, direct observations. In this study, we use globally distributed eddy covariance flux tower data to detect and characterize patterns of soil water vapor adsorption. We verify the consistency between negative latent heat fluxes as an indicator of water vapor movement toward the ground and the theoretical understanding of SVA. Our results reveal a relationship between the direction of the vapor gradient, as indicated by the direction of the latent heat flux, soil moisture, and near-surface relative humidity, which is consistent with the understanding of a phase equilibrium at the pore scale of the soil. Distinguishing between random noise and physically explainable occurrences of negative latent heat fluxes enables the characterization of SVA occurrence in eddy covariance observations. SVA is detected most frequent in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in ecosystems with sparse vegetation such as savannas and dry shrublands. On average, SVA occurs for 4 ± 1.1 h per night, and may last up to 7 h in some locations. In certain sites, SVA occurs on more than 150 nights per year. These findings suggest that the eddy covariance method can help monitor SVA occurrence. Mapping the spatiotemporal patterns of SVA enhances our understanding of dryland land–atmosphere water fluxes and uncovers a previously overlooked component of the terrestrial water cycle. More information can be founnd here.
Featured Soil Modeler (Quirijn de Jong van Lier)
Soil Hydraulic Properties and Plant Available Water
A brief paragraph of your CV, where you are currently based, and what is your topic in general.
I am professor at the Universidade de São Paulo in Piracicaba, Brazil. I have more than 30 years of experience in research and teaching soil physical and environmental modelling, emphasizing the modelling and understanding of root water uptake, drought stress, and transpiration reduction, as well as the determination of soil hydraulic properties using field and laboratory methods and their interpretation in the context of hydrological modelling.
Please tell us briefly about yourself and your research interest.
I hold an MSc in Soil Science from Wageningen Agricultural University (1988) and a PhD in Soil Physics from the University of São Paulo (1994), and have lived and worked in Brazil since completing my doctorate. I am currently a Full Professor in the Division of Tropical Ecosystem Functioning at the University of São Paulo in Piracicaba, where I lead the Soil Physics Laboratory. My research focuses on Soil and Environmental Physics, with emphasis on physically based prediction of plant-available water, root water uptake measurement and modelling, and soil hydraulic characterization for hydrological models. I have held research stays at Wageningen University (2006–2007) and the University of Kentucky (2014), and currently serve as Technical Editor of the Soil Science Society of America Journal and Chair-elect of the SSSA Soil Physics and Hydrology Division.
How did you first become interested in soil modelling and learn about ISMC?
During my graduate studies in Wageningen, around 1986, I became interested in what was then known as “quantitative land evaluation” and chose to study Theoretical Production Ecology under the supervision of Prof. R. Rabbinge and Dr. Paul Driessen. This experience was an eye-opener and proved determining for my entire career. During my PhD in Brazil, I began working on the modelling of root water uptake, a research focus I have maintained ever since. In this context, I became involved with the ISMC after participating in its first conference, held in Austin, USA, in 2016.
Can you share with us your current research focus?
My research focuses on soil hydrological modelling and the measurement of soil hydraulic properties, with particular emphasis on uncertainty in soil hydraulic parameterization and its propagation through model results. I am especially interested in the modelling of drought stress, plant-available water, and root water uptake, with applications in irrigation and ecosystem management.
Please tell us briefly how your research could contribute to ISMC Science Panel’s activities? Or the other way around, how do you wish ISMC science panels help/support your research activities?
Part of my work focuses on determining soil hydraulic properties in Brazilian soils, which directly aligns with the DO-Link science panel. My modelling activities, particularly those related to root water uptake and drought stress, also strongly connect with the Soil-MIP science panel.
What resources or skills would you recommend that early career members of ISMC should acquire? And how can ISMC help and support early career members in this regard?
I believe that soil modelers around the world are doing excellent work in modelling soil processes and documenting soil resources, and an organization like ISMC provides an ideal platform to bring these efforts together. Although the community is relatively small, the required skills and resources can vary widely. Individual researchers tend to specialize in areas such as data processing and mapping, big data, or soil process modelling. ISMC can be particularly valuable for early-career scientists by exposing them to the broad community working on soil modelling and by actively involving them in collaborative activities. To early-career members, I would emphasize that a solid, process-based understanding is essential. While machine learning is increasingly entering our field and can play an important role when it complements state-of-the-art knowledge, classical mechanistic analysis.