90 years IUSS and global soil science

Abstract

Here, I briefly describe the history and activities of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) and its predecessor the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS) in relation to some global soil science developments. The IUSS was founded in 1924 by soil scientists interested in establishing standardized methods of soil analysis and soil classification. In the past 90 years, 20 World Congresses of Soil Science were held, and thousands of smaller conferences, meetings and workshops. The IUSS has 60,000 members who are organized into Divisions, Commissions and Working Groups that deal with all aspects of soil research. The IUSS is a global soil science organization and a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The IUSS has initiated projects ranging from the Soil Map of the World to GlobalSoilMap that have sparked numerous global projects and activities. The soil science knowledge base has greatly expanded and research has become much more interdisciplinary and thematic. The increased specialization of soil science is a sign of vigor. The IUSS has a major task in the continued success and expansion of the soil science discipline.