Soil Health Under Global Change and Human Impact

Abstract

Soil health is pivotal to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and ensure the health of plants, animals, and ultimately humans. Global changes—such as climate warming, elevated CO₂ atmospheric concentration, droughts, and floods—as well as human impacts like land-use change, chemical contamination, and application of fertilizer and pesticides, threaten soil health. Protecting soil health and raising global awareness on this topic are now critical to ensure sustainable management of natural and agricultural ecosystems under global change. This Special Issue includes 19 studies in three thematic groups. The first group includes methodological advances in the assessment of soil health, exploring new tools, techniques, and approaches for accurate evaluation. The second group encompasses studies examining how soil health responds to land-use change, agricultural and forestry practices. The third group addresses human-induced pollution and its effects on soil health. Overall, these studies provide contemporary insight into soil health in managed and natural ecosystems and methods for soil health evaluation. These contributions will shape strategies to sustain soil functions and preserve healthy soils for future generations, including efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals for the 21st century.