This special issue investigates the fascinating interactions between the geosphere and biosphere that are active near the Earth’s surface and within the critical zone. The special issue focuses on modelling and observational studies conducted along the extreme climate and ecological gradient of the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. We welcome submissions that address the physical or chemical processes whereby micro-organisms, animals, and plants influence the shape and development of the Earth’s surface over timescales ranging from the present day to the distant geologic past. As this topic is highly interdisciplinary in scope, we encourage submissions from diverse disciplines including geology, geography, geochemistry, surface geophysics, ecology, microbiology, soil sciences, hydrogeology, geomorphology, and climatology. Integrative studies that bridge between disciplines are particularly welcome. Two types of manuscript submissions are possible. These include either original and/or new scientific full-length research articles presenting new data and interpretations or review and synthesis papers that are invited by the editors and integrate data from different studies and disciplines to address state-of-the-science questions related to Earth surface shaping by biota.

Increasing soil organic carbon in agricultural soils is a strategy that is becoming increasingly popular as part of the global efforts to mitigate climate change. A large range of management strategies aim to increase or maintain organic soil organic carbon levels, including minimizing soil disturbance, diversifying vegetation, directly incorporating organic matter, and restoring drained organic soils. While these practices might be valid to increase soil organic carbon stocks, they can have associated trade-offs related to environmental impacts, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O and CH₄) and nutrient losses, as well as socio-ecological implications. In this special issue, we welcome contributions that give insight into the trade-offs and synergies associated with agricultural management practices that aim to mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration. Experimental, modelling, or synthesis approaches are welcome, and there is no restriction on the spatial scale of the studies. This special issue is a joint effort from scientists participating in projects within the European Joint Programme Cofund on Agricultural Soil Management (EJP SOIL, https://ejpsoil.eu) who will act as invited editors.

Review process: all papers of this special issue underwent the regular interactive peer-review process of SOIL handled by guest editors designated by the SOIL executive editors.

Increasing soil organic carbon in agricultural soils is a strategy that is becoming increasingly popular as part of the global efforts to mitigate climate change. A large range of management strategies aim to increase or maintain organic soil organic carbon levels, including minimizing soil disturbance, diversifying vegetation, directly incorporating organic matter, and restoring drained organic soils. While these practices might be valid to increase soil organic carbon stocks, they can have associated trade-offs related to environmental impacts, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O and CH₄) and nutrient losses, as well as socio-ecological implications. In this special issue, we welcome contributions that give insight into the trade-offs and synergies associated with agricultural management practices that aim to mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration. Experimental, modelling, or synthesis approaches are welcome, and there is no restriction on the spatial scale of the studies. This special issue is a joint effort from scientists participating in projects within the European Joint Programme Cofund on Agricultural Soil Management (EJP SOIL, https://ejpsoil.eu) who will act as invited editors.

Review process: all papers of this special issue underwent the regular interactive peer-review process of SOIL handled by guest editors designated by the SOIL executive editors.

This special issue investigates the fascinating interactions between the geosphere and biosphere that are active near the Earth’s surface and within the critical zone. The special issue focuses on modelling and observational studies conducted along the extreme climate and ecological gradient of the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. We welcome submissions that address the physical or chemical processes whereby micro-organisms, animals, and plants influence the shape and development of the Earth’s surface over timescales ranging from the present day to the distant geologic past. As this topic is highly interdisciplinary in scope, we encourage submissions from diverse disciplines including geology, geography, geochemistry, surface geophysics, ecology, microbiology, soil sciences, hydrogeology, geomorphology, and climatology. Integrative studies that bridge between disciplines are particularly welcome. Two types of manuscript submissions are possible. These include either original and/or new scientific full-length research articles presenting new data and interpretations or review and synthesis papers that are invited by the editors and integrate data from different studies and disciplines to address state-of-the-science questions related to Earth surface shaping by biota.