Soil Organic Matter

7th International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter

Hilton Adelaide | 6 – 11 October 2019

Thank you for Attending

Dear Colleagues,

Soils directly underpin terrestrial life on earth. They are the most complex biological system on the planet in their own right, both harbouring, sustaining and exhibiting enormous diversity both below and above ground. Central to soil’s function is soil organic matter (SOM), a complex and diverse milieu of necromatter that facilitates and complements a vast array of chemical, physical and biological functions. The conference theme, “Soil Organic Matter in a Stressed World” has the dual objectives of better understanding and quantifying the functions that SOM sustains in both natural and managed systems, and understanding the stressors that impact on both its stability, and its ability to continue to deliver these key ecosystem functions.

It is of course this amorphous substance, SOM, that drew our interests together and afforded us the privilege to invite you to the wonderful city of Adelaide, South Australia, where the 7th iteration of the International SOM Symposium Series was held from 6th-11th October 2019. The conference follows the amazingly successful editions at Rothamsted Research, UK (2017), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (2015), and their four predecessors stretching back to the initiation of the series at Potiers, France, in 2007. It drew together a vibrant mix of established world experts, early and mid-career researchers, and students in order to share knowledge, make new connections, and advance the field of SOM research.

On behalf of the local organising committee,