Soil structure and its stability determine key soil physical and chemical functions such as water retention, hydraulic and gaseous transport, macropore flow, mechanical impedance, matter transport, nutrient leaching, redox dynamics, and erosion protection. These soil properties form the basis for biological processes, including root penetration, organic matter turnover, and nutrient cycling. The soil pore network governs soil aeration and hydrology and provides habitat for soil biota, which in turn actively reshape the pore architecture. Soil biota, root growth, land management, and abiotic drivers continuously transform the arrangement of pores, minerals, and organic matter, causing soil properties and functions to evolve across spatial and temporal scales.
In managed agricultural and forestry systems, anthropogenic soil compaction remains one of the major soil degradation processes, with long-lasting impacts on soil structure - particularly in deeper horizons where damage is difficult to detect and slow to recover. Increasing machinery size, traffic intensity, and operation under unfavourable moisture conditions further elevate compaction risks. A particular emphasis is placed on characterizing the mechanical properties of the soil and the processes underlying soil structure formation, stabilization, and degradation. This includes interparticle and organic–mineral interactions, pore-water pressure, and matric potential effects on soil deformation, and biological or mechanical drivers of structural change such as root growth, rhizosphere reinforcement, and bioturbation. Integrative studies that combine hydraulic, biological, and mechanical viewpoints are particularly encouraged.
Understanding the processes and feedback that control soil structure and its functional implications is essential for designing climate smart and resilient management strategies. In this session, we invite contributions on the formation and alteration of soil structure and associated soil functions at all spatial and temporal scales. We encourage contributions that integrate complementary measurement techniques (e.g., geophysics, digital image correlation, rheometry, CT/µCT), bridge different spatial scales, propose solutions to mitigate compaction and enhance soil structural resilience. Special focus lies on:
• feedbacks between soil structure dynamics and soil biology,
• impacts of mechanical stress exerted by heavy machinery under land management operations
• mechanical processes shaping pore architecture.