# Soil Science Research

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Information on NRCS-SPSD research focus areas, staff, and recent publications.

### Soil Survey Research Program

**Relevance**

Legislative Mandate PL 89-560:

**The Soil Survey Program** “promotes the soil survey and provides technical assistance in its use for a wide range of community planning and resource development issues related to non-farm and farm uses.”

**Soil Research**
              - collects high quality soil data to support soil survey and deepen knowledge and understanding of soil landscapes;
              - generates and improves soil interpretations by providing in-depth research;
              - provides training and supporting documents for the successful conductance of field soil surveys; and
              - develops new standards and methodologies for soil investigations.

**Major Goals**

Conducts research on soil genesis, functions, and behavior under natural and anthropogenic influences. Provides soil characterization data and develops standards and training in support of the National Cooperative Soil Survey at national and international levels. Provides data and technical information support for conservation programs.

### Research Branch Staff

**Skye Wills, Ph.D.** – *National Leader for Soil Science Research*Research interests: Soil carbon, sampling statistics, inference space of research results     Email: skye.wills@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Tiffany Carter, Ph.D.** – *Assistant National Leader for Soil Science Research*Research interests: Biologic soil health indicators, microbiology, techniques for carbon quantificationEmail: tiffany.carter@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Ekundayo Adeleke, Ph.D.** – *Natural Resource Specialist*Research interests: Dynamic soil properties, soil biochemistry and biodiversity, soil management, agricultural soils, method developmentEmail: ekundayo.adeleke@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Katy Dynarski, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: soil carbon dynamics, soil health, biogeochemistry, working landsEmail: katherine.dynarski@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Ryan Hodges, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: Pedology, taxonomy, soil mineralogy, volcanic ash-influenced, and tropical/acid soil systemsEmail: ryan.hodges@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Jonathan Maynard, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: Soil spectroscopy, biogeochemistry, soil inference systemsEmail: jonathan.maynard@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Travis Nauman, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: Digital soil mapping, ecological management frameworks, pedology, erosional processesEmail: travis.nauman@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Amanda Pennino, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: Hydropedology, soil moisture, forest soils, physical and hydraulic soil propertiesEmail: amanda.pennino@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Philip Rivara** – *Data Manager*Email: philip.rivara2@usda.gov**Link to bio**

**Erin Rooney, Ph.D.** – *Research Soil Scientist*Research interests: Permafrost, soil disturbance, microprocesses, iron-carbon interactions and redoxEmail: erin.rooney@usda.gov**Link to bio**

### Regional Research Liaisons

Research liaisons serve as a point of contact for their assigned region. They can provide general information about soil survey research and put regional staff in touch with experts for specific questions or studies. Each scientist can provide technical and academic advice and information in their area of expertise.

Alaska – Erin RooneyNorthwest – Jon MaynardSouthwest – Travis NaumanNorth Central – Ekundayo AdelekeSouth Central – Tiffany CarterNortheast – Amanda PenninoSoutheast – Ryan Hodges

### Recent Publications From the Research Branch

Bower, Jennifer A. , Donald S. Ross, Scott W. Bailey, **Amanda M. Pennino**, Michael J. Jercinovic, Kevin J. McGuire, Brian D. Strahm, and Madeline E. Schreiber. 2023. “Development of a lateral topographic weathering gradient in temperate forested podzols.” *Geoderma* 439: 116677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116677.

Buenemann, Michaela, Marina E. Coetzee, Josephat Kutuahupira, **Jonathan J. Maynard**, and Jeffery E. Herrick. 2023. “Errors in soil maps: The need for better on-site estimates and soil map predictions.” *Plos one* 18 (1): e0270176. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270176.

Lin, James S., Marcos V. Sarto, **Tiffany L. Carter**, Dallas E. Peterson, Colleen Gura, Laura Mino, Megan Rohrs, Hallie Lucas, Jamie Clark, and Charles W. Rice. 2023. “Soil organic carbon, aggregation and fungi community after 44 years of no-till and cropping systems in the Central Great Plains, USA.” *Archives of Microbiology* 205(3): 84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-023-03421-2.

**Maynard, Jonathan J.**, Edward Yeboah, Stephen Owusu, Michaela Buenemann, Jason C. Neff, and Jeffrey E. Herrick. 2022. “Accuracy of regional-to-global soil maps for on-farm decision making: Are soil maps ‘good enough’?” *EGUsphere* 2022: 1–35. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-277-2023.

McNellis, Brandon E., Anna C. Knight, **Travis W. Nauman**, Sam N. Chambers, C.W. Brungard, Stephen E. Fick, Carolyn G. Livensperger, S. Borthwick, and Michael C. Duniway. 2023. “Livestock removal increases plant cover across a heterogeneous dryland landscape on the Colorado Plateau.” *Environmental Research Letters* 18 (3): 034034. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acb728.

**Nauman, Travis W.**, Seth M. Munson, Saroj Dhital, Nicholas P. Webb, and Michael C. Duniway. 2023. “Synergistic soil, land use, and climate influences on wind erosion on the Colorado Plateau: Implications for management.” *Science of the Total Environment* 893: 164605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164605.

##   Links

### Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory (KSSL)

Mission: Measure soil properties that are critical to soil survey and conservation efforts of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the National Cooperative Soil Survey.
Learn More

### Soil Climate Research Stations

Links to data from soil climate research stations in Alaska and Antarctica.
Learn More

### Rapid Carbon Assessment (RaCA)

The Rapid Carbon Assessment (RaCA) was initiated by the USDA-NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division in 2010.
Learn More

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