Title: Symposium--Soil Systems - What Are They and Why Are They Important?

Session Description: When looking at a soil map, patterns resembling pieces of a jigsaw puzzle appear. Although each piece (or soil polygon) contains information about soil properties, the question arises about how the pieces interact and function together as a larger unit—as a soil system. This symposium explores soils as connected agents that are interdependent and adaptive at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Papers are invited that focus on soil systems as a way to understand (1) eutrophication of water bodies, (2) ecological communities, (3) crop yield, (4) highly erodible land, (5) archaeology, or (6) how water flows through a landscape.