(Huesca, Thursday, April 10, 2025). On Friday, April 4, the conference “Current Knowledge on Soils in Aragon” was held at the School of Polytechnic Engineering (EPS) in Huesca, University of Zaragoza. The event was coordinated by David Badía Villas, co-PI of the GEOFOREST research group. The opening ceremony was led by Alfredo Serreta (GEOFOREST), director of UIMP–Pirineos Campus, and David Badía, chair of the Aragonese Territorial Delegation of the Spanish Soil Science Society (SECS), representing the organizing institutions.
The conference brought together members from various research groups focused on soil studies in the region of Aragon. Around twenty speakers from EEAD-CSIC, IPE-CSIC, UNIZAR, and ICGC presented their recent achievements and short-term research projects. The EPS lecture hall reached full capacity, with an engaged and participatory audience.
📺 All talks are available on the EPS YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcez_fBpyTvAbTbyc9k9_dVDtE7jYQ-lI
🔍 Content Highlights
The sessions presented new non-destructive technologies being tested to determine soil components (organic matter, texture, moisture, nutrients, etc.) and evaluate erosion rates under different land uses. Advances were shown in the quantification of properties such as soil water infiltration, crucial for irrigation planning, as well as soil health indicators and the impact of land use on greenhouse gas emissions.
Another series of presentations focused on the role of soil biota in ecosystem functioning—how earthworms influence the carbon cycle, or how fungi form mutualistic relationships with most plant species. Remarkably, it was shown that some plant species from Los Monegros are able to extract water from gypsum rocks. Other talks addressed the effects of wildfires and prescribed burns on soils and vegetation succession.
New insights were also shared on the saline wetland soils of Aragon, where interactions between water, gypsum, and soluble salts create highly unique conditions. The final presentations examined spatial soil variability, including the announcement of a new soil map of the Pyrenees, expected to be published next year, and highlighted Aragon’s contributions to the upcoming National Atlas of Spain.
🗣️ Closing Remarks
The closing session featured Jesús Betrán Aso, Dean of the Official College of Agronomists of Aragon, Navarre and the Basque Country, and David Badía Villas, who emphasized the high scientific quality of the participating groups—many of which are expanding with new teams, particularly of women researchers. The growing strength of these groups responds to the increasing demand from society and soil users for accurate soil monitoring and compliance with current legislation: the EU Soil Deal, Soil Monitoring Law, Nitrates Directive, Royal Decree on Sustainable Nutrition, and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Despite the increasing presence of soils on both national and international agendas—due to their relevance to climate change, food production, water quality, and biodiversity—there remain significant gaps in professional training and public awareness of this vital resource. It was noted during the event that soils are not covered in Spain’s compulsory secondary education curriculum¹ and are often overlooked in university degrees where they should be central.
Finally, as emphasized throughout the event, Aragon still lacks accessible, useful soil information, unlike other autonomous communities. Regional governments are responsible for producing detailed soil cartography appropriate for agricultural management, land use planning, urban development, and scientific research².
“Soils are essential to food, nature, and our economy, and deserve the same level of protection as water, air, and the marine environment.”
📚 References:
¹ SECS (2016). White Paper on Soil Education in Spanish Secondary and High School Textbooks. Diputació de Lleida, 76 p. + annexes
Link
² SECS–FAO Spain (2017). Proposal for a Spanish National Soil Cartographic Information Program: INFORCAS.es.Madrid, 150 p.
Link