Online soil research references

CANADIAN SOIL MAPS & NATIONAL DATA

• Agricultural Land Reserve Maps – hosted on the Agricultural Land
  Commission website
• Canadian Soil Information Services (CanSIS) – Government of Canada provided soil data and land resource information, including the national soil database, interactive maps, soil interpretations, soil survey reports,      printed maps, a publication archive, photo gallery and glossary
• The Canadian System of Soil Classification, 3rd ed. – a searchable publication of the Government of Canada Soil Classification Working Group issued in 1998, details the soil orders of Canada
• Soils of Canada – outlines how soils are formed, digital soil maps, and a field guide addressing:
• Soil Genesis and Geographical Distribution
• Site and Sampling Point Description
• Soil Profile Description
• Horizon Identification
• Taxonomic Key for Canadian Soils
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Interactive Soil Maps – includes a national ecological framework and a Canada Land  Inventory

SOIL SCIENCE ORGANIZATIONS

• Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) – professional soil scientists across Canada
• Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science (PRSSS) – students, researchers, consultants and professionals in British Columbia
• BC Institute of Agrologists – 400+ practicing agrologists, professionals in agriculture, food production,environment and resource management
• Soil Conservation Council of Canada – founded in 1987 to address soil health priorities nationally
• International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) – global union of soil scientists
• Soil Science Society of America – professional soil experts in the US
• Soil and Water Conservation Society – global professionals in natural resource conservation
• Soil Science Australia – soil scientists in Australia promoting soil as a finite resource
• New Zealand Society of Soil Science – formed in 1952, with local and international members
• Africa Soil Science Society – founded in 1986 to connect African soil scientists
• British Society of Soil Science – UK society for soil scientists, professionals and the public
• American Society of Agronomy – 7,000+ members and 12,000+ certified professionals
• List of International Soil Science Societies – maintained by the European Soil Data Centre

SOIL ASSESSMENT & TESTING

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey Manual, Handbook No. 18 – released by Soil Science Division Staff in 2017
• Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health – Cornell University – standardized soil testing method, used by several  national initiatives
• Methods manual for forest soil and plant analysis – published by the Canadian Forest Services in 1991
• Soil Health Institute North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements
• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Global Land Degradation  Information System
• (GLADIS) – outlines global soil health indicators

CANADIAN BASED SOIL SCIENCE LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS

• University of Alberta Breton Plots – classical and Hendrigan plots
• BC long-term soil productivity study – effects of organic matter on forest soil productivity
• Range Reference Areas of the southern interior of BC – monitors the impact of livestock, wildlife and other disturbances on range lands
• Fluxnet Canada – Canadian Carbon Program Data Collection (1993-2014) – carbon cycling
• Bibliography of Scientific Publications Based on Long-term Crop Rotation Studies in the Canadian Prairies – a 2012 listing of scientific publications on long-term crop rotations in Canada

PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS – CANADA/BC

• BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
• BC Agricultural Land Commission
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Environment and Climate Change Canada

INTERNATIONAL SOIL LINKS

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service  – provides guidance and insights on soil biology, health assessment, literature and resources
• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations – Land and Water Portal – addresses topics such as sustainable land management, land assessment and impacts, governance and planning, restoration, soils,          databases, and policy approaches.
• Global Soil Partnership (GSP) – established in 2012 to position soils in the global agenda
• North America Regional Soil Partnership (NARSP) – established 2014 with US & Canada
• Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) – established 2013 top soil experts
• 2015 International Year of Soils – healthy soils for a healthy life
• International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) aka World Soil Information – data hub and soil data collections, world soil museum, soil property estimates globally to 250m
• European Commission Joint Research  Centre – European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) – soil data and information at the European level, including maps, documents, events, projects and resources
• Soil Biodiversity Atlas – a synthesis of global soil biodiversity research, froma joint venture of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and the European Commission Joint Research Centre

INSTITUTES & NETWORKS

• Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative – a collaboration of scientists to advance policy options and incorporate scientific knowledge on soil biodiversity and ecosystem efforts into dialogue
• Regeneration International – an umbrella group working to facilitate a transition to principles of regenerative agriculture through regional partnerships globally
• Regeneration Canada – promotes soil regeneration across multiple disciplines nationally
• “4 per 1000” Initiative – created after the Paris COP in 2015 to capture carbon in soil at the rate of 4 parts per 1000 to address food security and climate change
• Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases – Croplands Research Group – includes a global research alliance modelling platform (GRAMP) to share information about biogeochemical ecosystem   modelling, a literature database, and several conservation networks
• Rodale Institute – provides farmer and consumer training, and conducts long-term field trials of organic and regenerative agricultural practices
• Savory Institute – a global effort to adopt holistic land management practices to regenerate soil
• Soil Foodweb Institute – an international soil biology group providing laboratory soil testing and soil biology consultancy services
• The Land Institute – plant breeders and ecologists working globally to develop perennial polycultures that mimic natural ecosystems as alternatives to annual crops
• Soil Health Partnership – promotes the adoption of soil health practices in the US
• The Savanna Institute – explores agroforestry as a climate solution and provides extensive resources to address biodiversity and soil quality globally

SOIL SCIENCE EDUCATION

• Wageningen University and Research – 10 module free online course in Sustainable Soil Management: Soil for Life, with opportunity for paid verified certificate
• Soil Science Society of America – free webinars on soil health and other soil topics
• Review of 92 soil science preparatory degree programs at 86 universities in the US
• American Society of Agronomy – provides regular webinars and courses on soil topics
• UBC Land and Food Systems – undergraduate and graduate programs in soil and agriculture
• SoilWeb200 – online soil science concepts created for undergraduate soil students
• Soil Web.ca – general web-based resources and on-line courses
• Thompson Rivers University – Applied Sustainable Ranching program in Williams Lake
• University of Alberta – Soil Monoliths Collections
• University of Alberta – Land Reclamation International Graduate School
• Soil-net.com – provides soil-based activities and information broken down by grade level
• A Chaos of Delight – A Photographic Guide to Soil Mesofauna with many links
• International Union of Soil Sciences 
• Children’s Book Competition – winning books are available online
• Playful Soils Educational Resources – songs, videos, poems, activities and books for kids
• “Dig it! DIY The Secrets of Soil” – developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History with support from the SSSA
• Frontiers for Young Minds – Soil biodiversity collection of articles written for youth
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – education material for teachers K-12

MENTAL WELLNESS OF FARMERS

• Government of Canada Standing Select Committee Report – released in 2019 and titled “Mental Health: A Priority for Our Farmers”, this report outlines 10 recommendations for attention
• National Survey of Farmer Mental Health – conducted by Dr. Andria Jones-Britton in 2018, as part of the Standing Select Committee report, involving 1,100 producers across Canada
• Farm Management Canada – offers research and tools to support “Health Minds, Healthy Farms”, including a media  kit, and a report on mental health and farm business management
• Farm Credit Canada – Rooted in Strength – provide an overview and assessment tool to support farmers to identify and manage sources of stress, and offer links to mental health resources
• Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) – maintains a detailed list of resources for farmers and offers community-based training in mental health for farmers in Canada
• Young Agrarians – provide a suite of tools for farmer mental health and wellness
• 4-H Canada’s Health Living Initiative – 10 tip sheets, an activity guide, a webinar, and a Kids Help Phone are available to support the mental health and wellness of farmers across Canada
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – provide an infographic on overall mental health status of farmers in Canada
• Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) – provides several fact sheets and resources to build wellness on the farm, including a farm stress inventory and management plan, and a report called “Difficult
• Times: Stress on the Farm” Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – local CMHA branches provide resources for farmers based on collaboration with agricultural industry leaders