Pogosyan et al. (2026) Soil Memory: from metaphor to a framework for Earth system history and human–environment interactions

Identification

• Journal: CATENA
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-27
• Authors: Lilit Pogosyan, Maria Bronnikova, Sergey Goryachkin, Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo, Anna Schneider
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2026.109839

Research Groups

• IUSS Commission 1.6 Paleopedology
• INQUA Paleopedology Working Group

Short Summary

This editorial introduces a special issue on "Soil Memory," tracing the concept's evolution from a metaphor to a scientific framework, largely shaped by V.O. Targulian's work, which has transformed paleopedology into a historical branch of pedology.

Objective

• To trace the historical development and modern interpretation of the "soil memory" concept, highlighting its evolution from a metaphor to a scientific framework that has transformed paleopedology, and to introduce a special issue dedicated to this theme.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Conceptual, applicable from single soil profiles (pedofeatures) to soilscapes and geosystems.
• Temporal Scale: Geological (thousands of years for soil formation) and historical (decades to centuries for the concept's evolution).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable; conceptual and historical review.
• Data sources: Historical scientific literature, seminal theoretical works in pedology, and definitions of key concepts.

Main Results

• The term "soil memory" was first used metaphorically by C.C. Nikiforoff in 1953.
• I.A. Sokolov and V.O. Targulian introduced "soil-memory" as a scientific term in 1976, distinguishing it from "soil-moment" (labile properties).
• V.O. Targulian significantly expanded and articulated the "soil memory" concept through continuous work from 1978–2019.
• The modern interpretation defines soil memory as the ability of a soil system to memorize its past, which can be potential or realized (soil record).
• The concept has transformed paleopedology from an applied discipline into a historical branch of pedology, integrating research on soil development, information recording mechanisms, and decoding methods.
• The special issue, "Soil Memory of Contemporary and Paleo Environments: From Single Proxy, Pedofeature or Property to Soilscape Records," comprises 33 published papers.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive historical account of the "soil memory" concept, from its metaphorical origins to its modern scientific definition.
• Clearly delineates the modern scientific interpretation of "soil memory" as a framework for understanding soil evolution.
• Emphasizes the transformative impact of this concept on paleopedology, elevating it to a historical branch of pedology.
• Serves as an editorial introduction to a significant special issue, consolidating diverse research under the "soil memory" framework.

Funding

• Not explicitly stated for this editorial.

Citation

@article{Pogosyan2026Soil,
  author = {Pogosyan, Lilit and Bronnikova, Maria and Goryachkin, Sergey and Solleiro-Rebolledo, Elizabeth and Schneider, Anna},
  title = {Soil Memory: from metaphor to a framework for Earth system history and human–environment interactions},
  journal = {CATENA},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2026.109839},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109839}
}