Soil organic matter (SOM) has been universally accepted as a key soil component in soil fertility, crop productivity and ecosystem functioning related to mitigation of greenhouse gas, maintaining soil biodiversity and sustaining ecosystem health. There has been increasing interests of SOM studies in agronomy, Earth science and ecological sciences globally. As a follow-up to the meetings in Poitiers (France,    2007), Colorado Springs (USA, 2009) and Louvain (Belgium, 2011), the fourth international symposium on organic matter dynamics will be held in Nanjing, China in 2013.

While this series symposium remains a focus on SOM dynamics under different human activities at various scales from cropland plot to water shed and land-ocean transects, the SOM 2013 will cover a wide range of studies of SOM from molecular characterization of SOM structure and its dynamics to global scale simulation and modeling of C fluxes between pedosphere and biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Exchanges of SOM and SOM- derievd(associated) C between soil and plant, between surface and subsurface, between land and waters will be again among the hot spots of the symposium.

While the food supply will be still a great challenge in developing countries, particular attention will be addressed of SOM and the linkage to soil productivity, nutrient efficiency, biological activities as well as soil tillage and conservation in agricultural soils in the present symposium. Meanwhile, the role of SOM in croplands will be further explored in the mitigation of GHGs in relations to human land sue and management practices. Contributions will be greatly encouraged from scientists with research on pragmatical solutions to sequester carbon in natural ecosystems as well as in croplands without compromising food production.

As new issues and technological development in SOM have been emerged in recent years, some special sessions addressing new tools and new concepts in study of SOM dynamics will be opened in the present symposium. As young scientists are the future of SOM study, tentatively a special activity will be also organized for young scientists, for which some funding and presentation awards will be granted after review and appraisal by the SC committee.

We look forward to a wide contribution from all around the world, and a great success with you of this event in China!