Since its launch by the UK Natural Environment Research Council in June 2012 the free iPhone app mySoil has attracted more than 2.6 million web hits and 12500 dedicated users (see go.nature.com-ty1ukf). Next month a new version will extend its coverage to soils in the European Union (EU).

Users of mySoil can currently view soil maps of the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland) that provide regional information on soil depth texture pH and organic-matter content and on vegetation habitats. They can upload photos and descriptions of their local soils. More than 500 entries have so far contributed to this valuable data bank of soil properties in different localities.

The remarkable success of collecting data in this way reflects widespread public interest and promotes communication with the science community.

With infrastructure covering an estimated average of 9% of the EU — often spread across the most productive soils — and with sustainable land management becoming increasingly urgent mySoil's democratization of soil data is a timely development.

【氮沉降与森林碳】Beverly Law. Biogeochemistry: Nitrogen deposition and forest carbon. Nature 496 307–308 (18 April 2013) doi:10.1038-496307a

Abstract

Human activity such as agricultural fertilizer use has increased the amount of nitrogen deposited onto forests from the atmosphere. The photosynthetic response to this in evergreen needleleaf forests has been quantified globally.

【欧洲氮消耗与收益】Hans J. M. Van Grinsven  Mike Holland Brian H. Jacobsen Zbigniew Klimont Mark a. Sutton and W. Jaap Willems. Costs and Benefits of Nitrogen for Europe and Implications for Mitigation