Q: Roland, can you tell us a little about your background and how it led you to soil science?
I was born in Delft in the Netherlands and studied Physical Geography as an undergraduate at the University of Amsterdam. From there, I completed a PhD in Soil Science at the University of Bangor in Wales, focusing on phenolic compounds in upland soils.
My early career included a postdoctoral position at the NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory in East Kilbride, where I worked on radiocarbon 14C dating of UK soils and their constituents. I then spent several years as a research scientist studying soil organic matter dynamics at IGER North Wyke, which later became Rothamsted North Wyke.
Since 2012, I have been based in Germany as Research Leader for soil organic matter dynamics and elemental cycles at Forschungszentrum J眉lich. Across these roles, my work has consistently focused on understanding soils as complex, dynamic systems.
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Q: What are the main themes of your research today?
My research centers on biogeochemical processes at the soil鈥搘ater鈥揳ir interface, operating at both field and landscape scales in natural and agricultural ecosystems. A particular emphasis of my work is on the use of isotope signatures as tracers 鈥 for carbon, nutrients, other elements, and colloids 鈥 to better understand soil processes in the wider environment.
Over the years, I have co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed papers and have supervised PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career scientists across multiple countries. This international experience strongly informs me how I view both soil science and scientific publishing.
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Q: Why is soil science 鈥 and publishing high-quality soil science 鈥 so important right now?
There is growing recognition of the critical role soils play in planetary health, food security, climate regulation, and ecosystem resilience. With that recognition comes responsibility.
Soil scientists must provide high-quality, coherent, and trustworthy knowledge to support efforts to address the multiple environmental challenges we face. Long-standing, excellence-driven journals like the European Journal of Soil Science (EJSS) play a vital role in ensuring that decision-makers and the scientific community have access to robust, well-reviewed research.
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Q: How do you view the role of EJSS within the global soil science community?
At the heart of any successful journal is a strong covenant between authors, editors, and reviewers. All parties share responsibility for achieving the highest possible quality in the final published work.
EJSS is a society-based journal with a global outlook. That means we aim to publish soil science that is relevant to our society while also serving the wider international community. Equally important is ensuring the journal remains open and accessible to researchers worldwide who wish to contribute high-quality work, evaluated through a rigorous and fair peer review process.
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Q: You became Editor-in-Chief in January 2026. What priorities have you set for the journal so far?
Since taking on the role of EiC, we have already begun several important initiatives. One key focus has been expanding the pool of Associate Editors to ensure broader global coverage and expertise across soil science disciplines.
We are also continuing to invest in the training of new reviewers, which is essential for maintaining review quality and supporting the next generation of soil scientists. In parallel, we are developing clear guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in publishing, reflecting wider developments across academic journals.
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Q: How is EJSS responding to emerging research needs and trends in soil science?
We have initiated new special issues in direct response to current needs identified by the soil science community. These special issues allow the journal to engage more actively with emerging themes while maintaining our core commitment to scientific quality.
While methods, tools, and topical priorities may evolve over time, the focus of EJSS will always remain soil science 鈥 in all its forms and applications.
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Q: What does 鈥渜uality鈥 mean to you in the context of EJSS?
Quality is a shared responsibility. It involves authors presenting robust, clearly articulated research; reviewers offering constructive, expert feedback; and editors ensuring fairness, consistency, and scientific integrity throughout the process.
Beyond authors and reviewers, quality is also supported by the production and publishing teams who help bring each paper to its final form. EJSS succeeds because of the collective efforts of everyone involved.
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Q: What are you most looking forward to as Editor-in-Chief?
I am very happy to be part of such a committed and experienced team and to contribute to the continued success of EJSS in my role as Editor-in-Chief.
Above all, I look forward to engaging with the many high-quality submissions that come to the journal and working with authors, editors, and reviewers to ensure EJSS continues to publish excellent soil science that meets the needs of both the scientific community and society at large.
