Linking Biogeochemical Processes, Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Ecosystem Services: A Case Study on Technosols

Soils are fundamental to sustaining life and providing ecosystem services, yet anthropogenic pressures threaten their integrity and may even lead to soil series extinction. At the same time, global demands for metals have increased waste production from the mining sector, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable waste management. Human-made soils, or Technosols, can be engineered to provide a promising framework for waste disposal and soil reclamation. To intentionally design Technosols that provide ecosystem services, or to manage unintentionally produced Technosols, it is crucial to understand how soil-forming factors and biogeochemical processes act in these soils to provide ecosystem services. In this study, we present a case study from a tropical estuary in south-east Brazil impacted by the world’s largest mining disaster. Iron mine tailings deposited in the estuarine environment unintentionally produced Technosols, offering a unique opportunity to assess soil biogeochemical processes. Using this context, students are guided to connect soil-forming factors and soil processes with soil functioning, and, ultimately, describe controls on metal biogeochemistry. Lastly, the students discuss strategies to simulate or enhance soil processes to provide ecosystem services. This case-based approach fosters active learning, linking fundamental soil science concepts to global environmental challenges and applied solutions for sustainability.