Ecosystem functions and services provided by soil in earth surface has been considered as the key foundation supporting global society and environment sustainability.All of these functions and services are closely linked to aggregate hierarchy system of the soil cover.In this review,key ecosystem functions and services provided by soil including accumulation and stabilization of organic carbon,biodiversity conservation,Extracellular Enzyme Activities(EEAs)mediating biogeochemical cycling are overviewed linking to development of aggregate hierarchy system.In particular,understanding these functions and services by aggregate system in line with methodology updating of aggregate separation,characterization and data analysis/synthesis are discussed in depth.The discussions are focused on potential mechanistic linkage of multi-functions of these soil carbon sequestration,microbial diversity protection and EEAs modulation to the diverse micro-scale spatial pattern of the different hierarchies of aggregate size fractions.Following,the dual structure of soil aggregates and the associated pore system is highlighted in the diverse provisioning of the above mentioned functions and services.In the way,we point to the diversity of the aggregate-pore structure of the hierarchy aggregate systems of or within a soil as the key to understand the formation and development of the above mentioned functions and services for a give soil system.Meanwhile,through re-visiting and exploring the original data in some cases of soil aggregate studies published,we propose some novel methods for better characterizing the key roles of soil aggregate system in provisioning the ecosystem services and the improvement with rational practices or reasonable interference so as to guide sustainable soil management.Finally,comments on the importance of soil aggregate study in the research of Earth system sustainability.We urge a holistic understanding of soil aggregates as fundamental soil functioning units,instead of a direct agent in field process.Considering a key player in biogeochemical cycling and soil health,we call for a well-designed but long pursuing study of soil hierarchy aggregate systems and a global unification of soil aggregate characterizing and parameterization.This should be considered as a core foundation of soil system science in the late 21th century.
维普
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