Soil archives preserve a snapshot of soils from a specific time and location, allowing researchers to re-evaluate soils of the past in the context of the present for an improved understanding of long-term soil change. To date, the extent of soil archive use in the peer-reviewed literature is poorly inventoried. Here, we document the characteristics and distribution of global soil archive use, as found in 245 publications, following an exhaustive search of English language journals. Soil archive use has increased substantially since 1980, reaching 59 publications between 2016 and 2020. The age of soil archives across the compilation ranged from 5 to 160 yr, with mean and median archive ages of 48 and 37 yr, respectively. Publications using soil archives originated mostly from countries in the northern hemisphere, with the top five reporting countries including the United States (61), United Kingdom (52), New Zealand (21), Canada (18), and China (14). Land uses associated with soil archive publications were dominated by agroecosystems, specifically land planted to annual crops. Fortyseven percent of investigations focused on changes in soil C, N, or organic matter, whereas investigations of other subjects did not exceed 20% each. The compilation is publicly available online. As demands on soils increase, archives will serve as an invaluable tool for understanding long-term soil change in the Anthropocene era. Multiregional coordination and increased investment in curation and retention of soil archives are recommended to preserve these irreplaceable resources.

Global warming potential (GWP) estimates from agroecosystems are valuable for understanding management effects on climate regulation services. However, GWP estimates are complex, including attributes with high spatiotemporal variability. Published GWP estimates from cropland were compiled and methodological attributes known to influence GWP were extracted. Results revealed considerable variation in approaches to estimate GWP. Among carbon balance methods, respiration methods were used most frequently (33%), followed by soil carbon stock change over time (30%). Twenty-six percent of studies did not account for carbon change in GWP estimates. Duration of gas flux measurements ranged from 0.5 to 60 months, with weekly and sub-weekly sampling most common (34% and 33%, respectively). Carbon dioxide equivalent conversion factors generally aligned with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations through 2014 but diverged thereafter. This review suggests the need for increased transparency in how GWP estimates are derived and communicated. Presentation of key metadata alongside GWP estimates is recommended.