The Forum on Ecological Civilization and Environmental Health and 2021 Symposium on Frontier of Soil Ecology (SEL Editorial Board) was held in the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center from October 23 to 24. The symposium was jointly sponsored by Henan University and Higher Education Press, and jointly organized by the College of Geography and Environmental Science of Henan University and the Journal of Soil Ecology Letters. More than 200 experts and scholars nationwide in soil ecology, soil microbiology, soil zoology and other related fields attended the on-site symposium, and more than 3000 people joined in it online. This symposium, themed "Ecological Civilization and Environmental Health", provided chances for attendees to discuss and exchanges their own thoughts and ideas over the frontiers of and the recently debated key issues in the field of soil ecology.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Shenglei FU, Vice President of Henan University and a co-editor of Soil Ecology Letters, on the morning of October 23.

Guoding WU, Vice Governor of Henan Province, made his speech at the symposium. He stressed that Henan had been implementing the idea of the ecological civilization construction advocated by General Secretary Jinping XI, which aimed to achieve three goals: blue sky, clear water and pure land guided by the philosophy of ecosystem-based management of the Yellow River Basin. He hoped that Henan University would strengthen cooperation with other organizations at home and abroad, and better integrate the development of science and technology, the cultivation of professionals and the enhancement of innovation so as to promote national innovation and better serve to meet economic and social development needs within Henan province.

Yongguan ZHU, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that the research on soil ecology was to work towards an ecological civilization and a better life environment and life in China. He pointed out that the few decades of development of soil ecology field in China has nearly taken her to the forefront of the soil science research in the world, but there was still a long way to go for her to obtain a leading position in terms of the soil science research in the world. So he encouraged experts and scholars to explore the unknown that would lead to the worldwide remarkable progress in the research on soil ecology.

Professor Chun-peng SONG, President of Henan University, gave a brief introduction to the developmental history of Henan University and its current situation. He said that Zhengzhou Campus of Henan University was planned as a research-oriented campus, which aimed to develop some emerging disciplines related to life sciences, environment, information, electronics, materials as well as best research platforms that would help meet the needs of the plan of building Zhengzhou into a National Central City in China. SONG said this academic forum, aiming to discuss the relationship between theories and methods in soil ecology and environmental health, was of great significance to the social and economic development of Henan Province.

During the symposium, 25 scholars gave reports related to such fields as the soil biodiversity, soil interaction and food web, soil microbiome, the interaction between soil-plants, soil biogeochemical cycle, soil bioremediation, etc.