近20 年来土壤团聚体的研究逐渐成为土壤学研究的主要方向，其理论和方法不断推陈出 新。通过回顾土壤团聚体形成发育的基本理论沿革，梳理了土壤团聚体粒径分组、组分分析和结 构表征的技术沿革，讨论和归纳了土壤团聚体分离制备和生物物理结构解剖分析的技术方法，并 凝练了对土壤团聚体系统的本质科学认识。得到的主要认识包括：①土壤团聚体是土壤中矿物 质、有机质和生物质相互作用构成的最小微域构造单元，应赋予功能性土壤颗粒的本质地位；②土 壤中不同层级团聚体的不同微域分布格式是土壤异质性和功能多样性的原由；③土壤团聚体的最 终本质是土壤（生物）动态孔隙系统，不同层级团聚体在总孔度、孔径及其堆砌构造上或者说团聚 体—孔隙的偶联构造上具有固有的特征；④主要可从宏团聚体—微团聚体—（未团聚的）粉黏粒3 个层级的组合关系来表征土壤团聚体系统，可用石榴模式来理解粉黏粒和微团聚体进一步发育为 宏团聚体；⑤在团聚体分离制备方法中，尽管干筛法和润筛法对于干土样本应用较多，但湿筛法制 备的样品更接近于团聚体的自然形成和稳定；⑥计算机断层扫描孔隙微形貌技术提供了刻画团聚 体孔隙系统并与土壤生命过程和生态系统服务相联系的定量化和可视化技术途径。未来需要通 过广泛国际合作发展全球土壤团聚体系统的定量化解剖、功能化分析和可视化呈现的通用方法和 实验室操作规范，以便从团聚体系统层面解构土壤复杂系统，特别是生物多样性系统，为开发基于 团聚体理论的全球土壤管理政策及技术路径提供科学依据和参考。

Abstract：With the increasing concerns for ecosystem functioning and services provided by soil, the study on soil aggregates has been increasingly a streamline discipline of modern soil science with the continuing updating of consensus and the methodology. In this review, we provide a holistic overview of understanding and characterizing soil aggregate system emerged for over last two decades. Evolution of concepts of soil aggregation, size fractionation and structural characterization is displayed, and separation and examination of the biophysical structure are discussed, as well as the final core scientific consensus of soil hierarchy system is synthesized. The main point of view of understanding soil aggregates include the followings. ① Soil aggregates are considered as the minimum micro-architecture and functional units, comprised of mineral particles, organic matter and (micro-) biome via their interaction and co-occurrence, thus noting their basic functional particles of soil in nature; ② The micro-spatial distribution of soil aggregates at different hierarchy levels results in the heterogeneity but functional diversity of a soil; ③ The final nature of soil aggregates could be envisaged of the embedded bio-pore system, created via the dual structure of aggregate and the associated pore system governed by the hierarchy aggregate system; ④ A soil aggregate system is generally represented by the three major hierarchies of aggregate size fractions including macroaggregates, microaggregates and silt/clay fraction, with the macroaggregates formed via binding microaggregates and/or silt-clay particles with coarse organic matter in a mode of pomegranate; ⑤ Wet sieving of field moist samples are recommended for preparation of soil aggregate separates despite of dry or moist sieving often used for samples from dry lands; ⑥ The μCT tomography technology is a powerful tool to quantify and visualize the pore system of soil aggregates, potentially linking to soil life processes and ecosystem services. Global cooperation is urged to develop unified protocol for fractioning, quantifying and visualizing the soil hierarchy system of aggregates of world soils. With the developments, the complexed soil system, particularly of the biodiversity of soil, can be explored at aggregate scale. Based on the updated understanding and characterization of soil aggregate system, nature-based solutions for global soil management policy and technical options will be provided for developing Earth sustainability.