Encyclopedia of Soil Science (Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series) (Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series)

Soils long have been taken for granted being so commonplace and lacking often striking features. However, soil is one of the most complex media on Earth, vital for the biogeosphere and human civilization. With increased usage of soil for world food production, building materials, waste repositories, etc awareness has grown for the need of better global understanding of soil and its processes. The Encyclopedia of Soil Science provides a comprehensive, alphabetical treatment of basic soil science in a single volume. It constitutes a wide ranging and authorative collection of about 160 academic articles covering the salient aspects of soil physics, chemistry, biology, fertility, technology, genesis, morphology, classification and geomorphology. The longer articles by leading authorities from around the world are being supplemented by ca 430 definitions of common terms in soil sciences. It should be emphasized though that the volume is not a dictionary but represents a compendium of knowledge. Graduate students, scientists and professionals, from a wide variety of disciplines and others who deal with the nature, processes and use of soil will have access to essential information and be directed to pertinent specialized literature. The Editor: Ward Chesworth is Professor Emeritus of Geochemistry at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He co-edited Weathering, Soils and Paleosols, and three volumes of the annual Hammond Lecture Series broadcast in part by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: Malthus and the Third Millennium, Sustainable Development, and The Human Ecological Footprint. He co-wrote Perspectives on Canadian Geology. In 2003 he received the Halbouty Prize of the Geological Society of America, of which he is a Fellow. Soil as the basis of civilization, is the most important resource of the solid earth that we use. It is the source of most of our food and fiber, much of our building materials, and the repository of most of our wastes. Over the last 10,000 years we have learned to manipulate it for our purposes to such a degree that our ecological footprint has notably modified about two thirds of the soils of the Earth. At the beginning of the 21st century, with the issue of the sustainability of human society, it has never been more important for there to be a global understanding of the soil and its processes amongst the educated public in general, and the scientist and technologist in particular.The Encyclopedia of Soil Science brings together approximately 190 longer articles, together with some 350 definitions of common terms used in soil science. In effect, it is a combination of an encyclopedia and glossary of terms. Furthermore, the book emphasizes the study of soils as an integral part of the earth sciences, and it does this without ignoring the agricultural, environmental and technological aspects of the subject.Individual soil types are keyed to the World Resource Base (WRB) Classification with concordance to soil taxonomy, in order to meet the needs of an international audience. Appropriately an international roster of authors, from North and South America, from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia, has been assembled, and the soils and soil landscapes of all continents are considered. The Encyclopedia of Soil Science provides a comprehensive, alphabetical treatment of basic soil science in a single volume. With increased usage of soil for world food production, building materials, and waste repositories, demand has grown for a better global understanding of soil and its processes. Front Matter....Pages i-xxvi Back Matter....Pages 1-1 ....Pages 1-1