Soil Ecology

A number of excellent textbooks on general ecology are currently available but‚ to date‚ none have been dedicated to the study of soil ecology. This is important because the soil‚ as the ‘epidermis’ of our planet‚ is the major component of the terrestrial biosphere. In the present age‚ it is difficult to understand how one could be interested in general ecology without having some knowledge of the soil and further‚ to study the soil without taking into account its biological components and ecological setting. It is this deficiency that the two authors‚ Patrick Lavelle and Alister Spain‚ have wished to address in writing their text. A reading of this work‚ entitled ‘Soil Ecology’‚ shows it to be very complete and extremely innovative in its conceptual plan. In addition‚ it follows straightforwardly through a development which unfolds over four substantial chapters. Firstly‚ the authors consider the soil as a porous and finely divided medium of b- organomineral origin‚ whose physical structure and organisation foster the development of a multitude of specifically adapted organisms (microbial communities‚ roots of higher plants‚ macro-invertebrates).

this Book First Synthesises In A Complete, Accessible Way All The Basic Knowledge Provided By The Different Disciplines Of Soil Science. It Then Proposes Integrative Concepts And Models That Organise This Knowledge, Taking Into Account The Multiple Interactions That Exist At A Number Of Different Scales Among The Living And Inanimate Components. This Consideration Of Basic Knowledge In A Novel Integrative Approach Is Necessary To Make Significant Progress In Such Critical Issues As The Improvement Of The Sustainability Of Soil And Land Use, The Maintenance Or Restoration Of Soil Quality, The Understanding Of The Function And Value Of Soil Biodiversity, The Role Of Soils In Carbon Sequestration, And The Effects Of Global Changes Upon Their Function.

"A number of excellent textbooks on general ecology are currently available but‚ to date‚ none have been dedicated to the study of soil ecology. This is important because the soil‚ as the 'epidermis' of our planet‚ is the major component of the terrestrial biosphere. In the present age‚ it is difficult to understand how one could be interested in general ecology without having some knowledge of the soil and further‚ to study the soil without taking into account its biological components and ecological setting. It is this deficiency that the two authors‚ [...] have wished to address in writing their text. [...] it will particularly interest today's pedologists and ecologists."--Pages xvii- xviii This book presents a synthesis of the basic knowledge underpinning the different disciplines of soil science. It presents the integrative concepts and models that permit the organisation of this knowledge and addresses the multiple interactions that occur between living and inanimate soil components at different spatial and temporal scales.--[book cover] Internal Enviroment, Microclimate and Resources....Pages 1-142 Soil Formation....Pages 143-200 Soil Organisms....Pages 201-356 Functioning of the Soil System....Pages 357-529