Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry : Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry

Now in its third edition, this classic textbook includes basic concepts and applications in agriculture, forestry, environmental science, and a new section entirely devoted to ecology. This revised and updated edition guides students through biochemical and microbial processes in soils and introduces them to microbial processes in water and sediments. Soil Microbiology, Ecology, and Biochemistry serves as an invaluable resource for students in biogeochemistry, soil microbiology, soil ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental amelioration. NEW TO THIS EDITION:* New section on Ecology integrated with biochemistry and microbiology* Sections on exciting new methodology such as tracers, molecular analysis and computers that will allow great advances in this field* Six new chapters: bioremediation, soil molecular biology, biodiversity, global climate change, basic physiology and ecological interpretations * Expanded with contributions from leading soil microbiologists and agronomists on both fundamental and applied aspects of the science* Full-color figures* Includes a website with figures for classroom presentation use Front cover......Page 1 Title page......Page 4 Copyright page......Page 5 Table of contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 18 Preface......Page 20 Part I BACKGROUND......Page 22 GENERAL HISTORY AND SCOPE......Page 24 SOIL MICROBIOLOGY......Page 26 SOIL ECOLOGY......Page 31 SOIL BIOCHEMISTRY......Page 34 IN PERSPECTIVE......Page 40 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 42 INTRODUCTION......Page 46 SOIL GENESIS AND FORMATION OF THE SOIL HABITAT......Page 47 PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOIL......Page 50 SOIL HABITAT SCALE AND OBSERVATION......Page 54 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 70 Part II SOIL BIOTA......Page 72 INTRODUCTION......Page 74 SCALE OF INVESTIGATIONS AND COLLECTION OF SAMPLES......Page 75 STORAGE AND PRETREATMENT OF SAMPLES......Page 77 MICROBIAL BIOMASS......Page 78 SIGNATURE MOLECULES AS A MEASURE OF MICROBIAL BIOMASS AND MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE......Page 80 PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSES......Page 86 ACTIVITIES AND LOCATIONS OF ENZYMES......Page 93 FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY......Page 98 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 101 INTRODUCTION......Page 106 TYPES AND STRUCTURES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS......Page 107 USE OF NUCLEIC ACID ANALYSES FOR SOIL ECOLOGY STUDIES......Page 109 DIRECT MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SOIL BIOTA......Page 111 BIOSENSORS AND MARKER GENE TECHNOLOGIES......Page 113 EXTRACTION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS (DNA/RNA)......Page 114 ANALYSIS OF NUCLEIC ACID EXTRACTS......Page 117 PARTIAL COMMUNITY ANALYSES - PCR-BASED ASSAYS......Page 125 LEVEL OF RESOLUTION......Page 133 OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT MOLECULAR ANALYSES......Page 134 SUMMARY......Page 135 REFERENCES......Page 136 INTRODUCTION......Page 140 PHYLOGENY......Page 141 GENERAL FEATURES OF PROKARYOTES......Page 147 CELL STRUCTURE......Page 148 METABOLISM AND PHYSIOLOGY......Page 153 BIODEGRADATION CAPACITY......Page 159 DIFFERENTIATION, SECONDARY METABOLISM, AND ANTIBIOTIC PRODUCTION......Page 162 CONCLUSIONS......Page 163 REFERENCES AND GENERAL READING......Page 164 INTRODUCTION......Page 166 CLASSIFICATION, CHARACTERISTICS, AND ECOLOGICAL ROLES IN SOIL......Page 172 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 179 INTRODUCTION......Page 184 THE MICROFAUNA......Page 187 ROTIFERA......Page 190 NEMATODA......Page 191 MICROARTHROPODS......Page 195 ENCHYTRAEIDS......Page 196 MACROFAUNA......Page 199 SUMMARY......Page 206 REFERENCES......Page 207 Part III CONCEPTS AND INTERACTIONS......Page 214 INTRODUCTION......Page 216 MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE......Page 218 ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS......Page 239 CONCLUSION......Page 246 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 247 INTRODUCTION......Page 252 METABOLIC CLASSIFICATIONS OF SOIL ORGANISMS......Page 254 EXAMPLES OF SOIL MICROBIAL TRANSFORMATIONS......Page 262 HOW CAN THE MICROBIAL CONTRIBUTIONS BE VIEWED IN A SIMPLIFIED AND UNIFIED CONCEPT?......Page 272 REFERENCES......Page 277 INTRODUCTION......Page 278 ROOTS AS AN INTERFACE FOR PLANT-MICROBIAL MUTUALISMS......Page 279 MYCORRHIZAL SYMBIOSES......Page 280 SYMBIOSES INVOLVING N-FIXING ORGANISMS......Page 288 INTERACTIONS AMONG MUTUALISTS......Page 291 INTERACTIONS WITH PATHOGENS......Page 293 IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANT POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES......Page 296 CHALLENGES IN THE STUDY OF INTERACTIONS......Page 297 CONCLUSIONS......Page 298 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 300 INTRODUCTION......Page 304 GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES IN SOIL BIOTA......Page 306 ASSOCIATION OF SOIL ORGANISMS WITH PLANTS......Page 308 SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY OF SOIL ORGANISMS......Page 311 VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE SOIL PROFILE......Page 313 MICROSCALE HETEROGENEITY IN MICROBIAL POPULATIONS......Page 317 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 320 Part IV BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOGEOCHEMISTRY......Page 322 INTRODUCTION......Page 324 LONG-TERM CARBON CYCLE......Page 325 THE SHORT-TERM C CYCLE......Page 328 ECOSYSTEM C CYCLING......Page 330 COMPOSITION AND TURNOVER OF C INPUTS TO SOIL......Page 333 SOIL ORGANIC MATTER......Page 350 QUANTITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC MATTER IN SOILS......Page 356 ROLE OF METHANE IN THE C CYCLE......Page 357 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 358 INTRODUCTION......Page 362 NITROGEN MINERALIZATION AND IMMOBILIZATION......Page 364 NITRIFICATION......Page 368 DENITRIFICATION......Page 376 OTHER NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOIL......Page 380 NITROGEN MOVEMENT IN THE LANDSCAPE......Page 381 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 383 GLOBAL N INPUTS......Page 386 BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION......Page 388 FREE-LIVING N2-FIXING BACTERIA......Page 393 ASSOCIATIVE N2-FIXING BACTERIA......Page 394 PHOTOTROPHIC BACTERIA......Page 395 SYMBIOTIC N2-FIXING ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LEGUMES AND RHIZOBIA......Page 396 BIOTECHNOLOGY OF BNF......Page 406 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 407 INTRODUCTION......Page 410 PHOSPHORUS......Page 412 SULFUR......Page 421 MICRONUTRIENTS AND TRACE METALS......Page 434 ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF P, S, AND METAL BIOGEOCHEMISTRY......Page 444 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 451 INTRODUCTION......Page 454 REACTION KINETICS......Page 455 MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF DECOMPOSITION AND NUTRIENT TRANSFORMATIONS......Page 460 ESTABLISHING POOL SIZES AND KINETIC CONSTANTS......Page 480 MODEL SELECTION AND EVALUATION......Page 482 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 485 Part V SOIL ORGANISMS: MAN AND NATURE......Page 490 INTRODUCTION......Page 492 CHANGING SOIL ORGANISM POPULATIONS AND PROCESSES......Page 494 ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT......Page 501 THE POTENTIAL FOR MANAGING MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR PROCESSES......Page 508 CONCLUDING COMMENTS ON MICROBIAL ECOLOGY......Page 520 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING......Page 521 INTRODUCTION......Page 524 SOIL COMMUNITY ECOLOGY - CONTROLS OVER POPULATION AND COMMUNITY DYNAMICS......Page 527 MICROBIAL LIFE AT THE MICROBIAL SCALE - THE MICROBIAL LANDSCAPE......Page 528 A WHOLE PROFILE PERSPECTIVE......Page 530 SCALING TO THE ECOSYSTEM......Page 531 APPLICATION......Page 532 REFERENCES......Page 533 Now in its third edition, this classic textbook includes basic concepts and applications in agriculture, forestry, environmental science, and a new section entirely devoted to ecology. This revised and updated edition guides students through biochemical and microbial processes in soils and introduces them to microbial processes in water and sediments. Soil Microbiology, Ecology, and Biochemistry serves as an invaluable resource for students in biogeochemistry, soil microbiology, soil ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental amelioration.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:
* New section on Ecology integrated with biochemistry and microbiology
* Sections on exciting new methodology such as tracers, molecular analysis and computers that will allow great advances in this field
* Six new chapters: bioremediation, soil molecular biology, biodiversity, global climate change, basic physiology and ecological interpretations
* Expanded with contributions from leading soil microbiologists and agronomists on both fundamental and applied aspects of the science
* Full-color figures
* Includes a website with figures for classroom presentation use The inclusion of ecology concepts in this third edition of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry reflects the broader applicability of the science. Expanded from 13 to 18 chapters this book reflects the great advances in molecular techniques, the broader use of tracers, and the maturation of modeling in interpretation of data and development of new concepts.New chapters include invertebrate-microbial interactions, basic physiology, and ecological interpretations. This edition has also been expanded with contributions from leading soil microbiologists and agronomists on both fundamental and applied aspects of the science.Students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, and environmental science will find guidance through basic concepts and applications of various soil processes as well as being introduced to microbial processes in water and sediments. This book also serves as an invaluable resource for biogeochemistry, microbiology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental amelioration researchers. Soil Microbiology and Biochemsitry enconmpasses the broad spectrum of soil organisms and the dynamic processes carried on by them, including ecological relationships in the biota, the dynamics of the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and microbe-driven reactions involving sulfu, phosphorous, and metals. This reference source will prove invaluable to anyone involved in the study of agricultural and nonagricultural soils.This book provideda process-oriented approach on nutrient cycling and fundamental soil processes for students who are studying soil microbiology and biochemistryan up-to-date assessment of the diverse systems affected by soil organisms for researchers in the fields of agronomy, environmental quality, and natural sciencesthe application of molecular biology to soil organisms, mathematic modeling of soil processes, a supplementary reading list, and a glossary. Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry, Third Edition by Eldor Alvin Paul The topics that the editor selected, are well developed and its updated bibliography. This book serves both query for the teacher as the degree and postgraduate student. My best wishes