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This textbook is aimed at the majority of students, who need to quickly acquire a concise overview of soil science. Many current soil science textbooks still cater for a traditional student market where students embark on three years study in a narrow discipline. The growth in modular degree schemes has meant that soil science is now often taught as self-standing unit as part of broad based degree program. Students pursuing this type of course are increasingly reluctant to purchase expensive textbooks that are too detailed and often assume a scientific background. For those opting to specialise in soil science there are a variety of good textbooks to choose from. This short informative guide, will be particularly useful for students who do not possess a traditional scientific background, such as those studying geography, environment science, ecology and agriculture. Only textbook to cater for introductory courses in soil science. Provides an affordable concise overview of soil science. Learning exercises and chapter summaries enhance usability. Annotated suggestions for further reading. Based on proven and successful modular course structure. Emphasis on readability and interactive learning. No scientific background assumed.
The first process-based textbook on how soils form and function in biogeochemical cycles, for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
Carnivorous pitcher plants, pygmy conifers, and the Tiburon jewel flower, restricted to a small patch of serpentine soil on Tiburon Peninsula in Marin County, are just a few of California's many amazing endemic plants—species that are unique to particular locales. California boasts an abundance of endemic plants precisely because it also boasts the richest geologic diversity of any place in North America, perhaps in the world. In lively prose, Arthur Kruckeberg gives a geologic travelogue of California's unusual soils and land forms and their associated plants—including serpentines, carbonate rocks, salt marshes, salt flats, and vernal pools—demonstrating along the way how geology shapes plant life. Adding a fascinating chapter to the story of California's remarkable biodiversity, this accessible book also draws our attention to the pressing need for conservation of the state's many rare and fascinating plants and habitats. *148 outstanding, accurate photographs, more than 100 incolor, illustrate California's diverse flora *Covers a wide range of locations including the Channel Islands, the Central Valley, wetlands, bristlecone pine forests, and bogs and fens *Provides selected trip itineraries for viewing the state's geobotanical wonders *Includes information on human influences on the California landscape from the early Spanish explores through the gold rush and to the present
An abridged, student-oriented edition of Hillel's earlier published Environmental Soil Physics, Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics is a more succinct elucidation of the physical principles and processes governing the behavior of soil and the vital role it plays in both natural and managed ecosystems. The textbook is self-contained and self-explanatory, with numerous illustrations and sample problems. Based on sound fundamental theory, the textbook leads to a practical consideration of soil as a living system in nature and illustrates the influences of human activity upon soil structure and function. Students, as well as other readers, will better understand the importance of soils and the pivotal possition they occupy with respect to careful and knowledgeable conservation. Written in an engaging and clear style, posing and resolving issues relevant to the terrestrial environment Explores the gamut of the interactions among the phases in the soil and the dynamic interconnection of the soil with the subterranean and atmospheric domains Reveals the salient ideas, approaches, and methods of environmental soil physics Includes numerous illustrative exercises, which are explicitly solved Designed to serve for classroom and laboratory instruction, for self-study, and for reference Oriented toward practical problems in ecology, field-scale hydrology, agronomy, and civil engineering Differs from earlier texts in its wider scope and holistic environmental conception
Get down to the individual microbe, enzyme, and ion & learn to partner with your soil micro to macro for incredible plants, yields, nutrition, and increasingly better soil every year! This is the book for you if you are looking for clear recipes, visual science, the chemistry, the biology, and the bridges connecting them all. If you have ever wondered what is really going on in the soil and are searching for solutions, this is the book for you.
An Introduction to Soils for Environmental Professionals assembles and presents the basic principles of each of the major soil science fields. It introduces fundamental concepts and shows the interrelationships between the various branches of soil science - from mineralogy to soil physics. Each chapter was reviewed by a professional in the particular field, and expert contributions were made throughout the text. This well-written and interdisciplinary book begins with introductory material, covering the fundamentals of soils, soil science, and soil classification systems. The presentation of soil mineralogy contains contributions from a lecturer in the field of mineralogy and so constitutes an excellent source of introductory material on the subject. Soil mechanics and soil physics are described in detail, incorporating interesting discussions related to applied problems in soil science studies and research. The coverage of soil chemistry emphasizes environmental aspects and contains information that has been used and reviewed by students in environmental science courses. The coverage of microbiology reflects the input of a specialist in biodegradation and bioremediation of contaminated sites. Sampling techniques and selection of appropriate procedures for soil analysis are reviewed, and contributions from specialists in both of these fields are included. The chapter on agricultural considerations presents the basic concepts of plant and soil interactions. The management and interpretation of data obtained in soil studies is discussed, emphasizing the need for proper handling and presentation of data. The book closes with a presentation of case histories from published articles, public data, and the personal experiences of the author. These presentations illustrate the application of many of the important concepts highlighted in An Introduction to Soils for Environmental Professionals.
A basic and applied textbook, ideal for students.
The book compiles the main ideas and methodologies that have been proposed and tested within these last fifteen years in the field of Digital Soil Mapping (DSM). Begining with current experiences of soil information system developments in various regions of the world, this volume presents states of the art of different topics covered by DSM: Conception and handling of soil databases, sampling methods, new soil spatial covariates, Quantitative spatial modelling, Quality assessment and representation of DSM outputs. This book provides a solid support to students, researchers and engineers interested in modernising soil survey approaches with numerical techniques. It is also of great interest for potential soil data users. * A new concept to meet the worldwide demand for spatial soil data * The first compilation of ideas and methodologies of Digital Soil Mapping * Offers a variety of specialities: soil surveying, geostatistics, data mining, fuzzy logic, remote sensing techniques, Geographical Information Science,...* Written by 82 researchers from 13 different countries
Landscapes viewed from afar have a timeless quality that is soothing to the human spirit. Yet a tranquil wilderness scene is but a snapshot in the steady stream of surficial change. Wind, water and human activities reshape the landscape by means of gradual to catastrophic and usually irreversible events. Much of this change destroys past landscapes, but at some times and places, landscapes are buried in the rock record. This work is dedicated to the discovery of past landscapes and their life through the fossil record of soils. A long history of surficial changes extending back almost to the origin of our planet can be deciphered from the study of these buried soils, or paleosols. Some rudiments of this history, and our place in it, are outlined in a final section of this book. But first it is necessary to learn something of the language of soils, of what happens to them when buried in the rock record and which of the forces of nature can be confidently reconstructed from their remains. Much of this preliminary material is borrowed from soil science, but throughout emphasis is laid on features that provide most reliable evidence of landscapes during the distant geological past. This book has evolved primarily as a text for senior level university courses in paleopedology: the study of fossil soils.