Hazardous and Trace Materials in Soil and Plants: Sources, Effects and Management explores the latest advancements in reducing, avoiding and eliminating soil contaminants that challenge the health and safety of agricultural plants. With a focus on minimizing the production of those hazardous substances, controlling their distribution and ensuring safe utilization, the book explores each contributing area and provides insights toward improved, sustainable and secure production. This is an excellent reference resource on both current research and future directions from laboratory research to field applications. The combined impacts of climate change and industrialization have led to increased and diversified threats to the health of the soil in which our food crops are grown, as well as in the plants themselves. This dual-hazard scenario is increasingly recognized as a threat to not just the environment, but to global food security as agricultural soils contaminated with pollutants alter plant metabolism, thus resulting in reduced crop quality and production quantity.

Build healthy soil and grow better plants Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere - the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health. Coverage includes: Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interact Common soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrients The creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame. Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertility Written for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.

Diagenesis affects all sediments after their deposition and includes a fundamental suite of physical, chemical and biological processes that control the texture, mineralogy and fluid-flow properties of sedimentary rocks. Understanding the processes and products of diagenesis is thus a critical component in the analysis of the evolution of sedimentary basins, and has practical implications for subsurface porosity destruction, preservation and generation. This in turn is of great relevance to the petroleum and water industries, as well as to the location and nature of some economic mineral deposits.This volume brings together key papers in sandstone diagenesis published in "Sedimentology" over the past 30 years, recording the development of diagenesis as a subject from the description of grain shapes through provenance, petrography and analytical geochemistry to predictive models of diagenetic process. The key papers are separated into themes that describe early and burial diagenetic processes. There is also an introduction to provide a contextual framework for the papers included in the compilation that provides definitions and explanations of the terms and concepts used in diagenesis. As such the book will be of value to students of sedimentology, earth surface processes and environmental geochemistry at undergraduate and post-graduate levels, as well as providing a reference guide for researchers in the field of sandstone diagenesis.

This book provides a thorough review of this powerful and sophisticated technique for modelling soil structure interactions. It has been written by an international team of authors.

Sedimentology Review is a new series of books edited by the Postgraduate Research Institute of Sedimentology (PRIS) and published by Blackwell Scientific Publications. The series provides the practicing sedimentologist with a means of rapidly accessing new developments in sedimentology. Existing textbooks date rapidly and new journals continuously become available, making it difficult to remain current in all aspects of the subject. The series provides high quality reviews written in an accessible format, on a wide variety of topics in sedimentology--sedimentary geology. The series will be a major resource for students, teachers and researchers as well as to geologists. * Rapid coverage of the most recent developments in sedimentology for students, researchers and professional geologists in industry * Edited by a board of experts in their respective fields * High quality, accessible information from international authorities * Generously illustrated

With the use of high-level soil management technology, Africa could feed several billion people, yet food production has generally stagnated since the 1960s. No matter how powerful the seed technology, the seedling emerging from it can flourish only in a healthy soil. Accordingly, crop yields in Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean could be doubled or tripled through adoption of technologies based on laws of sustainable soil management. Principles of Sustainable Soil Management in Agroecosystems describes the application of these laws to enhance ecosystem services while restoring degraded soils and promoting sustainable use. With chapters contributed by world-class soil scientists, ecologists, and social scientists, this book outlines critical changes in management of agricultural soils necessary to achieve food security and meet the food demands of the present and projected future population. These changes include conversion to no-till and conservation agriculture; adoption of strategies of integrated nutrient management, water harvesting, and use of drip sub-irrigation; complex cropping/farming systems such as cover cropping and agroforestry; and use of nano-enhanced fertilizers. The book is based on the premise that it is not possible to extract more from a soil than what is put into it without degrading its quality. The strategy is to replace what is removed, respond wisely to what is changed, and be pro-active to what may happen because of natural and anthropogenic perturbations. The chapters, which exemplify these ideas, cover a range of topics including organic farming, soil fertility, crop-symbiotic soil microbiota, human-driven soil degradation, soil degradation and restoration, carbon sink capacity of soils, soil renewal and sustainability, and the marginality principle.

This book deals with sedimentary sulfides which are the most abundant authigenic minerals in sediments.Special emphasis is given to the biogeochemistry that plays such a central role in the formation of sedimentary sulfides. It will be of interest to scientists in a number of disciplines, including geology, microbiology, chemistry and environmental science. The sulfur system is important to environmental scientists considering the present and future effects of pollution and anoxia.The development of the sulfur system - particularly the characteristics of ocean anoxia over the last 200 Ma - is useful in predicting the future fate of the Earth surface system as well asin understanding the past. The biochemistry and microbiology of the sulfur systemare key to understanding microbial ecology and the evolution of life.
First monograph on sedimentary sulfides, covering the ancient and modern sedimentary sulfide systemsComprehensive, integrating chemistry, microbiology, geology and environmental scienceAll key references are included and discussed
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Soil diversity (pedodiversity) is part of our natural and cultural heritage. The preservation of the pedosphere is essential for the protection of the biosphere and the Earth's systems, the regulation of climate, and for world food security. In this book, reputed international experts discuss the state of the art of pedodiversity analysis-analyzing the relationships among biodiversity, pedodiversity, landform diversity, lithodiversity, and land use diversity. The first of its kind, the book is intended to be a combined handbook, historical account of pedodiversity research, and essay on its future challenges.

Groundwater Science, Third Edition covers physical and chemical aspects of groundwater science, with emphasis on applications in the hydrologic cycle and in water supply, including contamination, mining, and construction issues. This interdisciplinary text weaves important methods and applications from the disciplines of physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, biology, and environmental science, introducing the mathematical modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport. This fully updated edition includes all new case studies, expanded ancillary materials (including software), and expanded problems. The book is a valuable resource for students and instructors in the geosciences, environmental sciences, and civil engineering with a focus on hydrology and hydrogeology.

Soil is one of our most precious natural resources, providing a range of ecosystem functions and services, while supporting huge biodiversity. In this new book, the focus is on soil management for agriculture and the environment. Changing land-use practices and the role of soil biological diversity has been a major focus of soil science research over the past couple of decades, a trend that is likely to continue. The information presented in this book point to a holistic approach to soil management. The first part of the book looks at the land use effects on soil carbon storage, which considers how a range of factors include carbon sequestration in soils. The second part of the book presents research investigating the interactions between soil properties, plant species, and the soil biota.Soil Science Management highlights some of the most important contemporary issues concerning land management, nutrient cycling, and soil carbon and leads to more holistic approaches to sustainable land management in the future.

The term "soil health" refers to the functionality of a soil as a living ecosystem capable of sustaining plants, animals, and humans while also improving the environment. In addition to soil health, the environment also comprises the quality of air, water, vegetation, and biota. The health of soil, plants, animals, people, and the environment is an indivisible continuum. One of the notable ramifications of the Anthropocene is the growing risks of decline in soil health by anthropogenic activities. Important among these activities are deforestation, biomass burning, excessive soil tillage, indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, excessive irrigation by flooding or inundation, and extractive farming practices. Soil pollution, by industrial effluents and urban waste adversely impacts human health. Degradation of soil health impacts nutritional quality of food, such as the uptake of heavy metals or deficit of essential micro-nutrients, and contamination by pests and pathogens. Indirectly, soil health may impact human health through contamination of water and pollution of air. This book aims to: Present relationships of soil health to human health and soil health to human nutrition. Discuss the nexus between soil degradation and malnourishment as well as the important links between soil, plant, animal and human health. Detail reasons oil is a cause of infectious diseases and source of remedial measures. Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this informative volume covering various aspects of soil health appeals to soil scientists, environmental scientists and public health workers.

Since carbon sequestration in soils reduces the amount of carbon available to the atmosphere, the Kyoto Protocols have heightened interest in soil carbon pools and their effect on carbon fluxes. Assessment Methods for Soil Carbon addresses many of the questions related to the measurement, monitoring, and verification of organic and inorganic carbon in soils. The major topics covered are: carbon pools; soil sampling and preparation, analytical techniques for soil carbon; soil erosion and sedimentation; remote sensing, GIS and modeling; procedures for scaling carbon data from point and local measurements to regional and even national scales; and economic and policy issues. In Assessment Methods for Soil Carbon, leading researchers show that we now have the ability to measure, monitor, and verify changes to soil carbon. The book establishes the need for standardized methods that can be used by anyone, and helps us better understand the link between the pedosphere (soils) and the atmosphere. It also shows the importance of developing links between the economics of carbon sequestration and the amounts sequestered, and highlights the need for scientists and policy makers to interact to ensure that policies fit within the scope of present technologies.

Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate considers the consequences of changes in the atmosphere and climate on the integrity, stability, and productivity of agroecosystems. The book adopts a novel approach by bringing together theoretical contributions from ecologists and the applied interpretations of agriculturalists. Drawing these two approaches together, the book provides the theoretical underpinning that guides scientists on what phenomena to look for, looking beyond first-order responses in the creation of sustainable agroecosystems. This unique approach provides an interpretation of ecological insights and general theory, and then relates them to agroecosystem performance. Each section of the book combines general principles of response with an examination of the applied consequences. The authors cover the supply of resources necessary to sustain agriculture in the future and discuss the incidence of pests, weeds, diseases, and their control. They provide an understanding of how the population biology of organisms will change and the adaptations that might be possible. The book also explores plant breeding solutions and the capacity for adaptation that exists in plant populations. In addition to the full chapters, the book includes Special Example chapters that deal in more detail with specific issues. Presenting a global perspective of climate change effects on agricultural production, Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate establishes connections between the immediate effects of change and the longer-term processes that will ultimately determine the consequences for agroecosystems and therefore the potential for adaptation.

The practitioner or researcher often faces complex alternatives when selecting a method to characterize properties governing a soil process. After years of research and development, environmental and agricultural professionals now have an array of methods for characterizing soil processes. Well-established methods, however, may not be suitable for the specific conditions of a study since many soil characteristics are intrinsically variable. An objective, integrated approach for soil characterization is needed to more effectively quantify parameters. Soil-Water-Solute Process Characterization goes beyond technical guidance and addresses the complicating factors such as spatial and temporal variability of soil processes, scale issues, soil structure, and the trade-offs between methods. It focuses on advanced methods for the monitoring and modeling of mass transfer processes in soil. Expert contributors present limitations to well-known methods and alternatives, discussing their practical applications for characterization efforts, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, and focusing on a reduced set of selected techniques. Three in-depth sections cover everything from multidisciplinary approaches for assessing subsurface non-point source pollution to techniques for characterizing water and energy balances at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface, field methods for monitoring soil water status, and computer models for characterizing the effect of chemicals in soil. This single-source reference is transforming method selection and our understanding of the principles, advantages, and limitations of the available monitoring techniques. Written in a simple and straightforward manner, Soil-Water-Solute Process Characterization is a detailed cookbook and a useful, practical reference for students, practitioners, and researchers.

Recognized and advocated as a powerful tool, the role of remote sensing in identifying, mapping, and monitoring soil salinity and salinization will continue to expand. Remote Sensing of Soil Salinization: Impact on Land Management delineates how to combine science and geospatial technologies for smart environmental management. Choose the Right Techniques for the Job An overview of soil salinity assessment using remote sensing technologies, the book describes a variety of sensors, ranging from ground-based to airborne and satellite-borne, and their use in a diversity of geographical regions and environmental settings from coastal to inland saline areas. It provides guidance on how to identify and choose the right remote sensing tools and data sets required based on the purpose of the study and the environmental setting. Organized into three sections, the book covers: Section I: Soil Salinity and Remote Sensing: The Object and the Tool - Focuses on the relationships between the landscape-object salinity and the remote sensing tools Section II: Trends in Mapping Soil Salinity and Monitoring Salinization Using Remote and Proximal Sensing - Provides a variety of case studies dealing with soil salinity mapping and monitoring the process of salinization Section III: Diversity of Approaches to Modeling Soil Salinity and Salinization - Demonstrates the diversity of approaches used in modeling soil salinity and salinization in space and time Combines Fundamentals, the Latest Technology, and Practical Examples The book includes analyses of basic issues of remote detection, such as the spectral behavior of salt types and vegetation influence, and evaluations of currently available remote sensing platforms delineating their advantages and disadvantages. The accompanying CD-ROM provides color images that enhance the mat

A comprehensive and practical overview of the state of the science, Soil Quality Standards for Trace Elements: Derivation, Implementation, and Interpretation addresses the derivation of soil quality standards for trace elements and the implementation of these standards within regulatory and risk assessment frameworks. Forty experts from 11 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America-a multidisciplinary group of government policy makers and regulators, academics, industry representatives, and consultants-provide a focused discussion on the science and methods underpinning the derivation of soil quality standards for trace elements. Outlines the supporting science for setting environmental and human health standards Covers the application and practical use of soil quality standards for trace elements Contains recommendations on the development and use of soil quality standards for trace elements Identifies best practices in accounting for (bio)availability and exposure modelling in standard setting for soils The book provides a clear description of how to derive and implement soil quality standards for trace elements in order to assess human and environmental risks. It covers scientific developments useful for resolving discrepancies in the setting and implementation of soil quality standards. It provides useful tips, including do's, and don'ts on how to deal with issues such as variation of the natural background and soil type dependent toxicity.

This profusely illustrated book gives an exhaustive account of the principal types of soils of our planet. The "progressive descent of weathering fronts" model, recognized and used by eminent international scientists is the guiding principle of choice to link the observations and to give the reader a synthetic and coherent view of the differentiation of soils. In each case, the introductory reminders summarize the physicochemical and mineralogical principles necessary for understanding the text. The nomenclatures rely systematically and simultaneously on the two most commonly used classifications: Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base. This reference manual is aimed at students of the undergraduate and graduate courses, but is also intended for workers and scientists in this subject area (geologists, pedologists, agronomists, land-use planners, foresters, etc.) as well as for all those concerned with or interested in protection of the environment.

While soil ecologists continue to be on the forefront of research on biodiversity and ecosystem function, there are few interdisciplinary studies that incorporate ecological knowledge into sustainable land management practices. Conventional, high fossil-fuel input-based agricultural systems can reduce soil biodiversity, alter soil community structure and nutrient cycling, and lead to greater dependence on energy-intensive practices.

Microbial Ecology in Sustainable Agroecosystems brings together soil ecologists, microbial ecologists, and agroecologists working globally to demonstrate how research in soil ecology can contribute to the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. The book identifies five key areas of research that can be combined to support and direct sustainable land management practices: agriculture, biodiversity, ecosystem services, integrated soil ecology research, and policy.

Topics include:

• A broad range of soil microbial processes in terms of the importance of microbial heterogeneity
• Inputs by soil microorganisms into wheat-farming systems
• The importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in making nutrients more available to crops
• The benefits and environmental problems associated with the use of crops genetically modified with Bacillus thuringiensis
• The incorporation of soil ecological or microbial ecological theory into agricultural practice to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability
• Challenges in sustainable agricultural research and the need for coalescing new avenues of research in agriculture and soil ecology

The contributors range from long-time ecological researchers to graduate students and early career scientists, representing a wide spectrum of experience, ages, diversity, and research interests in this area. They cover the diversity and complexity of microbial activity and interactions in soil systems and the many ways in which microorganisms may be manipulated and managed to improve the functions of crop rhizospheres and thereby maximize crop yields and overall productivity. These recommendations can be used to direct and influence agricultural and environmental policy and guide future research in sustainable agricultural systems management.

Across the world, soils are managed with an intensity and at a geographic scale never before attempted, yet we know remarkably little about how and why managed soils change through time. Understanding Soil Change explores a legacy of soil change in south-eastern North America, a region of global ecologic, agricultural and forestry significance: from the acidic soils of primary hardwood forests that covered the region until about 1800, through the marked transformations affected by long-cultivated cotton, to contemporary soils of rapidly growing and intensively managed pine forests. These well-documented records significantly enrich the science of ecology and pedology, and provide valuable lessons for land management throughout the world. The book calls for the establishment of a global network of soil-ecosystem studies, like the invaluable Calhoun study on which the book is based, to provide further information on sustainable land management, vital as human demands on soil continue to increase.

From bridges and tunnels to nuclear waste repositories, structures require that soils maintain their design engineering properties if the structures are to reach their projected life spans. The same is true for earth dams, levees, buffers, barriers for landfills, and other structures that use soils as engineered materials. Yet soil, a natural resource, continues to change as a result of natural and anthropogenic stresses. As the discipline of soil properties and behaviours matures, new tools and techniques are making it possible to study these properties and behaviours in more depth. What Happens to Soil Under Weathering, Aging, and Chemical Stress? Environmental Soil Properties and Behaviour examines changes in soil properties and behaviour caused by short- and long-term stresses from anthropogenic activities and environmental forces. Introducing new concepts of soil behaviour, soil maturation, and soil functionality, it integrates soil physics, soil chemistry, and soil mechanics as vital factors in soil engineering. The book focuses on environmental soil behaviour, with particular attention to two main inter-related groups of soil-environment issues. The first is the use of soil as an environmental tool for management and containment of toxic and hazardous waste materials. The second is the impact of ageing and weathering processes and soil contamination on the properties and behaviour of soils, especially those used in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering projects. A Transdisciplinary Look at Soil-Changing Processes To determine short- and long-term soil quality and soil functionality, the authors emphasize the need to be aware of the nature of the stressors involved as well as the kinds of soil-changing processes that are evoked. This book takes a first step toward a much-needed transdisciplinary effort to develop a broader and deeper understanding of what happens to soil and how we can determine and quantify the effect of biogeochemical processes. It offers a timely resource for the study of soil properties and behaviours, effects of environmental changes, and remediation of contaminated soil.

An authoritative reference on soil physics, Soil Physics Companion is lavishly illustrated with graphs, charts, line drawings, and equations. The book provides a valuable source of material and reference for most contemporary topics of soil physics and the vadose zone - arguably the most comprehensive volume available. In addition to being a reliable reference, it is valuable as an advanced text from which topics of interest can be selected by the teacher and student. Topics include: Static and dynamic aspects of soils Transport processes and soil water measurements Movement of soil water in the context of overall water balance and its key role in the hydrologic cycle Energy balance and thermal regime Soil-plant-atmospheric interface Solute transport and soil-gas movement Spatial variability Building on the work begun in the bestselling Handbook of Soil Science, this reference takes soil physics one step further. Convenient and easy-to-use, it provides in-depth information at your fingertips. When you need easily accessible, readily available facts and theories, you need the Soil Physics Companion.

The lingo of soil science is a language unto itself. Soil and Environmental Science Dictionary is a glossary of terms used in soil and environmental science, including terms from related disciplines. Designed for teachers, students, researchers and others interested or involved in environmental sciences related to soils, this compilation includes all terms and definitions from the current Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) glossary as well as from various other sources such as the Soil Science Society of America and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Soil and Environmental Science Dictionary defines terms accurately and clearly for professionals working in areas such as agronomy, building construction, civil engineering, forestry, environmental science and planning, geology, hydrology, petrology, and plant science.

The paradigm and models of traditional soil science lack the ability to adequately address issues of soil dynamics, environmental integration, and change. Unexplainable research results obtained from traditional soil studies applied to non-traditional soil phenomena in physical geography, archaeology and ecology speak to the current need for soil science to move beyond description and classification and into a dynamic process-oriented soil science capable of providing explanations. Soils do not behave as static inert geologic detritus affected by climate, organisms, relief, and parent material through time, but instead soils behave as self-organizing systems dynamically interrelating with their environment. Recognition of this dynamic behaviour required a re-examination of how scientists in general think and in how modern soil science specifically evolved its basic paradigms and models. This book examines the dynamics of soil organic carbon and demonstrates the self-organizing nature of soil through time as soil responds to a wide range of environmental and human perturbations.

Soil-The Basis of All Terrestrial Life Ancient civilizations and cultures-Mayan, Aztec, Mesopotamian, Indus, and Yangtze-were built on good soils, surviving only as long as soils had the capacity to support them. In the twenty-first century, productive soil is still the engine of economic development and essential to human well-being. The quality of our soil resources, however, is threatened by human-induced and natural perturbations. World Soil Resources and Food Security takes an in-depth look at the availability and status of soil resources in the context of the growing demands of an increasing world population and rising expectations of living standards. This timely reference presents current information on the soil resources available for food production. Presenting innovative strategies for soil and water management, it discusses how to maintain or improve the world's soil resources in order to increase food production. With the majority of the world's 1.02 billion food-insecure people concentrated in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, several chapters focus on soil resources in these regions. Contributions from renowned scientists deal with topics including: Global food situations World soil resources Soil resources of humid Asia and their acidification Soil resources of South Asia Properties and management of Vertisols Use of radioisotopic techniques in soil management The potential of rain-fed agriculture in the semiarid tropics The status of land degradation Nutrient balance in sub-Saharan Africa The book concludes by outlining the need for further research to generate credible data on soil resources and degradation. This volume is a useful resource for those interested in the state of the soils of the world in relation to food security and environmental quality.