Soil classification and terminology are fundamental issues for the clear understanding and communication of the subject. However, while there are many national soil classification systems, these do not directly correlate with each other. This leads to confusion and great difficulty in undertaking comparative scientific research that draws on more than one system and in making sense of international scientific papers using a system that is unfamiliar to the reader. This book aims to clarify this position by describing and comparing different systems and evaluating them in the context of the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources. The latter was set up to resolve these problems by creating an international 'umbrella' system for soil correlation. All soil scientists should then classify soils using the WRB as well as their national systems. The book is a definitive and essential reference work for all students studying soils as part of life, earth or environmental sciences, as well as professional soil scientists. Published with International Union of Soil Sciences

Soil contamination represents a serious environmental problem and requires an immediate action plan to be prepared for typical and emergent contaminants. This book provides an overview of some remediation technologies, both traditional and emergent, as well as case studies based on the contribution from academia and service providers. Several soil and groundwater remediation technologies such as electrokinetic remediation, biological treatments (including phytoremediation), and chemical remediation are presented. Innovative technologies such as nanoremediation and the application of life cycle assessment as a decision tool for soil remediation technologies are also considered in this book. This book serves as a reference source for soil remediation as it includes applications, technologies, and valuable tools that can help in decision making during remediation actions. It can be used by students, researchers, service providers, and industry practitioners.

The second edition of The Chemistry of Soils, published in 2008, has been used as a main text in soil-science courses across the world, and the book is widely cited as a reference for researchers in geoscience, agriculture, and ecology. The book introduces soil into its context within geoscience and chemistry, addresses the effects of global climate change on soil, and provides insight into the chemical behavior of pollutants in soils. Since 2008, the field of soil science has developed in three key ways that Sposito addresses in this third edition. For one, research related to the Critical Zone (the material extending downward from vegetation canopy to groundwater) has undergone widespread reorganization as it becomes better understood as a key resource to human life. Secondly, scientists have greatly increased their understanding of how organic matter in soil functions in chemical reactions. Finally, the study of microorganisms as they relate to soil science has significantly expanded. The new edition is still be comprised of twelve chapters, introducing students to the principal components of soil, discussing a wide range of chemical reactions, and surveying important human applications. The chapters also contain completely revised annotated reading lists and problem sets.

The Australasia-Pacific Region supports approximately 50% of the world's population. The last half-century has witnessed a rapid increase in the regional population, agricultural productivity, industrial activities and trade within the region. Both the demand for increased food production and the desire to improve the economic conditions have affected regional environmental quality. This volume presents an overview of the fate of contaminants in the soil environment; current soil management factors used to control contaminant impacts, issues related to sludge and effluent disposals in the soil environment; legal, health and social impacts of contaminated land, remediation approaches and strategies to manage contaminated land, some of the problems associated with environmental degradation in the Australasia-Pacific Region and steps that we need to take to safeguard our environment.

Faced with challenges of resource scarcity and environmental degradation, it is important to adopt innovative farming systems that maximize resource efficiency while protecting the environment. Soil-Specific Farming: Precision Agriculture focuses on principles and applications of soil-specific farming, providing information on rapidly evolving agricultural technologies. It addresses assessments of soil variability and application of modern innovations to enhance use efficiency of fertilizers, irrigation, tillage, and pesticides through targeted management of soils and crops. This book provides the technological basis of adopting and promoting precision agriculture (PA) for addressing the issues of resource scarcity, environmental pollution, and climate change. It focuses specifically on PA technologies and discusses historical evolution, soil variability at different scales, soil fertility and nutrient management, water quality, land leveling techniques, and special ecosystems involving small landholders and coastal regions. Highlighting the scale-related issues and concerns of small landholders, the text details the efficient use of resources on the basis of soil/field variability and site-specific conditions. It examines how PA technology can increase productivity, enhance profitability, and minimize environmental degradation. Woven throughout is the theme of sustainable use of resources.

The prevailing global environmental crisis is primarily because of non-standardized parameters for environmental regulation. Unplanned expansion of economic activities, consideration for environmental conservation and several associated problems are emerging due to degradation in quality of ambient environment such as clean air, safe drinking water and quality of food, particularly in developing nations. Due to poor/casual execution of EIA protocol, newly developing countries are preferred destination for establishing pollution emitting industries, which results in degradation and depletion of natural resources. Lack of environmental policy intervention is another major attraction for establishing such industries in these nations. In order to ensure sustainable development, the highest priority issues include the monitoring and eradication of environmental problems which arise due to economic development. Initiation of any form of economic development primarily results in loss of forests and thus biodiversity, followed by deterioration in quality of air and contamination of natural resources. The worst impact of non-standardized economic development is the contamination of air, water and soil. Sustainable development ensures responsible interface with the environment to minimize the depletion or degradation of natural resources and ensure long term environmental quality. It involves integrated approaches in understanding the importance of environmental management systems and policy inventions leading to improved environmental performance. The present book is proposed to address the environmental concerns associated with economic development and approaches involved to attain sustainable economic development, which include monitoring of the quality of air, deforestation, quality of water resources, soil erosion and degradation of the natural environment.

First Published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

One principal need in petroleum recovery from carbonate reservoirs is the description of the three-dimensional distribution of petrophysical properties in order to improve performance predictions by means of fluid-flow computer simulations. The book focuses on a rock based approach for the integration of geological, petrophysical, and geostatistical methods to construct a reservoir model suitable to input into flow simulation programs. This second edition includes a new chapter on model construction and new examples of limestone, dolostone, and touching-vug reservoir models as well as improved chapters on basic petrophysical properties, rock-fabric/petrophysical relationships, calibration of wireline logs, and sequence stratigraphy.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Agriculture is one of the prime users of water, particularly in arid places with already-limited water resources, and its effects are diverse and far reaching. Providing a nuanced study of agricultural resource management, this informative book takes a four-pronged approach, covering research on: * The impact of agriculture on water * The impact of agriculture on soil quality and its ecological health * Energy and greenhouse gases * The impact of a growing population on agricultural resources Topics include the connection between chemical fertilizer use in agriculture and stream water quality; beef and dairy production on livestock, dairy, and crops; livestock and greenhouse gases; energy consumption rates in agriculture; efficient farming techniques, such as precision agriculture, irrigation management, and sustainable water technologies; and more. This informative and accessible volume offers a comprehensive guide to this vital and necessary field of study.

The field of humic matter research has undergone drastic changes in concepts and principles since the first edition of Humic Matter in Soil and the Environment: Principles and Controversies was published more than a decade ago. Still the only book of its kind specifically addressing humic acid principles and controversies, the Second Edition presents the newest advances in humic acid science. Eleven new and rewritten chapters replace the original nine, with updated material representing modern humic acid chemistry. This includes the delineation of organic matter, humus, and humic matter. The book begins by considering organic matter as a whole, describing terrestrial and aquatic organic matter. It examines humus as a mixture of humified and nonhumified organic matter, focusing also on the importance of the nonhumified fraction-plant biopolymers in their original or slightly decomposed forms-as raw materials for formation of the humic fraction. The book then presents concepts of humic matter, referred to as humic acid, covering a range of ideas from traditional views of biopolymers to the latest concepts based on micellar, supramolecular, and nanotube chemistry. The author presents the major pathways of humification and discusses humification theories. He also examines the extraction, isolation, and fractionation of humic matter. The book reviews the chemical composition and model structures of humic acids, the chemical and spectroscopic characterization of humic substances, and the electrochemical properties of humic matter. It also addresses the agronomic, environmental, and industrial (including pharmaceutical) importance of humic matter. This revised and updated edition continues the tradition of providing comprehensive coverage of the genesis, extraction, properties, and impacts of humic matter.

This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses. The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources. Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.

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

Within the field of soil science, soil chemistry encompasses the different chemical processes that take place, including mineral weathering, humification of organic plant residues, and ionic reactions involving natural and foreign metal ions that play significant roles in soil. Chemical reactions occur both in the soil solution and at the soil particle-solution interface-the latter surface reactions being vitally important in soil properties and behavior. The binding of ions to soil particles is important in defining the fate of foreign species, such as pollutants, and has a direct impact on nutrient availability. Soil Colloids: Properties and Ion Binding examines soil colloidal components and their interactions with ionic species, integrating soil science and colloid chemistry and considering the latest advances in this active research area. Part I covers the fundamentals of colloid science for readers not familiar with these principles. It discusses all the important concepts, without excessive detail such as extensive mathematical derivations. Part II deals with soil and its components, especially clay and oxide minerals and humic substances. It covers their composition and characteristics, with an emphasis on colloidal properties and ion sorption on colloids. Part III provides in-depth coverage of ion binding to soil colloids, with a focus on modeling, including recent advances. Chapters in this section describe general concepts and the issues arising from the heterogeneous nature of most natural colloids, particularly organic ones. Reviewing the state of the art in dealing with the more complex interactions, the text covers ion binding to minerals and humics, presenting different theoretical approaches, as well as ion binding to multiple components, or whole natural soils.

Despite the connections between soils and human health, there has not been a great amount of attention focused on this area when compared to many other fields of scientific and medical study. Soils and Human Health brings together authors from diverse fields with an interest in soils and human health, including soil science, geology, geography, biology, and anthropology to investigate this issue from a number of perspectives. The book includes a soil science primer chapter for readers from other fields, and discusses the ways the soil science community can contribute to improving our understanding of soils and human health. Features Discusses ways the soil science community can contribute to the improvement of soil health Approaches human health from a soils-focused perspective, covering the influence of soil conservation and contact with soil on human health Illustrates topics via case studies including arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh; the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam; heavy metal contamination in Shipham, United Kingdom and Omaha, Nebraska, USA; and electronic waste recycling in China. In a scientific world where the trend has often been ever-increasing specialization and increasingly difficult communication between fields and subfields, the interdisciplinary nature of soils and human health studies presents a significant challenge going forward. Fields with an interest in soils and human health need to have increased cross-disciplinary communication and cooperation. This book is a step in the direction of accessibility and innovation, elucidating the state of knowledge in the meeting of soil and health sciences, and identifying places where more work is needed.

Scientists and consultants need to estimate and map properties of the terrestrial environment. These include plant nutrients and parasites in soil, gaseous emissions from soil, pollutant metals and xenobiotics in waste and contaminated land, salt in groundwater and species abundances above ground. The scale varies from small experimental plots to catchments, and the land may be enclosed in fields or be open grassland, forest or desert. Those who sample the variables to obtain the necessary data need guidance on the design and analysis of sampling methods for their conclusions and recommendations to be valid.

This book provides that guidance, backed by sound rationale and statistical theory. It concentrates on design-based sampling for estimates of mean values of environmental properties, emphasizing replication and randomization. It starts with simple random sampling and then progresses to more efficient designs, such as spatially stratified random sampling, stratification by classes and cluster sampling. It includes a section on purposive sampling in classical soil survey, which is relevant to other environmental properties such as vegetation. It also describes the effects of bulking on errors and the use of ancillary information and regression to improve estimates. The authors draw the important distinction between design-based sampling for estimating means and model-based methods (geostatistics) for local spatial prediction and mapping, and focus on the latter. They describe designs suitable for computing variograms and prediction by kriging, as well as a staged approach, so that sampling is neither inadequate nor excessive, and designs adapt as knowledge is accumulated. Including numerous worked case studies of sampling in agriculture, ecology and environmental science, the book will be of immediate practical value.

This book employs a political ecology lens to unravel how industrial crops catalyse ecological, agrarian, socioeconomic, and institutional transformation. Using the conceptual tools and perspectives of political ecology, namely multi-scalar analysis and attention to marginalisation, social difference, and discourses and narratives, this volume provides a critical and comprehensive assessment of the transformative power of industrial cropping systems. It presents a truly international overview by drawing on a range of case studies from the global South, including soybeans in South America, cashew nuts in Guinea Bissau, cotton in India, maize in China, jatropha in Ghana, sugarcane in Peru and Eswatini, and oil palm in Ghana and Peru. The unique case studies are put into perspective with chapters introducing the key concepts of political ecology and critical dimensions of industrial cropping systems related to large-scale land acquisitions, land grabbing, and marginal land. The individual chapters employ different approaches all rooted in political ecology, thus offering a rich overview of how the field engages with such cropping systems. Overall, this volume contains valuable propositions for improving current policies and practices in industrial crop settings in both developed and developing countries. Through its comprehensive and interdisciplinary outlook, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of political ecology, agrarian studies, development studies, and ecological economics.

The book entitled Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management is a compilation work and most of the information was farmed very critically covering all the main topics of plant nutrition. The book will be serve as useful reference to students, teachers, researchers scientists, policy makers and other interested in soil science, agronomy, crop science, environmental sciences and agriculture. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The book explains the various existing, emerging and environmentally viable technologies for the sustainable and profitable crop productivity. The book also focusses on climate change, hurricanes and tropical storms, natural resources management, crop diversification, crop resource management, cropping systems, farming system, management of land use resources, conservation agriculture, crop residue management, renewable energy, precision agriculture, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

As the human population grows from seven billion toward an inevitable nine or 10 billion, the demands on the limited supply of soils will grow and intensify. Soils are essential for the sustenance of almost all plants and animals, including humans, but soils are virtually infinitely variable. Clays are the most reactive and interactive inorganic compounds in soils. Clays in soils often differ from pure clay minerals of geological origin. They provide a template for most of the reactive organic matter in soils. They directly affect plant nutrients, soil temperature and pH, aggregate sizes and strength, porosity and water-holding capacities. This book aims to help improve predictions of important properties of soils through a modern understanding of their highly reactive clay minerals as they are formed and occur in soils worldwide. It examines how clays occur in soils and the role of soil clays in disparate applications including plant nutrition, soil structure, and water-holding capacity, soil quality, soil shrinkage and swelling, carbon sequestration, pollution control and remediation, medicine, forensic investigation, and deciphering human and environmental histories. Features: Provides information on the conditions that lead to the formation of clay minerals in soils Distinguishes soil clays and types of clay minerals Describes clay mineral structures and their origins Describes occurrences and associations of clays in soil Details roles of clays in applications of soils Heavily illustrated with photos, diagrams, and electron micrographs Includes user-friendly description of a new method of identification To know soil clays is to enable their use toward achieving improvements in the management of soils for enhancing their performance in one or more of their three main functions of enabling plant growth, regulating water flow to plants, and buffering environmental changes. This book provides an easily-read and extensively-illustrated description of the nature, formation, identification, occurrence and associations, measurement, reactivities, and applications of clays in soils.

Nitrogen (N) is potentially one of the most complex elements on the Earth. It is necessary for all biological activity, but creates negative impacts on water and air quality. There is a balancing act between deficiency and surplus and the forms of N available further complicate our understanding of the dynamics. Biological fixation provides some plants with N supply while others are totally dependent upon N being available in the soil profile for the roots to extract. Nevertheless, the demand for N will increase because the human population with its increasing growth requires more protein and thus more N. Understanding the global N cycle is imperative to meeting current and future nitrogen demands while decreasing environmental impacts. This book discusses availability, production, and recycling of N in air, water, plants, and soils. It features information on N impacts to soil and water quality, management of N in agroecosystems, and techniques to maximize the use efficiency while minimizing the risks of leakage of reactive N into the environment. This volume in the Advances in Soil Science series is specifically devoted to availability, production, and recycling of N with impact on climate change and water quality, and management of N in agroecosystems in the context of maximizing the use efficiency and minimizing the risks of leakage of reactive N (NO-3, N2O) into the environment.

Demonstrates the intimate relationship between biological diversity and cultural diversity. The 15 contributors look at experimentation using crops such as rice, maize, beans and root crops, illustrated by case studies from India, Nepal and Nigeria among others. There are also studies of water harvesting in the Sudan and of the home gardens in South India.;The findings of this study show: farmers do experiment; farmers know their local environments intimately, and their experiments are usually site-specific; farmers have a close and detailed knowledge of local cultivators, and are well aware of the need to promote biological diversity; the experiments underlie the imporatnce of "in situ" conservation, including the protection of wild plants; and any attempts of local conservation of natural resources should involve the local inhabitants.;This collection emphasizes the importance of cultural factors and will contribute to the debate about biological diversity.

Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient, but global population growth has dramatically reduced the availability of phosphorus fertilizer resources. Despite this scarcity, there remain numerous problems associated with the excessive and inappropriate use of phosphorus leading to non-point source pollution and eutrophication of natural waters. Identifying appropriate systems for managing soil phosphorus and reducing the risks of eutrophication are needed to minimize the environmental risks. This book focuses on the availability and recycling of phosphorus; regulatory and policy issues of sustainable phosphorus use; and water quality management in agroecosystems pertaining to phosphorus. Sections are dedicated to global phosphorus reserves; cycling and pathways of phosphorus; phosphorus in agriculture; human dimensions and policy intervention; and research and development priorities. Phosphorus is a finite but crucial resource and is an essential element to all life. Sub-optimal availability and nutrient imbalance in the root zone can adversely impact plant growth, and the quality of food and feed grown on these soils. However, the proven reserves of phosphorus can hardly be adequate for a few centuries only. Yet, its misuse and mismanagement has caused severe problems of eutrophication of water and pollution of the environment. Thus, judicious management of soil phosphorus is essential. This volume is specifically devoted to availability and recycling of phosphorus, regulatory/policy issues of sustainable use of phosphorus, and management in agroecosystems in the context of maximizing the use efficiency and minimizing the environmental risks of water quality.

Climate is a soil-forming factor and soil can mitigate climate change through a reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases and sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Thus, there is a growing interest in soil management practices capable of mitigating climate change and enhancing environmental quality. Soil and Climate addresses global issues through soil management and outlines strategies for advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This volume in the Advances in Soil Science series is specifically devoted to describe state-of-the-knowledge regarding the climate-soil nexus in relation to: Soil Processes: weathering, decomposition of organic matter, erosion, leaching, salinization, biochemical, transformations, gaseous flux, and elemental cycling, Soil Properties: physical, chemical, biological, and ecological, Atmospheric Chemistry: gaseous concentrations of (CO2, CH4, N2O), water vapors, soot, dust, and particulate matter, Mitigation and Adaptation: source and sink of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O), land use and soil management, soil C sink capacity, permafrost, Soil Management: sequestration of organic and inorganic C, nutrient requirements, water demands, coupled cycling of H2O, N, P, S, and Policy and Outreach: carbon farming, payments for ecosystem services, COP21, SDGs, land degradation neutrality Special topics on soil as a source or sink of CO2, silicate weathering and carbon sequestration, nutrients required for carbon sequestration, physical protection and the mean resident time, and predicting soil carbon stocks are discussed in detail throughout the book.

There are approximately 500 different soil varieties in Malaysia, most is residual soil and coastal alluvial soil. This book presents a comprehensive overview of various aspects of soils in Malaysia. It covers topics including climate; flora and fauna; geology and hydrology; land use changes for agriculture; soil fertility; human-induced soil degradation; and soil contamination sources. It features information on the role of biological, chemical, mechanical, and physical factors in relation to soil properties. The book highlights land use impact, soil problems arising from contamination and its control methods, the management of problem soils, limiting materials as well as future soil issues. The presentation of different soils in Malaysia is organized through chapters based on two major soil groups (a) the sedentary soils formed in the interior on a wide range of rock types, and (b) the soils of the coastal alluvial plains. The book features information on how these various soil types affect the economy of the country and highlights the soil issues and challenges within the context of sustainable agriculture. Useful to graduate students of soil science, professionals, and agriculturalists, it provides extensive knowledge of agriculture soils in Malaysia in a concise and user-friendly manner.

Soilborne microbial plant pathogens including oomycetes, fungi, bacteria and viruses cause several economically important destructive diseases and the symptoms of infection can be recognized only after the pathogen has invaded many tissues primarily vascular tissues of susceptible plants. This condition places formidable challenges in investigating different aspects of host-microbial pathogen interactions. Early detection of infection and precise identification, differentiation, and quantification of the microbial plant pathogens in plants, soil and water sources are essential requirements for development of effective tactics to reduce the incidence and spread of the diseases caused by them. As the microbial plant pathogens differ in their virulence and sensitivity to the environment and chemicals applied, it is imperative to assess the extent of variability in the concerned pathogens. This first volume of a two-volume set introduces disease-causing microorganisms including oomycetes, fungi, bacteria, and viruses found in soils. It focuses on the biology, detection, and identification of soilborne bacterial, fungal, and viral plant pathogens. This volume discusses various techniques based on biological, immunological and genetic properties of the pathogens indicating their advantages and limitations for selecting the appropriate technique to fulfill the requirements. Features: Presents techniques useful for detection, identification, quantification of microbial plant pathogens in plants, soil, and irrigation water from waterbodies. Highlights subversive activities of viruses, resulting in the breakdown of host defense systems. Discusses RNA silencing in infected plants by viruses and posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) functioning as an endogenous mechanism in plants against virus infection. Presents information on methods of assessment of genetic variability and sensitivity of microbial plant pathogens to chemicals and adverse environmental conditions.