Phosphorus is essential for life, yet is often the element most limiting for biological productivity. Although most organisms take up phosphorus in an inorganic form, organic forms frequently dominate in soils and aquatic systems. Up to this point, the role of organic phosphorus and mechanisms for its dynamics have been poorly understood. However, recent advances in research have shed new light on the subject and this book brings together these advances. It covers the transformation and characterization of organic phosphorus in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. It will attract a broad range of scientists from several disciplines.
Long-awaited second edition of classic textbook, brought completely up to date, for courses on tropical soils, and reference for scientists and professionals.
Methodology. Relationships between total organic P and other soil propeties. Effects of climate and soil drainage. Effects of land class and vegetation type. Seasonal variation. Variation with soil type. Variation with soil parent material. Distribution in soil profiles. prediction of content in surface soils. Effects of land-management practices. Mobility in soils. Weathering and pedogenesis. Total quantity in the soil profile. Chemical nature. Association with organic matter. Importance in plant nutrition. Mineralization in soils. The release of inorganic P from organic detritis.
This book highlights the increasing importance of humic substances in the different scientific fields related to terrestrial ecology, soil quality conservation, and environmental chemistry. It shows that modern humic substances research is not only directed to unravel their yet ill-defined chemical structure but is successfully exploring the interconnected chemical, biological, and physical processes that maintain the ecological equilibrium of soil and ensure a sustainable agricultural production. The book will primarily be of interest to soil scientists and to ecological and environmental scientists. People in the fields of forest science, agronomy, analytical and environmental chemistry, water science, environmental engineering, and coal science will also find this publication worthy of their attention.
Phosphorus (P) is a finite resource which is essential for life. It is a limiting nutrient in many ecosystems but also a pollutant which can affect biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems and change the ecology of water bodies. This book collects the latest information on biological processes in soil P cycling, which to date have remained much less understood than physico-chemical processes. The methods section presents spectroscopic techniques and the characterization of microbial P forms, as well as the use of tracers, molecular approaches and modeling of soil-plant systems. The section on processes deals with mycorrhizal symbioses, microbial P solubilization, soil macrofauna, phosphatase enzymes and rhizosphere processes. On the system level, P cycling is examined for grasslands, arctic and alpine soils, forest plantations, tropical forests, and dryland regions. Further, P management with respect to animal production and cropping, and the interactions between global change and P cycling, are treated.
Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a complex mixture of molecules found throughout the world's oceans. It plays a key role in the export, distribution, and sequestration of carbon in the oceanic water column, posited to be a source of atmospheric climate regulation. Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter, Second Edition, focuses on the chemical constituents of DOM and its biogeochemical, biological, and ecological significance in the global ocean, and provides a single, unique source for the references, information, and informed judgments of the community of marine biogeochemists. Presented by some of the world's leading scientists, this revised edition reports on the major advances in this area and includes new chapters covering the role of DOM in ancient ocean carbon cycles, the long term stability of marine DOM, the biophysical dynamics of DOM, fluvial DOM qualities and fate, and the Mediterranean Sea. Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter, Second Edition, is an extremely useful resource that helps people interested in the largest pool of active carbon on the planet (DOC) get a firm grounding on the general paradigms and many of the relevant references on this topic. - Features up-to-date knowledge of DOM, including five new chapters - The only published work to synthesize recent research on dissolved organic carbon in the Mediterranean Sea - Includes chapters that address inputs from freshwater terrestrial DOM
Inositol phosphates are a group of organic compounds found widely in the natural environment. They are important in agriculture because they constitute most of the phosphorus in grain seeds, but they cannot be digested by some animals. As a result, considerable research has been directed towards improving the digestibility of inositol phosphates in animal diets. Inositol phosphates are also abundant in soils and water bodies, yet a clear understanding of their behaviour in the environment remains elusive. This is surprising given the importance of phosphorus in the nutrition of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Written by leading experts, this book brings together critical reviews on inositol phosphates in agriculture, ecology, and the environment. The sixteen chapters cover a diverse range of topics, including the synthesis and hydrolysis of inositol phosphates, their role in animal nutrition, and their fate in soils and aquatic ecosystems. It will prove valuable to a wide readership in the agricultural and biological sciences, and will serve as a unique reference source on this emerging topic.
