Aperpetual bestseller, this third edition remains the obvious choice for those instructors who strive to make their teaching applicable to contemporary issues. The three authors, all teaching professors distinguished in soil science, have updated this student favorite to include a greater number of even more relevant topics. Responding to reques
Aperpetual bestseller, this third edition remains the obvious choice for those instructors who strive to make their teaching applicable to contemporary issues. The three authors, all teaching professors distinguished in soil science, have updated this student favorite to include a greater number of even more relevant topics. Responding to requests, they have also placed an increased emphasis on management issues. As with previous editions, the third edition offers students in soil or environmental science an overview of soil science, hydrology, atmospheric chemistry, and pollutant classification. The text moves from the theoretical to the practical with an abundance of contemporary examples, such as an exploration of allowable pesticide concentrations in drinking water and an inquiry into soil contamination from the trace elements in organic by-products. Also considered are the use of soil carbon sequestration as a remedy for global climate change, and the effects of acid precipitation on forestation. NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION: · New chapters on nutrient management planning, and the environmental testing of soil, plants, water, and air · Additional and revised case studies that continue to relate academic content to real-life situations, while inspiring students with real –life challenges to solve · Eight-page color inset · Direct encouragement and links to fully access the Internet as a resource for the most up-to-date findings Always Relevant, Always Interesting The text also covers environmentally-related current events, fostering discussion of the political, economic, and regulatory aspects of environmental issues, the human side of environmental problems, the use and misuse of the scientific method, and potential bias in the presentation of facts. Students in soil science, environmental science, chemistry, biology, geology, and other disciplines will gain valuable insight from this multifaceted text.
The experiments and experiences discussed in Soil Management carefully document crop production systems with well-defined boundaries. These long-term agronomic trials provide a valuable data resource that has, until now, been largely ignored by both the research community and the sustainability experts. With a rigorous definition of sustainability and this data, the sustainability of various cropping systems will be more clearly illustrated than any previous effort. Particular emphasis is given to research involving the tropics and sub-tropics. This book is unique in providing an experimental basis for sustainable management of soil resources. It describes technological options for sustainable management of soil resources and identifies priorities for additional long-term experimentation needed in key ecoregions. Topics discussed include changes in soil processes and properties, environmental quality, soil management, soil dynamics, soil organic matter, and nutrient cycling. Soil Management is for those who ask whether agriculture is sustainable, want to analyze or review sustainability experiments and experiences, or wish to initiate new long-term trials. It is a valuable reference on soil processes and an excellent text for courses in soil management.
Climate Change and Soil Interactions examines soil system interactions and conservation strategies regarding the effects of climate change. It presents cutting-edge research in soil carbonization, soil biodiversity, and vegetation. As a resource for strategies in maintaining various interactions for eco-sustainability, topical chapters address microbial response and soil health in relation to climate change, as well as soil improvement practices. Understanding soil systems, including their various physical, chemical, and biological interactions, is imperative for regaining the vitality of soil system under changing climatic conditions. This book will address the impact of changing climatic conditions on various beneficial interactions operational in soil systems and recommend suitable strategies for maintaining such interactions. Climate Change and Soil Interactions enables agricultural, ecological, and environmental researchers to obtain up-to-date, state-of-the-art, and authoritative information regarding the impact of changing climatic conditions on various soil interactions and presents information vital to understanding the growing fields of biodiversity, sustainability, and climate change. - Addresses several sustainable development goals proposed by the UN as part of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development - Presents a wide variety of relevant information in a unique style corroborated with factual cases, colour images, and case studies from across the globe - Recommends suitable strategies for maintaining soil system interactions under changing climatic conditions
Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food. The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects. New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration. - Focuses on the intensification and integration of agroecosystem and soil resiliency by presenting suggested modifications of the current cropping system paradigm - Examines climate, environment, and human effects on agroecosystems - Explores in depth the wide range of intercalated soil and plant interactions as they influence soil sustainability and, in particular, soil quality - Presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate
Completely revised and updated, incorporating almost a decade's worth of developments in this field, Environmental Soil Science, Third Edition, explores the entire reach of the subject, beginning with soil properties and reactions and moving on to their relationship to environmental properties and reactions. Keeping the organization and writing sty
Soil is the most important natural non-renewable resource developed over a longer period of time due to weathering of rocks and subsequently enrichment of organic matter. Soil provides habitat for numerous microorganisms and serves as a natural medium for plant growth, thereby providing the plants with anchorage, nutrients and water to sustain the growth. Soil also serves as a universal sink for all types of pollutants, purifies ground water and is a major reserve of carbon in the universe. The role of soils to provide ecosystem services, maintenance of environmental/human health and ensuring the food security makes it as the most important and basic natural resource. Soil Science helps us to elaborate and understand how the soils provide all these services. Soil Science also provides us the basic knowledge dealing with the origin of the soil parent material, weathering of parent material and the formation of soils, morphological, physico-chemical and biological features of soils, classification of soils and role of soils in the provision and maintenance of ecosystem services, food security and environmental quality. This book encompasses the various processes, functions and behaviour of soils very comprehensively to acquaint the students of soil, plant and environmental sciences about their role to perform different agricultural and environmental functions.
Degradation of soils continues at a pace that will eventually create a local, regional, or even global crisis when diminished soil resources collide with increasing climate variation. It's not too late to restore our soils to a more productive state by rediscovering the value of soil management, building on our well-established and ever-expanding scientific understanding of soils. Soil management concepts have been in place since the cultivation of crops, but we need to rediscover the principles that are linked together in effective soil management. This book is unique because of its treatment of soil management based on principles—the physical, chemical, and biological processes and how together they form the foundation for soil management processes that range from tillage to nutrient management. Whether new to soil science or needing a concise reference, readers will benefit from this book's ability to integrate the science of soils with management issues and long-term conservation efforts.
North American Agroforestry Explore the many benefits of alternative land-use systems with this incisive resource Humanity has become a victim of its own success. While we’ve managed to meet the needs—to one extent or another—of a large portion of the human population, we’ve often done so by ignoring the health of the natural environment we rely on to sustain our planet. And by deteriorating the quality of our air, water, and land, we’ve put into motion consequences we’ll be dealing with for generations. In the newly revised Third Edition of North American Agroforestry, an expert team of researchers delivers an authoritative and insightful exploration of an alternative land-use system that exploits the positive interactions between trees and crops when they are grown together and bridges the gap between production agriculture and natural resource management. This latest edition includes new material on urban food forests, as well as the air and soil quality benefits of agroforestry, agroforestry’s relevance in the Mexican context, and agroforestry training and education. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the development of agroforestry as an integrated land use management strategy Comprehensive explorations of agroforestry nomenclature, concepts, and practices, as well as an agroecological foundation for temperate agroforestry Practical discussions of tree-crop interactions in temperate agroforestry, including in systems such as windbreak practices, silvopasture practices, and alley cropping practices In-depth examinations of vegetative environmental buffers for air and water quality benefits, agroforestry for wildlife habitat, agroforestry at the landscape level, and the impact of agroforestry on soil health Perfect for environmental scientists, natural resource professionals and ecologists, North American Agroforestry will also earn a place in the libraries of students and scholars of agricultural sciences interested in the potential benefits of agroforestry.
This document presents key messages and the state-of-the-art of soil pollution, its implications on food safety and human health. It aims to set the basis for further discussion during the forthcoming Global Symposium on Soil Pollution (GSOP18), to be held at FAO HQ from May 2nd to 4th 2018. The publication has been reviewed by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS) and contributing authors. It addresses scientific evidences on soil pollution and highlights the need to assess the extent of soil pollution globally in order to achieve food safety and sustainable development. This is linked to FAO’s strategic objectives, especially SO1, SO2, SO4 and SO5 because of the crucial role of soils to ensure effective nutrient cycling to produce nutritious and safe food, reduce atmospheric CO2 and N2O concentrations and thus mitigate climate change, develop sustainable soil management practices that enhance agricultural resilience to extreme climate events by reducing soil degradation processes. This document will be a reference material for those interested in learning more about sources and effects of soil pollution.
