Soil Ecology

ISBN-13: 9780521435215 / Angielski / Miękka / 1994 / 264 str.

Ken Killham

Opis

Soil Ecology is designed to meet the increasing challenge faced by today's environmental scientists, ecologists, agriculturalists, and biotechnologists for an integrated approach to soil ecology. It emphasizes the interrelations among plants, animals, and microbes, by first establishing the fundamental physical and chemical properties of the soil habitat and then functionally characterizing the major components of the soil biota and some of their most important interactions. The fundamental principles underpinning soil ecology are established and this then enables an integrated approach to explore and understand the processes of soil nutrient (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) cycling and the ecology of extreme soil conditions such as soil-water stress. Two of the most topical aspects of applied soil ecology are then selected. First, the ecology of soil pollution is examined, focusing on acid deposition and radionuclide pollution. Second, manipulation of soil ecology through biotechnology is discussed, illustrating the use of pesticides and microbial inocula in soils and pointing toward the future by considering the impact of genetically modified inocula on soil ecology.

Recenzje

"A definite must for all who are interested in ecology, environmental science, plant science, microbiology, and agriculture." Northeastern Naturalist

Spis treści

Foreword; Introduction; 1. The soil environment; 2. The soil biota; 3. Ecological interactions between the soil biota; 4. The ecology of soil nutrient cycling; 5. Ecology of extreme soil environments - soil water stress; 6. Ecology of polluted soils; 7. Manipulation of soil ecology - 'soil biotechnology; References; Further reading; Index.