Book Description

A rigorous, comprehensive introduction to soil chemistry, this text is aimed at students and researchers who are not soil chemists.The author describes soil minerals and organic matter in soils and the soil solution, and provides in-depth coverage of important chemical processes, including solubility reactions, oxidation-reduction phenomena, adsorption, and ion exchange.The three final chapters present detailed applications to soil-plant relationships, fertilizer reactions in soils, acidity, salinity, mineral weathering, and soil management.Over 200 problems at varying levels of difficulty are coordinated with the text, and an appendix on SI units summarizes their use in soil chemistry. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best introduction to surface chemistry
Professor Sposito's book on soil chemisty is easy to read for anyone with a background understanding of inorganic chemistry. Great reference for environmental engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Exciting!
This book shows us what a complex and exciting world exists in our own back yards. With great wit and a sense of high adventure and drama, Bodanis lays out the amazingly complex interplay of all living organisms within a tiny area. I'll never be able to transplant a geranium again without the awareness that I am drastically altering the lives of millions of beings! The Secret Garden tells us that all life really is connected (chemically, systematically) and that seemingly passive plants and bugs behave in ways that would make Olympic gods seem tame.

Fun and fascinating stuff about your garden
This is one of the most fascinating garden books I've ever read. It's also one of the strangest. What's fascinating is that it's full of interesting information on things like the amazingly sneaky way some bushes defend themelves from caterpillars and how aphids enslave ants to do their bidding. What's strange is the dialogue between Mr. and Mrs Gardener that keeps popping up as a transition. Not everyone will like this dialogue (I didn't), but read the book anyway. It's really worth it. ... Read more

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Hugely informative
If you are interested in gardening, natural history or ecology this book is a 'must read'. The writer, a biologist at the University of Illinois has done a masterful job of explaining just what the earth beneath our feet contains. This book is a close look at what soil is, how it evolved, how it supports life and why it wears out. It also looks at the plants and animals that form the ecosystem of healthy soil and how we can help nurture them.

The first part of the book, 'Working Partnerships', explains that soil consists of minerals broken down from rocks, together with plants and their bacterial, fungal and animal partners. It also explains how soil gets its fertility. This may sound like dull stuff, but the way this writer presents it, it's as fascinating as the unravelling of a mystery.

Part Tow presents members of the soil community - microbes, invertebrates and vertebrates. You'll meet some of the most extraordinary creatures here - mother centipedes guarding and licking their eggs, termites sabotaging tropical agriculture and beetles, lots of beetles. More species of beetle inhabit the earth than any other order of animals.

The final section is titles 'The gift of Good Earth' and the writer very briefly presents the concept of erosion and how humans have contributed to the degradation of the soil. Finally he offers the idea that composting is the act of creating a wildlife refuge for many of the creatures living in the soil in our won backyard. I'd never thought of it in those terms before. The book ends with a decent reading list and list of web sites.

This is a readable and intriguing resource book for the library of any gardener or naturalist. ... Read more

Book Description

This work examines the issue of accelerated soil erosion, which has become an increasingly serious concern in the twentieth century. Aspects considered include on-site impact of erosion; application of soil science to problems of non-agricultural uses of soil, such as mineland restoration, urban uses and disposal of urban wastes; soil contamination and pollution by industrial activities; and athletic and recreational uses of soil. Soil Quality and Soil Erosion will be a useful text for soil scientists, agronomists, foresters, and environmental scientists as we enter the next century. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another Great Book by Callahan
If you are growing anything in soil you should buy this book. As mentioned, Paramagnetism is Yang and Diamagnetism is Yin. Plants are diamagnetic,when measured on a paramagnetic meter, and require paramagnetic soil to be healthy and strong. Ultimately, paramagnetic material is usually silica based rock with small amounts of iron oxide (approx.12%). But not all iron oxide is paramagnetic. As explained in many of Callahan's books, paramagnetism is essential for the healthy growth of friendly bacteria and therefore crops. Do yourself a favour and educate yourself with this book and Nature's Silent Music also by Callahan

Practical Application.
Green Gold has integrated the Callahan Recognitions with homeopathy, nutrition, and paramagnetic growing into a total approach to Houseplants, Gardening, Horticulture & Agriculture. We highly recommend buying this book, a small Green Gold houseplant formula, and watch this amazing book in action in your own home. Dr. Callahan's work is used extensively in sustainable natural growing circles. These principles have been used in China for milleniums and are know there as the Yen & the Yang and the Chi of Growing. The medical and agricultural applications are a major breakthrough and just waiting for global debut. ... Read more

Book Description

An abridged, student-oriented edition of Hillel's earlier published Environmental Soil Physics, this is a more succinct elucidation of the physical principles and processes governing the behavior of soil and the vital role it plays in both natural and managed ecosystems.The textbook is self-contained and self-explanatory, with numerous illustrations and sample problems.Based on sound fundamental theory, the textbook leads to a practical consideration of soil as a living system in nature and illustrates the influences of human activity upon soil structure and function.Students, as well as other readers, will better understand the importance of soils and the pivotal possition they occupy with respect to careful and knowledgeable conservation.

* Written in an engaging and clear style, posing and resolving issues relevant to the terrestrial environment.
* Explores the gamut of the interactions among the phases in the soil and the dynamic interconnection of the soil with the subterranean and atmospheric domains.
* Reveals the salient ideas, approaches, and methods of environmental soil physics.
* Includes numerous illustrative exercises, which are explicitly solved.
* Designed to serve for classroom and laboratory instruction, for self-study, and for reference.
* Oriented toward practical problems in ecology, field-scale hydrology, agronomy, and civil engineering.
* Differs from earlier texts in its wider scope and holistic environmental conception ... Read more

Book Description

The essential tool for geotechnical and soil engineering fieldwork

Written by AIA award-winning civil engineer Robert Day, Soil Testing Manual gives engineers, geologists, contractors, on-site construction managers -- anyone who needs answers on the characteristics of soil -- a convenient, complete source of today’s most authoritative solutions. This reader-friendly guide simplifies each step of every process, from selecting appropriate methods to analyzing your results. Filled with handy tables, charts, diagrams, and formulas that eliminate time-wasting and frustrating searches and calculations, this manual gives you better results in less time as you:
Get expert approaches to testing altered and disturbed soils
Set up a mobile field lab with complete directions
Use rip-out sheets for on-site reference and checks
Get quick access to data on grading, instrumentation, technical methods, procedure guidelines, and preferred practices
Draw authoritative conclusions on fill compaction
Measure cohesiveness, shear strength, settlement, permeability, and other critical parameters
Construct a subsoil profile ... Read more

Book Description

A large proportion of fieldwork involving the study of sedimentary rocks is unsupervised. This handy pocket-sized book has been written especially for use in the field. It describes how successful fieldwork can be accomplished, with particular emphasis on the precision and accuracy of recording detail. The basic

• keeps the handy pocket size for use in the field

• has been completely revised and updated

• has a new modern layout and improved illustrations

• includes new sections on safety in the field, the use of GPS in sedimentary studies, core description, fossils as depth indicators and facies models

This book will be of use to 2nd/3rd year undergraduates in areas of sedimentology, stratigraphy, field mapping and training. It is an ideal supplementary text for professional geologists, physical geographers, engineering geologists and civil engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent book
Excellent! Practical and didactic, with great illustrations. Indispensable for students, and teachers. ... Read more

Book Description

This successful laboratory manual is now available in its third edition. It has been thoroughly revised and updated. New features include:
- Methods for the determination of AOX, TOC and DOC
- Luminescent bacteria waste water test
- extended description of sample preparation for soil analysis
- comprehensive description of environmental protection measures in the laboratory
As in the previous editions, all methods for analysis described can be applied without consulting further literature. They have proven their practicability. Their description includes the necessary safety measures.
A review of the previous edition: 'One can recommend this book for people in professional training and students, but also for the practitioner, for whom this concise laboratory manual is a valuable aid for daily work.' (Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry)
... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very good handbook
This manual offers a very good basis not only for experts of water chemistry, water and waste water treatment and environmental protection but also for teachers and students of technical directions at colleges as well as at universities.

225 pages contain all factors playing an important role for examination of water, waste water and soil. 9 chapters include general remarks to laboratory safety (also regarding to waste treatment) and quality control. Furthermore requirements for analytical methods of the different water types and soil are mentioned. Further chapters deal with the preparation and technique of the sampling as well as their application in practice.

Chapter "Laboratory Measurements" describes all important methods in detail. So this book is a perfect handbook for the target group, even without using the attached extensive reference list.

In chapter 7 a huge variety of tables containing especially German legal and technical regulations is an clearly help for interpretation of received results.

This book can be highly recommended as a handbook for everybody dealing with water, waste water and soil treatment.

R. Bäßler ... Read more

Book Description

Soil Fertility Evaluation and Control describes the theoretical background for practical applications of scientific work on the subject. The book emphasizes the use of response curves as the basic biological standard for both evaluation and control, and it discusses soil testing and plant analysis as secondary standards. The principal applications covered include fertilizer requirements, fertilizer evaluation, residual effects, fertilizer placement, liming, and economics of fertilization. Environmental aspects of plant nutrients and soil nutrient supplies as they pertain to crop production are also addressed. Most of the information in Soil Fertility Evaluation and Control is drawn from recent world literature, which makes it a timely reference for soil scientists, agronomists, agriculturalists, foresters, and others interested in the evaluation and control of soil fertility. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Different focus on soil fertility!
In my opinion, this book is an outstanding work on Soil Fertility because of its extensive revision on the pertinent literature. The professor C. A. Black came out with a brilliant book wich covers this issue in completelydifferent way. This book is indispensable to researchers in soil fertilityand plant nutrition. ... Read more

Book Description

Soils and Geomorphology, now in its third edition, remains popular among soil scientists, geomorphologists, geologists, geographers, and archaeologists.While retaining the useful "factors of soil formation format," it has been extensively revised, incorporating a considerable amount of new research and offering a greater number of topics and examples -- particularly in the chapters "Weathering and Soil Development with Time" and "Topography: Soil Relations with Time in Different Climatic Settings."Greater emphasis is placed on the role of dust in pedogenesis, and new data are included on tropical soil development, global soil-loess relations, neotectonics, and reduction processes. The text discusses field applications such as the use of soils in recognizing climate change, estimating the age of geological deposits, and dealing with environmental problems such as acid rain. New "how-to" appendices on soil descriptions and calculating the profile development index are also included. Soils and Geomorphology is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in courses on pedology, soil science, Quaternary geology, archeology, and sedimentary petrology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

soil from earth
I read this book for one of my graduate courses. Totaly this is a good book for people who know about soil science, but the weakness of this book is using too much terms which are not explained in this book. So, if you do not have a very good back ground in geology, it will be difficult for you to understand some parts of this book and you need a geology dictionary to read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

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 samplingand 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. ... Read more

Book Description

Soils, invaluable indicators of the nature and history of the physical and human landscape, have strongly influenced the cultural record left to archaeologists.Not only are they primary reservoirs for artifacts, they often encase entire sites. And soil-forming processes in themselves are an important component of site formation, influencing which artifacts, features, and environmental indicators (floral, faunal, and geological) will be destroyed and to what extent and which will be preserved and how well.In this book, Holliday will address each of these issues in terms of fundamentals as well as in field case histories from all over the world. The focus will be on principles of soil geomorphology , soil stratigraphy, and soil chemistry and their applications in archaeological research. ... Read more

Book Description

What happens to a chemical once it enters the natural environment? How do its physical and chemical properties influence its transport, persistence, and partitioning in the biosphere? How do natural forces influence its distribution? How are the answers to these questions useful in making toxicological and epidemiological forecasts?

Environmental Chemodynamics, Second Edition introduces readers to the concepts, tools, and techniques currently used to answer these and other critical questions about the fate and transport of chemicals in the natural environment. Like its critically acclaimed predecessor, its main focus is on the mechanisms and rates of movement of chemicals across the air/soil, soil/water, and water/air interfaces, and on how natural processes work to mobilize chemicals near and across interfaces—information vital to performing human and ecological risk assessments.

Also consistent with the first edition, Environmental Chemodynamics, Second Edition is organized to accommodate readers of every level of experience. The first section is devoted to theoretical underpinnings and includes discussions of mass balance, thermodynamics, transport science concepts, and more. The second section concentrates on practical aspects, including the movement between bed-sediment and water, movement between soil and air, and intraphase chemical behavior.

This revised and updated edition of Louis J. Thibodeaux's 1979 classic features new or expanded coverage of:

• Equilibrium models for environmental compartments
• Dry deposition of particles and vapors onto water and soil surfaces
• Chemical profiles in rivers and estuaries, particles and porous media
• Fate and transport in the atmospheric boundary layer and within subterranean media
• Chemical exchange between water column and bed-sediment
• Intraphase chemical transport and fate

This Second Edition of Environmental Chemodynamics also includes twice as many references and 50% more exercises and practice problems. ... Read more

Book Description

The completely revised and updated edition of the classic guide to soil physics
The revised edition of an environmental soil science classic, Soil Physics, Sixth Edition presents updated and expanded material on the latest developments in the industry, providing the best preparation for students and a state-of-the-art reference for professionals.
Through a systemic use of physical principles, Soil Physics, Sixth Edition demonstrates how to simplify the general theory used in transport processes for specific applications. With broad coverage of the role soil plays in the environment, this Sixth Edition offers more than seventy worked problems illustrating specific lessons in the book, and features:
* New material on soil's influence on the health of an ecosystem
* Expanded coverage of modern in-site and noninvasive field-scale subsurface measurement techniques
* Discussions on the latest advances in regional and watershed hydrology
* Up-to-date information on the use of algorithms and computers in the study and modeling of soil processes
* New coverage of preferential flow
Soil Physics, Sixth Edition is an essential volume for students and professionals in soil science, natural resource management, forestry, agriculture, hydrology, and civil and environmental engineering. ... Read more

Book Description

Addressing the connections between the hydrologic cycle and plant ecosystems, the authors build suitable mathematical models and apply them to studying the ecosystem structure. Response to rainfall and climate forcing is analyzed from different areas of the world, including savannas, grasslands and forests. The book will appeal to advanced students and researchers in environmental science, hydrology, ecology, earth science, civil and environmental engineering, agriculture, and atmospheric science. ... Read more