Description: Although soil provides physical support for plants and contributes to a variety of important environmental functions, many questions about the ecological significance of its biological diversity, and how ecosystem function is affected, have never been asked. Recent technical developments, as well as new experimental and modelling approaches, have led to a renaissance in soil biodiversity research. The key areas are reflected in this new volume, which brings together many leading contributions on the role and importance of soil biota.
Brief description: RICHARD D. BARDGETT is Professor of Ecology at Lancaster University and has published widely on plant-soil interactions, nutrient cycling, and soil ecology. He is especially interested in studying linkages between plant and soil biological communities, and examining how these links are affected by herbivores.
Review Quotes: "A foundation for the new generation.... The editors are to be commended on their effort.... The writing style throughout is comfortably readable.... The chapters remain focused on topics and they are concise and up-to-date.... The index reflects an effort that was well worth the time.... [It] should be accessible to most ecologists and graduate students."
Ecology, Sina M. Adl, Dalhousie University