Description:
This volume reviews the latest research on soil science. After an overview of the role of soil as a provider of ecosystem services and in conservation agriculture, the book reviews soil structure and chemistry as well organic matter, soil microorganisms and fauna. The second part of the book discusses soil dynamics, from water and nutrient cycles to carbon capture and erosion mechanisms.
With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for soil scientists and agronomists as well as the farming community and government agencies responsible for monitoring soil health. It is accompanied by a companion volume looking at soil monitoring and management.Brief description: Dr Don Reicosky is an Emeritus Soil Scientist, formerly at the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, Morris, Minnesota, USA, a leading laboratory for soil and plant research at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr Reicosky has published widely on carbon management and soil quality as related to soil health, understanding and optimising soil management through conservation agriculture for more sustainable production.
Review Quotes:
"This two-volume set in Burleigh Dodds Agricultural Science may represent one of the most important projects in their series focused on sustainable agriculture and recent advances in research on key crop and animal species. Many scholars and students today often rely on the web to locate open-source references in research and courses, yet the value of comprehensive books that review specific topics cannot be ignored. The compilation on soil health edited by Prof. Reicosky is an example of quality scholarship, clear and accessible writing, and comprehensive referencing on an emerging topic in agriculture and food production... descriptions of methods and data from a wide range of sources and interpretations by experts in the field contribute to the timeless value of books such as these in the series on agricultural sciences. They should be part of contemporary library collections and available to everyone." Prof. Charles Francis in Agronomy Journal
"The books offer a valuable insight into the fundamentals of managing soil health... The broad range of fundamental information provided makes both volumes worth reading, not only for students and scientists, politicians and farmers but also for laypersons interested in soil health and sustainable agriculture."Applied Soil Ecology