The Architecture and Biology of Soils

The Architecture and Biology of Soils PDF Author: Karl Ritz
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 9781845935337
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Soil is a fundamental and critical, yet often overlooked, component of terrestrial ecosystems. It is an extremely complex environment, supporting levels of diversity far greater than any ecosystem above ground. This book explores how soil structure develops and the consequences this has for life underground. The effects of spatial arrangement, of soil's physical and biological components on their interaction and function are used to demonstrate their roles in ecosystem dynamics.

The Architecture and Biology of Soils

The Architecture and Biology of Soils PDF Author: Karl Ritz
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 9781845935337
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Soil is a fundamental and critical, yet often overlooked, component of terrestrial ecosystems. It is an extremely complex environment, supporting levels of diversity far greater than any ecosystem above ground. This book explores how soil structure develops and the consequences this has for life underground. The effects of spatial arrangement, of soil's physical and biological components on their interaction and function are used to demonstrate their roles in ecosystem dynamics.

The Biology of Soil

The Biology of Soil PDF Author: Richard Bardgett
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198525035
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Soil science has undergone a renaissance with increasing awareness of the importance of soil organisms and below-ground biotic interactions as drivers of community and ecosystem properties.

Soils in Natural Landscapes

Soils in Natural Landscapes PDF Author: Earl B. Alexander
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1466594365
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
In any complete investigation of terrestrial ecosystems, rocks and soils must be considered. Soils are essential resources, providing water and nutrients for vascular plants, and mitigating the flow of water from the land. In addition, soil diversity is critical for biotic diversity. While there are many references on the agricultural perspective o

Adding Biology in Soil and Hydroponic Systems

Adding Biology in Soil and Hydroponic Systems PDF Author: Elaine Ingham
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780979756108
Category : Compost
Languages : en
Pages : 93

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Book Description
Simple explanations about how to add biology to any plant growing system makes this book easy-to-read for the general public. Guidelines for conventional, sustainable and organic applications -- whether you are growing indoor in controlled environments and soilless media or outdoors in open fields of soil, this book helps you design your growing systems and incorporate biology into your programs. Basic biology and chemistry of nutrient-cycling and plant growing environments are given, so the mystery is taken out of plant growing. Chapters include: Introduction, Synthetic or Inorganic Systems, Biological/Organic Systems, Plant Growing Systems Out of Balance, Roots Interface Biology and Plants, Types of Microorganisms, Types of Beneficial Aerobic Microorganisms, Environments for Maintaining Microorganisms, Microbes and Plants Form a Symbiotic Relationship, Integrating Biology into Plant Growing Systems, Sources of Beneficial Microorganisms, Apply Microorganisms, Testing for Biologicals, Research on MicroorganismsThere are many types of biological products for soil and soilless media enhancement available on the commercial market today and more entering daily. New research, new formulations, new stabilization techniques are enabling the expansion of these product to fill the increasing demand from consumers wanting alternatives to toxic chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.This notebook is an attempt to provide basic information about adding biology to soil and soilless media whether in outdoor fields or indoor controlled environment hydroponics systems. Whether we are using synthetic fertilizers/nutrients or sustainable practices, or have converted to organic systems, there is a way to add biology to enhance production, yield and quality.

Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology

Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology PDF Author: Terry Gentry
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0323851401
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 744

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Book Description
Written by leading experts in their respective fields, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology 3e, provides a comprehensive, balanced introduction to soil microbiology, and captures the rapid advances in the field such as recent discoveries regarding habitats and organisms, microbially mediated transformations, and applied environmental topics. Carefully edited for ease of reading, it aids users by providing an excellent multi-authored reference, the type of book that is continually used in the field. Background information is provided in the first part of the book for ease of comprehension. The following chapters then describe such fundamental topics as soil environment and microbial processes, microbial groups and their interactions, and thoroughly addresses critical nutrient cycles and important environmental and agricultural applications. An excellent textbook and desk reference, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, 3e, provides readers with broad, foundational coverage of the vast array of microorganisms that live in soil and the major biogeochemical processes they control. Soil scientists, environmental scientists, and others, including soil health and conservation specialists, will find this material invaluable for understanding the amazingly diverse world of soil microbiology, managing agricultural and environmental systems, and formulating environmental policy. - Includes discussion of major microbial methods, embedded within topical chapters - Includes information boxes and case studies throughout the text to illustrate major concepts and connect fundamental knowledge with potential applications - Study questions at the end of each chapter allow readers to evaluate their understanding of the materials

Biological Diversity and Function in Soils

Biological Diversity and Function in Soils PDF Author: Richard Bardgett
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521847095
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 429

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Book Description
The dynamic nature of current research into soil biodiversity is reflected in this excellent volume.

Footprints in the Soil

Footprints in the Soil PDF Author: Benno P Warkentin
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080477879
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 573

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Book Description
The history of science discipline is contributing valuable knowledge of the culture of soil understanding, of the conditions in society that fostered the ideas, and of why they developed in certain ways. This book is about the progressive "footprints made by scientists in the soil. It contains chapters chosen from important topics in the development of soil science, and tells the story of the people and the exciting ideas that contributed to our present understanding of soils. Initiated by discussions within the Soil Science Society of America and the International Union of Soil Sciences, this book uniquely illustrates the significance of soils to our society. It is planned for soils students, for various scientific disciplines, and for members of the public who show an increasing interest in soil. This book allows us to answer the questions: "How do we know what we know about soils? and "How did one step or idea lead to the next one?The chapters are written by an international group of authors, each with special interests, bound together by the central theme of soils and how we came to our present understanding of soils. Each concentrate on soil knowledge in the western world and draw primarily on written accounts available in English and European languages. Academics, graduate students, researchers and practitioners will gain new insights from these studies of how ideas in soil science and understanding of uses of soils developed.* Discusses tracing soils knowledge accumulated from Roman times, first by soil users and after 1800s by scientists* Offers ideas about how soils knowledge was influenced by the social context and by human needs* Combines the history of ideas with scientific knowledge of soils* Written by chapter authors who combine subject matter expertise with knowledge of practical soil uses, and provide numerous references for further study of the relevant literature

Soil and Culture

Soil and Culture PDF Author: Edward R. Landa
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9048129605
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 485

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Book Description
SOIL: beneath our feet / food and fiber / ashes to ashes, dust to dust / dirt!Soil has been called the final frontier of environmental research. The critical role of soil in biogeochemical processes is tied to its properties and place—porous, structured, and spatially variable, it serves as a conduit, buffer, and transformer of water, solutes and gases. Yet what is complex, life-giving, and sacred to some, is ordinary, even ugly, to others. This is the enigma that is soil. Soil and Culture explores the perception of soil in ancient, traditional, and modern societies. It looks at the visual arts (painting, textiles, sculpture, architecture, film, comics and stamps), prose & poetry, religion, philosophy, anthropology, archaeology, wine production, health & diet, and disease & warfare. Soil and Culture explores high culture and popular culture—from the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch to the films of Steve McQueen. It looks at ancient societies and contemporary artists. Contributors from a variety of disciplines delve into the mind of Carl Jung and the bellies of soil eaters, and explore Chinese paintings, African mud cloths, Mayan rituals, Japanese films, French comic strips, and Russian poetry.

Soil Protists

Soil Protists PDF Author: Stefan Geisen
Publisher: Sudwestdeutscher Verlag Fur Hochschulschriften AG
ISBN: 9783838151571
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
Protists are by far the most diverse and abundant eukaryotes in soils. Nevertheless, very little is known about individual representatives, the diversity and community composition and ecological functioning of these important organisms. For instance, soil protists are commonly lumped into a single functional unit, i.e. bacterivores. This work tackles missing knowledge gaps on soil protists and common misconceptions using multi-methodological approaches including cultivation, microcosm experiments and environmental sequencing. In a first part, several new species and genera of amoeboid protists are described showing their immense unknown diversity. In the second part, the enormous complexity of soil protists communities is highlighted using cultivation- and sequence-based approaches. In the third part, the present of diverse mycophagous and nematophagous protists are shown in functional studies on cultivated taxa and their environmental importance supported by sequence-based approaches. This work is just a start for a promising future of soil Protistology that is likely to find other important roles of these diverse organisms.

The Soil Underfoot

The Soil Underfoot PDF Author: G. Jock Churchman
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 146657156X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 476

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Book Description
The largest part of the world’s food comes from its soils, either directly from plants, or via animals fed on pastures and crops. Thus, it is necessary to maintain, and if possible, improve the quality—and hence good health—of soils, while enabling them to support the growing world population. The Soil Underfoot: Infinite Possibilities for a Finite Resource arms readers with historical wisdom from various populations around the globe, along with current ideas and approaches for the wise management of soils. It covers the value of soils and their myriad uses viewed within human and societal contexts in the past, present, and supposed futures. In addition to addressing the technical means of maintaining soils, this book presents a culturally and geographically diverse collection of historical attitudes to soils, including philosophical and ethical frameworks, which have either sustained them or led to their degradation. Section I describes major challenges associated with climate change, feeding the increasing world population, chemical pollution and soil degradation, and technology. Section II discusses various ways in which soils are, or have been, valued—including in film and contemporary art as well as in religious and spiritual philosophies, such as Abrahamic religions, Maori traditions, and in Confucianism. Section III provides stories about soil in ancient and historic cultures including the Roman Empire, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, South America, New Zealand, the United States, and France. Section IV describes soil modification technologies, such as polymer membrane barriers, and soil uses outside commercial agriculture including the importance of soils for recreation and sports grounds. The final section addresses future strategies for more effective sustainable use of soils, emphasizing the biological nature of soils and enhancing the use of "green water" retained from rainfall.