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List of contents
1. Introduction to soils; 2. An overview of the biogeochemistry of soils; 3. The biology in soil biogeochemistry; 4. Field based properties of soils; 5. Soil biogeochemical measurements and data; 6. Time and soil processes; 7. The soil carbon cycle; 8. Chemical and physical processes in soils; 9. Soil processes on sloping landscapes; 10. Humans and soil biogeochemistry.
About the author
Ronald Amundson has spent his career at Berkeley working to integrate and expand an appreciation of soils within the earth sciences. By utilizing principles of isotope geochemistry, he has developed isotopic tools for environmental and paleoclimate studies, and helped develop new methods of dating soils and landscapes. He has nearly two decades of research experience in the Atacama Desert of Chile exploring the climate threshold between the biotic and abiotic regions on Earth, and how this can ultimately inform us about the history of our planetary neighbour, Mars. Amundson is an elected Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Geophysical Union.
Summary
The first process-based textbook on how soils form and function in biogeochemical cycles, for advanced students. The field-based framework provides the tools for interpreting soil biogeochemistry, including the vast USDA soil dataset. With its jargon-free approach, this textbook will help students understand the up-to-date concepts in the field.
Additional text
'Finally, we have a textbook on soil that teaches us without overwhelming us. This book is a remarkable success in shedding light on concepts, observations, and perspectives, a rare balance that our precious soils deserve.' Kyungsoo Yoo, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
