Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment

Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment, Second Edition, Four Volume Set updates and expands on the previous version to ensure coverage of topics relevant to current world problems such as population pressure, food security and global change. Since the publication of the previous edition, there has been a huge change in our ability to carry out bioinformatics related to soil organisms and their functioning. Major developments in next generation DNA sequencing techniques have opened up the ability to identify both the diversity of microbial populations and their functioning. In addition, imaging is changing our perceptions and improving our knowledge of soil aggregation.

This reference work coves the entire field of soil science, bridging the gap between basic science and applications, and is designed to serve students and well as expert researchers. It is organized around four core topics, the main components of soil science - biology, chemistry, physics and landscape and management. As such, this work will be of interest not only to academics but also to policymakers, government researchers and the geographical and environmental community who are not necessarily in research roles but need information on soil to support their core work.