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.
The first process-based textbook on how soils form and function in biogeochemical cycles, for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
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.
'Amundson's introduction to soil biogeochemistry provides an
exciting path for future students with a wide range of interests,
especially ecological and Earth science students. This introduction
to the topic is as important as it is long overdue.' Daniel D.
Richter, Duke University
'This book provides the conceptual and quantitative tools to study
soil as an integral part of the Earth system. Professor Amundson
emphasizes the physical, chemical and biological processes
responsible for developing and maintaining soil and its role in
facilitating and modifying mass fluxes at the Earth's surface. It
is the most engaging, useful and concise book available on soil's
role in terrestrial biogeochemistry.' Oliver Chadwick, University
of California, Santa Barbara
'This is the type of textbook that even the specialist can read and
enjoy. It is surprising in its coverage - spanning, for example,
from the Big Bang to yesterday and from state-of-the-science models
of soil formation to filling out soil data sheets. Even the
problems at the end of chapters are interesting: they will act as
springboards to launch students further into the world of soils and
how to think scientifically.' Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State
University
'This book blends exquisitely the classic and fundamental with the
modern and highly specialized. From basic concepts of soil science
to the query of modern databases, Amundson covers it
comprehensively and quantitatively.' Daniel O. Breecker, University
of Texas, Austin
'Ronald Amundson ... presents a comprehensive view of soils as
natural, dynamic bodies through geologic time and space. Readers
with substantive math and chemistry skills will appreciate his
discussion of soil biochemistry and its central role in
understanding climate change and the evolution of life on our
planet. Branches of many disciplines have been grafted to the
humble rootstock of soil science in this book.' Susan E. Marshall,
Humboldt State University
'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
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