Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils

For undergraduate courses in Introduction to Soils, Fundamentals of Soil Science, and Soil Management. With an emphasis on the fundamentals, this book explores the important world of soils and the principles that can be used to minimize the degradation and destruction of one of our most important natural resources. Fully updated in this edition, it includes the latest information on soil colloids; nutrient cycles and soil fertility; and soils and chemical pollution. This edition is filled with hundreds of new figures and photos and continues to use examples from many fields, including agriculture, forestry, and natural resources. Taking an ecological approach, it emphasizes how the soil system is interconnected and the principles behind each soil concept.1. The Soils Around Us 2. Formation of Soils from Parent Materials 3. Soil Classification 4. Soil Architecture and Physical Properties 5. Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior 6. Soil and Hydrologic Cycle 7. Soil Air and Temperature 8. Soil Colloids: Seat of Chemical and Physical Activity 9. Soil Acidity, Alkalinity and Salinity 10. Organisms and Ecology of the Soil 11. Soil Organic Matter 12. Nutrient Cycles and Soil Fertility 13. Practical Nutrient Management 14. Soil Erosion and Its Control 15. Soil Quality and Pollution Post Matter