Introduction To The Biogeochemistry Of Soils

The first process-based textbook on how soils form and function in biogeochemical cycles, for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

Submerged soils and the wetlands they support are of huge practical importance: in global element cycles, as centres of biodiversity, in global food production. They are also uniquely interesting scientifically because of their peculiar biogeochemistry and the adaptations of plants and microbes to it. This book describes the physical, chemical and biological processes operating in submerged soils and governing their properties. It describes the transport processes controlling the fluxes of gases and solutes through the soil; the interchange of solutes between solid, liquid and gas phases; reduction and oxidation processes; biological processes in the soil and overlying water; and processes in the roots and rhizospheres of wetland plants. The dynamics of nutrients, toxins, pollutants and trace gases are then discussed in terms of these processes and in relation to wetland productivity and global element cycles. Written by a renowned expert in the field, this work will be invaluable to earth, environmental and agricultural scientists concerned with natural or man-made wetlands, and to advanced undergraduate and graduate studen ts of these topics.

Over the past few decades, tremendous progress in analytical facilities allowed for the decreasing detection limits of trace element (TE) analysis in a large number of organic and inorganic matrices. This was especially true for freshwater aquatic systems, where direct measurements of more than forty trace elements have become possible provided that necessary precautions against pollution are made and required sample preparation protocol is maintained. Therefore, analyses of both liquid (water) and solid (biomass, sediments, soils, and aerosol particles) compartments of the landscape continuum allowed for a new perspective on biogeochemical factors of trace elements in a large panel of terrestrial environments. However, among all Earth biomes, the Arctic and subarctic regions are certainly less studied from a trace element biogeochemical view point.This book adresses a variety of geochemical and biogeochemical issues of trace element behavior in soils, waters, and plants across the world, from Eastern Europe to Siberian subarctic and Arctic islands. It presents a synthesis of state-of-the-art studiesusing precise analytical techniqueson trace element concentrations, fractionation, and migration in the main biogeochemical reservoirs of the Northern Hemisphere. This book combines chapters on trace elements in soils, plants, soil waters, lakes, rivers and their estuarine zones, and atmopsheric aerosols. As such, it provides a comprehensive view of current TE biogeochemistry and can serve as a reference compilation of available information for judging future changes in trace element biogeochemistry for terrestrial environments influenced by climate warming or increasing anthropogenic pollution.

An Introduction to Soils for Environmental Professionals assembles and presents the basic principles of each of the major soil science fields. It introduces fundamental concepts and shows the interrelationships between the various branches of soil science - from mineralogy to soil physics. Each chapter was reviewed by a professional in the particul

Soils have various functions in all ecosystems, particularly for environmental quality and human health. The parent materials of serpentine soils are characterized by much higher contents of elements such as Mg, Fe, Cr, Ni, Co, and Mn, and thus the derived soils display potentially ecological or environmental risk due to high levels of geogenic heavy metals, low concentrations of P and K, low Ca/Mg ratios, unique flora, and unstable landscape. Serpentine soils can be produced by ultramafics alone and also by hydrothermally altered ultramafics in the presence of serpentines, but they are abundant in ophiolite belts along tectonic plate margins. To sustain natural resources such as serpentine soils, we need a better understanding for the impact of serpentine soils on (1) the pedosphere and rhizosphere, (2) ecology and restoration, (3) biogeochemical cycling of elements, (4) environmental quality, crop quality, food safety, and human health, and (5) phyto-accumulation and agromining of heavy metals (ie: nickel) worldwide. Hence, the purpose of this book is to study the biogeochemical characteristics of serpentine soils. In the beginning, the authors introduce the basic knowledge of these soils including pedogenesis, mineral weathering, morphology, and classification. Moreover, bioavailability, plant uptake, and human health risk were discussed for the enriched heavy metals in serpentine soil. Finally, applications of serpentine soil in the environment were mentioned for research needs in the future.

Provides comprehensive coverage of the chemical interactions among organic and inorganic solids, air, water, microorganisms, and the plant roots in soil This book focuses on the species and reaction processes of chemicals in soils, with applications to environmental and agricultural issues. Topics range from discussion of fundamental chemical processes to review of properties and reactions of chemicals in the environment. This new edition contains more examples, more illustrations, more details of calculations, and reorganized material within the chapters, including nearly 100 new equations and 51 new figures. Each section also ends with an important concepts overview as well as new questions for readers to answer. Starting with an introduction to the subject, Soil Chemistry, 5th Edition offers in-depth coverage of properties of elements and molecules; characteristics of chemicals in soils; soil water chemistry; redox reactions in soils; mineralogy and weathering processes in soils; and chemistry of soil clays. The book also provides chapters that examine production and chemistry of soil organic matter; surface properties of soil colloids; adsorption processes in soils; measuring and predicting sorption processes in soils; soil acidity; and salt-affected soils. Provides a basic description of important research and fundamental knowledge in the field of soil chemistry Contains more than 200 references provided in figure and table captions and at the end of the chapters Extensively revised with updated figures and tables Soil Chemistry, 5th Edition is an excellent text for senior-level soil chemistry students.