Soil Ecology

• Main Authors: Lavelle, Patrick. (Author), Spain, Alister V. (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands, 2001.
• Subjects: Life sciences.; Ecology.; Plant ecology.; Forestry.; Nature conservation.; Soil science.; Soil conservation.; Life Sciences.; Soil Science & Conservation.; Plant Ecology.; Nature Conservation.
• Online Access: View fulltext via EzAccess
• Physical Description: XXVIII, 654 p. online resource.
• ISBN: 9780306481628

A number of excellent textbooks on general ecology are currently available butỚa to dateỚa none have been dedicated to the study of soil ecology. This is important because the soilỚa as the Ớ<U+00dc>epidermisỚ" of our planetỚa is the major component of the terrestrial biosphere. In the present ageỚa it is difficult to understand how one could be interested in general ecology without having some knowledge of the soil and furtherỚa to study the soil without taking into account its biological components and ecological setting. It is this deficiency that the two authorsỚa Patrick Lavelle and Alister SpainỚa have wished to address in writing their text. A reading of this workỚa entitled Ớ<U+00dc>Soil EcologyỚ"Ớa shows it to be very complete and extremely innovative in its conceptual plan. In additionỚa it follows straightforwardly through a development which unfolds over four substantial chapters. FirstlyỚa the authors consider the soil as a porous and finely divided medium of b- organomineral originỚa whose physical structure and organisation foster the development of a multitude of specifically adapted organisms (microbial communitiesỚa roots of higher plantsỚa macro-invertebrates).