Soil Ecology

This book first synthesises in a complete, accessible way all the basic knowledge provided by the different disciplines of Soil Science. It then proposes integrative concepts and models that organise this knowledge, taking into account the multiple interactions that exist at a number of different scales among the living and inanimate components. This consideration of basic knowledge in a novel integrative approach is necessary to make significant progress in such critical issues as the improvement of the sustainability of soil and land use, the maintenance or restoration of soil quality, the understanding of the function and value of soil biodiversity, the role of soils in carbon sequestration, and the effects of global changes upon their function.