Soil
Fragile Interface
Pierre Stengel: Institut national de la reserche agronomique, Paris, France
Sandrine Gelin: Institut national de la reserche agronomique, Mercy l'etoile, France
ISBN 978-1-57808-219-3; 2003; 264 pages; US $ 84.00      Buy Now

The book, written from the perspective of pedologists and agronomists, is a study of the Earth's crust which is subjected to climatic agents and inhabited by living creatures. These phenomena in concert, slowly transform soil through the interaction of physical, climatic and biological processes.

Contents:-
Part I: Soil: A Site of Exchange and Transfer
. Constituents and Organisation of Soil: C. Chenu and A. Bruand
. Reactivity of Soil: Chemical Properties: Martine Tercé
. Transport in Soil: Laurent Bruckler
. Soil and Exchanges with the Plant Cover: J.C. Fardeau and P. Stengel

Part II: Biotransformation of Soil
. Biotransformation of Carbon and Nitrogen: J. Balesdent
. Microorganisms in the Transformation of Minerals: Effect on Formation, Functioning and Development of Soils: J. Berthelin
. The Rhizosphere: P. Lemanceau and T. Heulin

Part III: Consequences of Exploitation of Soils by Man
. Salinisation of Soils: C. Cheverry and G. Bourrié
. Erosion of Cultivated Soils by Water in Temperate Conditions: Y. Le Bissonnais and C. Gascuel-Odoux
. Sources of Soil Pollution: S. Martin
. Contamination of Soils by Heavy Metals and Other Trace Elements: P. Cambier and M. Mench
. Use of Pesticides and Fertilisers in Agriculture: C. Clermont-Dauphin and J.M.Meynard
. Purifying Functions of Soil and their Limits: J.C. Germon
Annexure: Soil Quality Observatory: A Management Tool for Agriculture, an Instrument for Monitoring Ecological Systems: S. Martin