Soil Ecology in Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Soil Ecology in Sustainable Agricultural Systems demonstrates the considerable potential for the application of soil biological knowledge to the sound management of agroecosystems. In this book agronomists will find new research and applications for using the tools of ecology to understand the workings of an agricultural system, and environmentalists and ecologists will gain a better under- standing of ecosystems that are created by both man and nature. It looks at roots and soil organic matter as sinks and sources of carbon and nutrients and focuses on the effects of structure-following and structure-forming soil organisms on biochemical and biophysical processes. Later on it discusses developing biological management practices that optimize soil properties for sustained agricultural use.