Soils in Our Environment

A broad overview of soil sciences covering the complete spectrum of soil topics, and based on current scientific developments in all areas - taxonomy, soil formation, properties of soils, common soil problems and their solutions, evaluation of soils, and pollution from uses of soils.

Preface

The guiding purpose behind revisions for this 9th edition was to update and streamline the book without losing the thoroughness and readability it inherited from the senior author. Changes in content reflect the recent changes in soil taxonomy, the wealth of information in new on-line databases, and the strong interest in soil quality and sustainability. Dozens of new photos, figures, and tables have been added. An even larger number of older ones have been updated or eliminated. The resulting text is leaner (with fewer pages overall) and greener (placing greater emphasis on environmental integrity). More of the popular soil-related human interest stories have been included—for example: how political pressures threaten the family farm, how soil conditions affect cemeteries in New Orleans, and why a fungus in a Michigan forest should be counted among the world's largest organisms. Various sites on the Internet are referenced for readers seeking additional information. The tremendous value of these sites seems to outweigh the danger that their ephemeral nature may leave them inaccessible within a short time. As with previous editions of the book, this edition was written for students of agricultural and environmental sciences, preferably in the middle years of their undergraduate college experience. I sincerely hope that students and instructors find the book to be both functionally useful and intellectually engaging. Please e-mail your comments to duane.gardiner@tamuk.

A special "thank you" is extended to the following reviewers for their valuable feedback and suggestions:

Kenneth Barbarick, Colorado State University
Del Dingus, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
Dennis McCallister, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Thomas McIntosh, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
Dan Ross, Kent State University

Duane T. Gardiner