The World Beneath Our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil

Nardi, James B.

ISBN 10: 0195139909 / ISBN 13: 9780195139907

Published by Oxford University Press, 2003

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The World Beneath Our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195139909
• ISBN 13: 9780195139907
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Uncovering a secret world teeming with life, The World Beneath Our Feet profiles more than 100 creatures that live and work in ordinary, everyday dirt, describing a veritable underground empire just below our feet. From the smallest of bacteria to the denizens of the duff -- such as gophers and groundhogs -- each entry includes an elegant drawing of the subject, a fact box containing scientific statistics, and an essay about the life, role, and curious features of the creature. The 25-page "goings-on in the ground" section introduces the reader to soil -- what it is, how it supports life, how it evolved, and why it wears out -- and provides a context with which to understand how and why it needs the decomposing and recycling skills of animals. Appendixes discuss erosion and the dos and don'ts of composting, including how to build a compost center in your backyard. Backmatter includes a glossary of earth-related terms, websites, further reading, and an index.

About the Author

James B. Nardi, Biologist, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.