Soil and Plant Analysis for Forest Ecosystem Characterization

This handbook provides and overview of physical, chemical and biological methods used to analyze soils andplant tissue using an ecosystem perspective. The current emphasis on climate change has recognized the importance of including soil carbon as part of our carbon budgets. Methods to assess soilsmust be ecosystem based if they are to have utility for policy makers and managers wanting to change soil carbon and nutrient pools.Most of the texts on soil analyis treat agriculture and not forest soils and these methods do not transfer readily to forests because of their different chemistry and physical properties. This manual presents methods for soil and plant analysis with the ecosystem level approach that will reduce the risk that poor management decisions will be made in forests.