Nature and Properties of Soils, The

Dr. Raymond Weil, Professor, University of Maryland College Park B.S. in Crop Science from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 1970. M.S. in Soil Science from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1973. Ph.D. in Soil Ecology from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 1977. Elected Fellow in 2003 of both the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. Weil has been active in soil science research since 1972 and has made many contributions in the areas of nutrient cycling and management, environmental impact of soil management, and assessment of soil quality. His current research is focused on the assessment and improvement of soil quality and organic matter. He has conducted research in several countries outside the United States, including Ethiopia, Chad, Brazil, Honduras, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania. In addition to his teaching at the University of Maryland, he has conducted many training workshops for such agencies as the USDA, The World Bank, The Rodale Research Institute, and the International Food Policy Center. Dr. Weil has authored or coauthored more than 100 scientific publications in soil science and related areas. Dr. Nyle Brady Dr. Brady has, since 1947, worked in education, research and research administration, focusing on both international and U.S. issues. He is past president of the SSSA and served six years as Editor-in-Chief of the SSSA Proceedings and is Emeritus Professor at Cornell University. He has served in leadership positions with Cornell University, the International Rice Research Institute, USAID, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. He is recognized around the world as author and co-author of eleven editions of the world's most widely used soil science textbook, The Nature and Properties of Soils.

Glossary

 



1 The Soils Around Us   

2 Formation of Soils from Parent Materials

3 Soil Classification  

4 Soil Architecture and Physical Properties   

5 Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior  

6 Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle   

7 Soil Aeration and Temperature  

8 Soil Colloids: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical Activity

9 Soil Acidity   

10 Soils of Dry Regions: Alkalinity, Salinity, and Sodicity   

11 Organisms and Ecology of the Soil

12 Soil Organic Matter  

13 Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils  

14 Soil Phosphorus and Potassium  

15 Micronutrients and Other Trace Elements   

16 Practical Nutrient Management

17 Soil Erosion and Its Control  

18 Soils and Chemical Pollution  

19 Geographic Soils Information

20 Prospects for Global Soil Quality  

Appendix A Soil Classification: World Resource Base; Autralian and Canadian Systems   

Appendix B SI Units, Conversion Factors, Periodic Table of the Elements and Scentific Names of Plants Mentioned  

Index