Download or read book The Effect of Organic Matter on the Available Moisture Holding Capacity of Soil written by Lawrence Robert Swarner and published by . This book was released on 1942 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Importance of Soil Organic Matter written by Alexandra Bot and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter - the product of on-site biological decomposition - affects the chemical and physical properties of the soil and its overall health. Its composition and breakdown rate affect: the soil structure and porosity; the water infiltration rate and moisture holding capacity of soils; the diversity and biological activity of soil organisms; and plant nutrient availability. This document concentrates on the organic matter dynamics of cropping soils and discusses the circumstances that deplete organic matter and their negative outcomes. It then moves on to more proactive solutions. It reviews a "basket" of practices in order to show how they can increase organic matter content and discusses the land and cropping benefits that then accrue.--Publisher's description.
Download or read book The Effect of Organic Matter on available Soil Water written by Francis Eugene Peebler and published by . This book was released on 1941 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The effect of various sources of organic matter on the properties of written by Joaquin Francis Marrero and published by . This book was released on 1930 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Soil Science Second Edition Online Print Version written by Lal Rattan Staff and published by CRC PressI Llc. This book was released on 2005-09 with total page 1600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For further information on alternative purchasing options for more than a one year subscription, please contact Vanessa Glossop, Online Sales Manager, on Email: [email protected] or Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 6131 or Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 6699
Download or read book Optimizing Soil Moisture for Plant Production written by T. F. Shaxson and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2003 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication discusses the processes above, within and below the soil that enable water to move and crops to grow, and is intended to help land users make better use and take better care of these basic resources. It aims to provide a solid basis for sound, sustainable soil moisture management. This document has been made more user-friendly by presenting a guide for field workers with activities, exercises and discussion topics in non-technical language, and by interspersing the text with illustrations and diagrams. The complete materials of this guide are included on the CD-ROM that accompanies this document
Download or read book The Influence of Organic Matter on the Moisture Equivalent of Soils written by Blythe Fidelis Monroe and published by . This book was released on 1921 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Managing Organic Matter in Tropical Soils Scope and Limitations written by Christopher Martius and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter is a reservoir for plant nutrients, provides water-holding capacity, stabilizes soil structure against compaction and erosion, and thus determines soil productivity. All agriculture to some degree depends on soil organic matter. It has long been known that soil organic matter declines when land is taken into cultivation, and that the productivity of new agricultural land is governed by fertility contributions from decomposing natural organic matter. The expansion of agriculture to ever new and more fragile lands, particularly in tropical and developing regions, causes environmental degradation with local effects on soil quality, regional effects on landscape integrity and water quality, and global effects on carbon cycles and the atmosphere. This book summarizes current knowledge of the properties and dynamics of soil organic matter in the tropics, its role in determining soil quality, its stability and turnover, and the options for management in the context of tropical landuse systems, for a readership of resource scientists, economists and advanced students. Maintenance of organic matter is critical for preventing land degradation. Case studies and practical applications are therefore an important part of the book, as are the exploration of future directions in research and management.
Download or read book Using R for Digital Soil Mapping written by Brendan P. Malone and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-11-17 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes and provides many detailed examples of implementing Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) using R. The work adheres to Digital Soil Mapping theory, and presents a strong focus on how to apply it. DSM exercises are also included and cover procedures for handling and manipulating soil and spatial data in R. The book also introduces the basic concepts and practices for building spatial soil prediction functions, and then ultimately producing digital soil maps.
Download or read book Building Soils for Better Crops written by Fred Magdoff and published by Sare. This book was released on 2009 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "'Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture."
Download or read book Soil Moisture in Relation to Plant Growth written by Paul Jackson Kramer and published by . This book was released on 1944 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Soil Organic Matter written by Robert L. Tate and published by Wiley-Interscience. This book was released on 1987-01-19 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely volume provides a basic introduction to the biological aspects of soil organic matter. With rapidly increasing societal demands on the soil ecosystem and the current recognition that the pools of organic matter in agricultural soils are declining, we have come to realize the essential function that soil organic matter performs in the ecosystem. The author shows how, in many cases, the total nature and longevity of the the entire ecosystem are controlled by the chemical, biological, and physical properties of the soil organic matter pool. Covers fauna, microbes, and enzymes in the soil; organic matter transformation and humification; mathematical modeling; ecosystem management, and much more.
Download or read book Soil Organic Matter and Soil Function Review of the Literature and Underlying Data written by Brian William Murphy and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A review has been undertaken into how soil organic matter affects a range of soil properties that are important for the productive capacity of the soils. The potential effect of varying the amount of soil organic matter in soil on a range of individual soil properties was investigated using a literature search of published information largely from Australia, but also including relevant information from overseas. The soil properties considered included aggregate stability, bulk density, water holding capacity, soil erodibility, soil thermal properties, soil colour, soil strength, compaction characteristics, friability, nutrient cycling, cation exchange capacity, soil acidity and buffering capacity, capacity to form ligands and complexes, salinity and the interaction of soil organic matter with soil biology. Overall this review concentrated on the soil physical properties and results from some of the field studies on soil organic matter and soil properties and so is intended to compliment the earlier review by Krull et al (2004) and another on the role of soil carbon in nutrient cycling (Macdonald and Baldock 2010). Some conclusions on the effects of soil organic matter on several soil properties were made. Soil organic matter had clear effects on water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, aggregate stability and buffering capacity to acidification. Soil organic matter also had a definite effect on the compaction and strength characteristics of soils which in combination with friability can determine how the soil responds to traffic and tillage. Soil organic matter was an important factor in providing a nutrient supply and in nutrient cycling, especially of nitrogen, but also of significant proportions of phosphorus and sulphur and other micronutrients. The relative importance of soil organic matter to provide certain functions in soils varied with texture, with soil organic matter generally being more critical in soils with lower clay contents. Different soil organic fractions had different properties and varied in their importance for different soil properties. While data was generally lacking, it appears that the humus fraction is more important for the functions requiring chemical activity such as cation exchange capacity and pH buffering capacity and the particulate organic carbon is more important for aggregate stability of the larger aggregates, the rapid recycling of nutrients and as a food and energy source for the soil microbial population. The level of soil organic matter and the levels of certain factions can influence the biological activity and microorganisms in the soil. The development of new methodologies such as the measurement of microbial biomass, substrate analysis, phospholipid analysis, DNA analysis and enzyme evaluation has given improved insight into many of the biological processes in soils. This has shown that land management and even different plants or crops can change the biological populations. However, a more complete understanding of the overall effect some of these changes can have on overall productivity and nutrient cycling requires a higher level of understanding then is currently available. There were some values for the levels of soil organic carbon required to maintain the soil properties in a functional form and the value of 2% soil organic carbon occurred a number of times as a useful guide. One important conclusion is that by increasing soil organic matter it is possible to improve several soil properties simultaneously and so have a cumulative effect on productivity. A final part of the review was to consider the capacity of the dry land agricultural systems to achieve levels of soil organic matter that could improve soil properties. This was done using soil carbon data from across Australia from a range of sources including the National Soil Carbon Project. In general there was a percentage of soils that had soil organic carbon levels sufficiently low as to affect soil properties. These also seemed to occur in areas where available land management practices could increase the levels of soil organic carbon above the measured levels and so there is a potential to improve productivity in these areas by increasing levels of soil organic carbon. A large proportion of the soils also had higher levels of soil organic carbon which although not ideal for soil properties, could be more difficult to increase under standard land management systems. A small percentage of soils had high levels and probably indicate what is possible under the more specialised land management systems. One conclusion was that for many soils, increases in soil organic matter have the capacity to strongly influence only the surface soils, perhaps only the top 10 cms and the top 20 cms at most. This limits the capacity of soil organic matter to influence soil productivity. Even so the top 10 to 20 cm is a critical zone for the soil. It is the interface where seeds are sown, germinate and emerge. It is where a large proportion of plant materials are added to the soil for decomposition and the recycling of nutrients and where the rainfall either enters the soil or runs off. So the potential to improve soil condition in the top 10 to 20 cm is still critical for plant productivity. A deficiency in the studies on the effects of soil organic matter on soil properties and productivity is the need to consider the impact of soil organic matter across a wide range of seasons and soil types. The means to address this deficiency is perhaps a program of applying biophysical models using the known effects of soil organic matter on the soil properties.
Download or read book Managing Organic Matter in Tropical Soils Scope and Limitations written by Christopher Martius and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2002-01-31 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter is a reservoir for plant nutrients, provides water-holding capacity, stabilizes soil structure against compaction and erosion, and thus determines soil productivity. All agriculture to some degree depends on soil organic matter. It has long been known that soil organic matter declines when land is taken into cultivation, and that the productivity of new agricultural land is governed by fertility contributions from decomposing natural organic matter. The expansion of agriculture to ever new and more fragile lands, particularly in tropical and developing regions, causes environmental degradation with local effects on soil quality, regional effects on landscape integrity and water quality, and global effects on carbon cycles and the atmosphere. This book summarizes current knowledge of the properties and dynamics of soil organic matter in the tropics, its role in determining soil quality, its stability and turnover, and the options for management in the context of tropical landuse systems, for a readership of resource scientists, economists and advanced students. Maintenance of organic matter is critical for preventing land degradation. Case studies and practical applications are therefore an important part of the book, as are the exploration of future directions in research and management.
Download or read book Retaining Soil Moisture in the American Southwest written by Kelly J. Ponte and published by Sunstone Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Commonly, we think of soil as just a medium to walk above or build upon. If we had the ability to shrink ourselves to the size of a soil particle, we would be amazed at the vibrant life and ever-changing interactions taking place all around us. The activity, physical changes and diverse life forms would overwhelm the senses. Soil moisture fuels this activity. The soil and water dynamic together as one entity is both the introduction and ending of a novel on the living. Where time is a method used to record events, the soil-water dynamic is time. Together, they tell us where we've been and point us in the direction we need to go. Retaining Soil Moisture in the American Southwest is a culmination of the author's extensive interest in soil and water interactions, soil remediation, land application of treated wastes, conservation, air, soil, and water quality issues, and an overall appreciation for improvement for the quality of life. Awareness of the players in the soil-water-plant continuum aids in understanding the processes that either reduce or conserve soil moisture. The dry climate of the American Southwest demands this understanding to ensure that waters which may have taken hundreds to thousands to millions of years to amass are not wiped out in the span of a generation. KELLY J. PONTE obtained her A.A. degree in Liberal Arts from Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and earned her B.S. degree in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She received her M.S. degree in Agronomy and Ph.D. in Soil Science from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. She lives in New Mexico. ON THE COVER: A portion of a painting entitled Rain by Howard Behling Schleeter from the book, A More Abundant Life, New Deal Artists and Public Art in New Mexico, published by Sunstone Press. The original painting is in the collection of Melrose High School, Melrose, New Mexico.
Download or read book Ecology and Management of Forest Soils written by Dan Binkley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-11-05 with total page 487 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forest soils are the foundation of the entire forest ecosystem and complex, long-term interactions between trees, soil animals, and the microbial community shape soils in was that are very distinct from agricultural soils. The composition, structure, and processes in forest soils at any given time reflect current conditions, as well as the legacies of decades (and even millennia) of interactions that shape each forest soil. Reciprocal interactions are fundamental; vegetation alters soil physical properties, which influence soil biology and chemistry, which in turn influence the growth and success of plants. These dynamic systems may be strongly influenced by intentional and unintentional management, ranging from fire to fertilization. Sustaining the long-term fertility of forest soils depends on insights about a diverse array of soil features and changes over space and time. Since the third edition of this successful book many new interests in forest soils and their management have arisen, including the role of forest soils in sequestering carbon, and how management influences rates of carbon accumulation. This edition also expands the consideration of how soils are sampled and characterized, and how tree species differ in their influence on soil development. Clearly structured throughout, the book opens with the origins of forest soil science and ends with the application of soil science principles to land management. This new edition provides: A completely revised and updated Fourth Edition of this classic textbook in the field A coherent overview of the major issues surrounding the ecology and management of forest soils Global in scope with coverage of soil types ranging from the tropical rainforest soils of Latin America to the boreal forest soils of Siberia New chapters on Management: Carbon sequestration; Evidence-based approaches and applications of geostatistics, GIS and taxonomies A clear overview of each topic, informative examples/case studies, and an overall context for helping readers think clearly about forest soils An introduction to the literature of forest soil science and to the philosophy of forest soil science research This coherent overview of the major issues surrounding the ecology and management of forest soils will be particularly useful to students taking courses in soil science, forestry, agronomy, ecology, natural resource management, environmental management and conservation, as well as professionals in forestry dealing with the productivity of forests and functioning of watersheds.
Download or read book Mycorrhizal Mediation of Soil written by Nancy Collins Johnson and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2016-11-03 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mycorrhizal Mediation of Soil: Fertility, Structure, and Carbon Storage offers a better understanding of mycorrhizal mediation that will help inform earth system models and subsequently improve the accuracy of global carbon model predictions. Mycorrhizas transport tremendous quantities of plant-derived carbon below ground and are increasingly recognized for their importance in the creation, structure, and function of soils. Different global carbon models vary widely in their predictions of the dynamics of the terrestrial carbon pool, ranging from a large sink to a large source. This edited book presents a unique synthesis of the influence of environmental change on mycorrhizas across a wide range of ecosystems, as well as a clear examination of new discoveries and challenges for the future, to inform land management practices that preserve or increase below ground carbon storage. - Synthesizes the abundance of research on the influence of environmental change on mycorrhizas across a wide range of ecosystems from a variety of leading international researchers - Focuses on the specific role of mycorrhizal fungi in soil processes, with an emphasis on soil development and carbon storage, including coverage of cutting-edge methods and perspectives - Includes a chapter in each section on future avenues for further study
