Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2

Soil is one of the most important of our natural resources. It supports and provides nutrients for the plants and animals that provide our food, fiber, and shelter. It is also the receptacle for much of our waste material, helping to correct and often hide many of our mistakes and oversights. If managed properly, the soil provides protection for our environment.
The soil is also nonrenewable for all practical purposes, highly...
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Soil is one of the most important of our natural resources. It supports and provides nutrients for the plants and animals that provide our food, fiber, and shelter. It is also the receptacle for much of our waste material, helping to correct and often hide many of our mistakes and oversights. If managed properly, the soil provides protection for our environment.
The soil is also nonrenewable for all practical purposes, highly variable, and complex, especially from a chemical and biological standpoint. It is essential that we have the best possible understanding of the nature and properties of our soils if we are to make the most efficient use of them for food and fiber production, and at the same time preserve them for future generations. This understanding has been greatly enhanced in the past, through the use of new and improved analytical procedures. Yet, we have a great deal to learn, and new procedures based on the use of modern technology and insights gained from past experience are continually emerging.
The second edition of the book, Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, Chemical and Microbiological Properties, provides a timely and needed update of the new analytical procedures available today. The authors represent the many facets of the chemistry and biology of soils and are among the most highly respected and knowledgeable soil scientists.