The living soil : Fundamentals of soil science & soil biology

This study looks at the fundamentals of soil science and soil biology, encompassing topics such as the building blocks of the soil system and bioremediation of contaminated soils.

Fundamentals of Soil Science: The soil, an ecological system. The building blocks of the soil system: inert constituents and living organisms. Soil properties. Life in action. Formation, development, and classification of soils. Between life and soil: the forms of soil humus. Topics in Soil Biology: Soil and vegetation: relations at many levels. Dead wood, excrements, carcasses, and gravel: soil appendages. Arrested decomposition: from sphagnum moss to peat. Composting, a value addition to our wastes. Soil bioremediation. Animals and ecological niches. Food chains and webs in the soil. Soil enzymes. The rhizosphere: a (micro) biologically active interface between plant and soil. Soil symbioses. Soil biology in the future.