Author Description

Revised and updated throughout, this book discusses chemistry in relation to soil and plant growth, comparing the chemical reactions in soil solutions and plant cells, and offering information on soil formation. It emphasizes the importance of organic (humic acids) and inorganic (minerals and clays) soil constituents in soil chemistry and methods for identifying them. Clarifying how soil is a system composed of a gas, liqud and solid phase in simple terms and in logically-arranged chapters, this edition now features new chapters on: soil composition and soil solution, stressing the processes of importance in environmental quality; soil organic components and their origin and behaviour in soils, highlighting the environmental impact of complex carbohydrates, lignins and humic acids; soil minerals and soil clays, covering the latest advances on paracrystalline and amorphous clays. It also features expanded material on: adsorption in soils, including additional forces of adsorption; cation exchange capacity (CEC), exploring new concepts based on permanent and variable charge CEC; aluminum chemistry and its effects on soil acidity, examining the role of fertilizers, soil minerals and acid rain on soil acidity.