Soil Formation

Nico van Breemen, Peter Buurman9781402007187, 1402007183

Soil Formation deals with qualitative and quantitative aspects of soil formation (or pedogenesis) and the underlying chemical, biological, and physical processes. The starting point of the text is the process — and not soil classification. Effects of weathering and new formation of minerals, mobilisation, transport, and breakdown or immobilisation of dissolved and suspended compounds are discussed. Soil processes and profiles are discussed in relation to the landscape, the geosphere, and the biosphere. Emphasis lies on the universality of soil-forming processes in past and present, and on the soil as a dynamic entity that forms part of the total environment. Complexity of genetic processes in time and space is given much attention. The text gives many examples from literature and places some in a new light. The reader is guided through the subject matter by a large number of questions and problems to help understand and synthesis the material. Answers to all questions are included. This second edition has been updated to reflect recent discoveries. Printing errors have been corrected, and new photographs support the text.

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Table of contents :
Preliminaries……Page 1
Contents……Page 6
1. Why soil genesis?……Page 18
2. Soil physical processes……Page 26
3. Soil chemical processes……Page 52
4. Biological processes in soils……Page 94
5. Studing soil profiles……Page 134
6. Organic surface horizons……Page 152
7. Hydromorphic soils……Page 170
8. Textural differentiation……Page 204
9. Formation of calcic, gypsiferous, and saline soils……Page 226
10. Formation of vertisols……Page 256
11. Podzolisation……Page 268
12. Formation of andisols……Page 296
13. Ferralitisation……Page 318
14. Dense and cemented horizons: fragipan and duripan, and tepetate……Page 340
15. Analysing genetically complex situations……Page 356
Appendices……Page 376
Glossary……Page 386
Index……Page 404