Morphology of soils; Soil micromorphology; Soil composition and characterization; Weathering and soil formation; Pedogenic processes: internal, soil-building processes; Soil environment: External factors of soil formation; Parent material: initial material of the solum; Relief and landscape factors of the soil and its environment; Contributions of climate to the total soil environment; Organisms: biological portion of the soil and its environment; Time as a factor of soil formation; Principles and historical development of soil classification; Modern soil classification systems; Entisols:recently formed soils: Vertisols: shrinking and swelling dark clay soils; In ceptisols: emleryonic soils with few diagnostic features; Aridisols: soils of arid regions; Mollisols: grassland soils of steppes and prairies; Spodosols: soils with subsoil, accumulations of sesquioxide and humus; Alfisols:high base status soils; Ultisols: low base status forest soils: Oxisols: sesquioxide - rihch, highly weathered soils of the intertropical regions; Histosols: organic soils.

Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology is a comprehensive and accessible textbook on all aspects of soils. The book's introductory chapters on soil morphology, physics, mineralogy and organisms prepare the reader for the more advanced and thorough treatment that follows. Theory and processes of soil genesis and geomorphology form the backbone of the book, rather than the emphasis on soil classification that permeates other less imaginative soils textbooks. This refreshingly readable text takes a truly global perspective, with many examples from around the world sprinkled throughout. Replete with hundreds of high quality figures and a large glossary, this book will be invaluable for anyone studying soils, landforms and landscape change. Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology is an ideal textbook for mid- to upper-level undergraduate and graduate level courses in soils, pedology and geomorphology. It will also be an invaluable reference text for researchers.

Covering wetlands soils from Florida to Alaska, Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification provides information on all types of hydric soils. With contributions from soil scientists who have extensive field experience, the book focuses on the soil morphology of the wet soils that cover most wetlands from the subtropics northw

This profusely illustrated book gives an exhaustive account of the principal types of soils of our planet. The "progressive descent of weathering fronts" model, recognized and used by eminent international scientists is the guiding principle of choice to link the observations and to give the reader a synthetic and coherent view of the differentiati

Concepts and definitions of soil; terminology and relationships between segments of the earth's crust; ABC system of horizon nomenclature; introduction to ways of thinking about and studying soil genesis; mineral and organic matter transformation; eluviation and illuviation and closely related processes (diffusion, wicking); phyto- and other biocycling; pedoturbation and soil structure formation; erosion, alluvation and other additions to soils; sulfidization and sulfuricization; salinization, solonization, and solodization; calcification; lessivage; podzolization; latosolization and lateritization; gleization; general principles and kinds of soil classification systems; soil classification in the past - roots and philosophies; history leading to the development of soil taxonomy; pedons and polypedons and their relationship to mapping delineations; soil taxonomy: epipedons; diagnostic subsurface horizons; pans and plinthite; proposed special diagnostic characteristics for highly man-influenced soils; other characteristics and terms used in defining mineral soils and classes of them; dignostic criteria for organic soils; general view of division of soils into orders; entisols; vertisols; inceptisols; aridisols; mollisols; spodosols; alfisols; ultisols; oxisols; histosols; the factors of soil formation - overview; soils in relation to their parent material; soils in relation to their age; soils in relation to climate; soils in relation to organisms other than man; effects of man; soils in relation to topography; minerals and mineral stabilities; overview for water movement in soils and soil genetic effects; subgroups of udorthents and classification of some highly man-influenced soils; textural triangles.

Soils form a unique and irreplaceable essential resource for all terrestrial organisms, including man. Soils form not only the very thin outer skin of the earth's crust that is exploited by plant roots for anchorage and supply of water and nutrients. Soils are complex natural bodies formed under the influence of plants, microorganisms and soil animals, water and air from their parent material, i.e. solid rock or unconsolidated sediments. Physically, chemically and mineralogically they usually differ strongly from the parent material, and normally are far more suitable as a rooting medium for plants. In addition to serving as a substrate for plant growth, including crops and pasture, soils play a dominant role in the biogeochemical cycling of water, carbon, nitrogen and other elements, influencing the chemical composition and turnover rates of substances in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. Soils take decades to millennia to form. We tread on them and do not usually see their interior, so we tend to take them for granted. But improper and abusive agricultural management, careless land- clearing and reclamation, man-induced erosion, salinisation and acidification, desertification, air- and water pollution, and withdrawal of land for housing, industry and transportation now destroy soils more rapidly than they can be formed.

Masterpiece offers a detailed discussion of the nature of the earth's terrestrial environment, and a method of subdividing and studying it. 1941 edition.