Sustainable Management of Soil Organic Matter

by Robert M Rees, Bruce C. Ball, Christine Watson, C Campbell

Overview

The functioning of soils and their ability to supply nutrients, store water, release greenhouse gases, modify pollutants, resist physical degradation and produce crops within a sustainable management system is profoundly influenced by their organic matter content. This volume contains papers from an international conference held by the British Society of Soil Science in Edinburgh in September 1999. It explores the results of recent research studies examining how organic matter functions in soils, factors affecting organic matter quality and quantity and how management of organic matter can be optimized in order to achieve sustainable farming practices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780851994659
Publisher:	CABI
Publication date:	12/11/2000
Series:	Cabi Publishing Series
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Bruce C. Ball is at SRUC, UK.

Christine Watson is at SRUC, UK.

Table of Contents

Contributors

Editorial Reviews

In light of growing realization that the sustainable development everyone seems to be for these days depends fundamentally on soil management, scientists from many countries examine the role organic matter plays in soils, with a view to understanding how this contributes to the various functions of soils. They discuss organic matter and sustainability, modelling soil organic matter dynamics, the roles of residue quality in carbon sequestration and nitrogen supply, the role of soil organic matter and manures in sustainable nutrient cycling, and implications of soil biodiversity for sustainable organic matter management. The 44 papers are from a September 1999 meeting of the British Society of Soil Science in Edinburgh. Distributed in the US by Oxford University Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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