Cryosols: Permafrost-Affected Soils

by John Kimble (Editor)

Overview

Cryosols occupy a unique part of the earth and have properties greatly different from other soils. They also occur where the greatest impact of global warming is predicted. They have been studied extensively in Russia, Canada and in other regions. This is, however, the first book which brings together experts from all fields in order to focus on these unique soils. It will undoubtedly provide one of the best sources of information available about these soils.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783540207511
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	06/24/2004
Edition description:	2004
Pages:	726
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.06(d)

Table of Contents

Section 1. The History of Research of Polar Soil.- 1. Soil Research in Arctic Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica.- 2. The History of Research of Eurasian Cryosols.- 3. Northern Soil Research in Canada.- Section 2. The Geography of Cryosols.- 1. Similarities and Differences in Arctic and Antarctic Soil Zones.- 2. Cryosols in Alaska.- 3. Cryosols of Arctic Canada.- 4. Cryosols of the Boreal, Subarctic, and Western Cordillera Regions of Canada.- 5. Cryosols in the Russian Arctic Archipelagos.- 6. Soils and Soil Cover of Northeastern Eurasia.- 7. Cryosols of the Russian European North.- 8. Cryosols of Western Siberia.- 9. Cryosols of the Mountains of Southern Siberia and Far Eastern Russia.- 10. Geography and Ecology of Cryogenic Soils of Mongolia.- 11. The Periglacial Environment and Distribution of Cryosols in China.- 12. Cryosols of the Arid Antarctic.- 13. The Soil Cover of Central Siberia.- Section 3. Properties and Processes of Cryosols.- 1. Physico-Chemical Processes in Cryogenic Soils.- 2. Micromorphology of Cryosols.- 3. The Thermal Regime of Cryosols.- 4. Cryosols in the Extremely Arid Transantarctic Mountains Region of Antarctica.- 5. Mineralogy and Weathering of Antarctic Cryosols.- 6. Weathering Processes in Arid Cryosols.- Section 4. Ecological Processes of Cryosols.- 1. Organic Matter and Bioactivity in Cryosols of Arctic Alaska.- 2. The Biological Cycle in Terrestrial Polar Ecosystems and its Influence on Soil Formation.- 3. Soil Organic Matter Storage in Cold Soils of Coastal Eastern Antarctica (Casey Station, Wilkes Land).- 4. Composition and Transformation of Soil Organic Matter in Cryosols and Gelic Histosols in Coastal Eastern Antarctica (Casey Station, Wilkes Land).- 5. Microorganisms and Microbial Processes in Antarctic Soils.- 6. The Biology of Arid Cryosols.- 7. Biodiversity, primary productivity, and the seasonal dynamic of soil processes in Taimyr soil-permafrost complexes.- Section 5. Classification of Cryosols.- 1. Classification of Cryosols in Canada.- 2. Classification of Cryosols in Russia.- 3. The Gelisol Order in Soil Taxonomy.- 4. Classification of Permafrost-Affected Soils in the WRB.- Section 6. Management and Use of Cryosols.- 1. Agricultural Use of Tundra Soils in the Vorkuta Area, Northeast European Russia.- 2. Disposal of Mine Tailings in Continuous Permafrost Areas: Environmental Aspects and Future Control Strategies.- 3. Environmental Impacts and Recovery from Human Activities on Cryosols of the Transantarctic Mountains.- 4. Soil Properties and Relationships in Cryosols of the Region of the Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"This book summarizes the results achieved by members of the Working Group and their associates, and is the first significant text dedicated to the soils. … John Kimble, Charles Tarnocai, Sergey Goryachkin and other members of the Cryosol Group are to be heartily congratulated for the production of this book. It is the first authoritative and wide-ranging account of soils that occupy very large areas of the world’s polar regions and are likely to have increasing ecological and environmental significance in the future." (J.A. Catt, European Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 56, 2005)

"Cryosols compiles decades of work by scholars, researchers, and field soil practitioners on soils and their management in the permafrost regions of the world. … Figures and tables are timely and easily interpreted. Each chapter has its own reference list covering many years of peer-reviewed international journals and books … . Cryosols is a valuable reference for soil scientists, ecologists, biologists, agronomists, foresters, and conservationists interested in the permafrost region. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above." (S.G. Shetron, CHOICE, Vol. 42 (5), January, 2005)

"This volume is an impressive undertaking that summarizes the current state of knowledge concerning the soils of cold regions. … This book will be of interest for three main reasons. First, it is the only major volume that brings together studies upon cold-climate soils … . Second, it attempts the difficult task of integrating the different approaches adopted by soil scientists in Russia, Europe and North America. Third, it brings cryosols to the attention of the wider scientific community." (Hugh French, Progress in Physical Geography, Vol. 30 (1), 2006)

From the Publisher