Soil Ecology in Northern Forests: A Belowground View of a Changing World

by Martin Lukac, Douglas L. Godbold

Overview

Forest soils form the foundation that underpins the existence of all forests. This book encapsulates soil ecology and functioning in northern forests, focusing on the effects of human activity and climate change. The authors introduce the fundamental principles necessary for studying forest soils, and explain the functioning and mutual influence of all parts of a forest soil ecosystem. A chapter is dedicated to each of soil acidity and heavy metal pollution, elevated carbon dioxide, nitrogen deposition and climate change, highlighting the most important anthropogenic factors influencing forest soil functioning and how these soils are likely to respond to environmental change. With its unique view of the functioning of the soils found under temperate and boreal forests in today's rapidly changing world, this book is of interest to anyone studying forestry and forest ecology in European, North American and North Asian contexts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521714211
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/07/2011
Pages:	268
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Martin Lukac is Research Assistant at the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK. His main areas of interest are carbon cycling, forest ecology and climate change impacts on ecosystems. He is involved in teaching and research in the area of climate change, focusing on its effects on ecosystem functioning and stability.

Douglas L. Godbold is Professor of Forest Sciences, School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales. His research interests include tree roots and rhizosphere biology, particularly in the context of environmental change. He teaches in the areas of plant-soil interactions and forest ecosystems.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Soil properties; 3. Forest soil development and classification; 4. Soil fungi; 5. Soil water; 6. Forest carbon cycle; 7. Nutrient cycling; 8. Northern forests in a high CO2 world; 9. Soil acidity and heavy metal pollution; 10. Nitrogen; 11. Soil functioning and climate change; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"One of the book's strengths is the recurring citation of experimental manipulation of entire ecosystems. Viewing this book through a soil ecologist's eyes, the plant-soil-root-mycorrhizal interactions are presented in an extensive and up-to-date fashion."
David C. Coleman, Ecology

"This book will be well attuned to foresters and forest ecologists with a solid background on the diversity of soil biota and their interactions in forest ecosystem functioning... a well and truly justified effort."
Stef Bokhorst, Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher