Located at the interface of the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, land is important for an understanding of both the natural environment process and those affected by human activities. They affect the water motion, the stability of the ground, near-surface climate, plants and animals distribution, as well as determine the agricultural potential of an area, affect water quality and powerful features in many aspects of land use planning and land management will continue to play an important role in protecting the future of our environment, but is one of the low pricing and abuse of the earth's resources | SOILS AND ENVIRONMENT s. ELLIS and A. MELLOR Also available as a printed book see title verso for ISBN details SOILS AND ENVIRONMENT Lying at the interface of the geosphere hydrosphere biosphere and atmosphere soils are of major importance to an understanding of both natural environmental processes and those affected by human activity. They influence water movement ground stability near-surface climate and plant and animal distributions as well as determining the agricultural potential of an area affecting water quality and featuring strongly in many aspects of landuse planning and management. Soil will continue to play a vital role in safeguarding the future of our environment yet is one of the most undervalued and abused of the Earth s resources. Soils and Environment examines the ways in which soils both influence and are influenced by the environment adopting a range of approaches micro and macro-scale pure and applied spatial and temporal natural and human-related. Assuming only a basic scientific knowledge the book analyses the constituents and properties of soils the processes and pathways of soil formation and the range of soil types found globally. It discusses the environmental factors which influence soil development and the resulting characteristics of soils and considers the influence of environmental change on soils and the role of soils in environmental reconstruction. It then examines soils as components of natural environmental systems before considering soil-human interactions in landuse systems environmental problems and landuse management and soil survey and land evaluation. Supported by a glossary of terms and comprehensive references this fully illustrated book breaks down the barriers of scientific jargon for readers new to the subject but also provides important insights for more advanced study. Soils and Environment offers readers across a wide spectrum of environmentally related subjects a broad balanced coverage of an area of major human
