Advances in Soil Science publishes references in all areas of soil science for everyone interested in the most basic resources and human influence on it. The original series "Advances in Soil Science" was started in 1984, and published unrelated articles in the same volume. The purpose of Advances in Soil Science is to provide a forum for leading scientists to analyze and summarize the available scientific information on a subject, assessing its importance and identifying additional research needs. Most importantly, the contributors will develop principles that have practical applications to both developing and developed agricultures.
The ultimate aim of the series is to stimulate action—action to determine where there are arable soils, action to develop technology for more efficient crop production on these soils, action to reduce the risk of degrading these soil resources, and action to determine on which soils our research efforts should be concentrated. Without such action, the challenges of producing adequate food in the future may simply be too great. By the time the world gets reasonably close to population stability, demand for food and other agricultural products may have to be doubled by 2050 vis-à-vis 2000 because of increase in population and change in dietary preferences.
The books provide technical information for anyone interested in our natural resources and man’s influence on these resources. The reviews are written by leading scientists from many countries, and therefore provide the reader with information from a wide array of conditions. Such information is particularly useful to professionals working in areas with developing agricultures because the reviews summarize and assess the significance of the technical literature.
Edited
By Rattan Lal
December 30, 2021
Soil organic matter (SOM) is a highly reactive constituent of the soil matrix because of its large surface area, high ion exchange capacity, enormous affinity for water due to hygroscopicity, and capacity to form organo-mineral complexes. It is an important source and sink of ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal
December 09, 2021
Soil organic matter (SOM) is the primary determinant of soil functionality. Soil organic carbon (SOC) accounts for 50% of the SOM content, accompanied by nitrogen, phosphorus, and a range of macro and micro elements. As a dynamic component, SOM is a source of numerous ecosystem services critical to...
Edited
By Rattan Lal
December 21, 2020
The term "soil health" refers to the functionality of a soil as a living ecosystem capable of sustaining plants, animals, and humans while also improving the environment. In addition to soil health, the environment also comprises the quality of air, water, vegetation, and biota. The health of soil,...
Edited
By Rattan Lal
May 26, 2020
Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint presents strategies to improve soil health by reducing the rate of fertilizer input while maintaining high agronomic yields. It is estimated that fertilizer use supported nearly half of global births in 2008. In a context of potential food...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B. A. Stewart
August 01, 2019
Soil degradation is a widespread problem in Africa resulting in decreased agricultural productivity while demand for food continues to increase. Degradation is caused by accelerated erosion, acidification, contamination, depletion of soil organic matter and plant nutrients, and salinization. The ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B.A. Stewart
November 14, 2018
Just five years ago, it was generally believed that the number of food insecure people in the world was on continuous decline. Unfortunately, widespread soil degradation along with resistance to recommended agronomic practices, and little attempt to restore degraded soils have conspired with ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B. A. Stewart
September 20, 2018
Climate is a soil-forming factor and soil can mitigate climate change through a reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases and sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Thus, there is a growing interest in soil management practices capable of mitigating climate change and enhancing environmental ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B.A. Stewart
March 27, 2018
Nitrogen (N) is potentially one of the most complex elements on the Earth. It is necessary for all biological activity, but creates negative impacts on water and air quality. There is a balancing act between deficiency and surplus and the forms of N available further complicate our understanding of...
By John M. Kimble, Elissa R. Levine, B.A. Stewart
March 23, 1995
Soil Management and Greenhouse Effect focuses on proper management of soils and its effects on global change, specifically, the greenhouse effect. It contains up-to-date information on a broad range of important soil management topics, emphasizing the critical role of soil for carbon storage. ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, John M. Kimble, Ronald F. Follett, B.A. Stewart
November 25, 1997
World soils contain about 1500 gigatons of organic carbon. This large carbon reserve can increase atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by soil misuse or mismanagement, or it can reverse the 'greenhouse' effect by judicious land use and proper soil management. Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B. A. Stewart
October 31, 2017
Globally, 30% of the world population lived in urban areas in 1950, 54% in 2016 and 66% projected by 2050. The most urbanized regions include North America, Latin America, and Europe. Urban encroachment depletes soil carbon and the aboveground biomass carbon pools, enhancing the flux of carbon ...
Edited
By Rattan Lal, B.A. Stewart
June 14, 2017
From its humble beginning in the late 19th century―when Henry Ford’s first car was designed to run on ethanol―biofuel production has been on the rise with more than 26 billion liters produced in the U.S. in 2007. Ethanol made from biomass (rather than grains) holds great promise, including numerous...