Drafting Legislation for Sustainable Soils: A Guide. IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Paper No. 52. I. Hannam and B. Boer. IUCN The World Conservation Union, Gland and Cambridge, 2004, x + 100 p. ISBN 2-8317-0813-3. Softcover.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development recognised the importance of promoting programs for the environmentally sound, effective and efficient use of soil fertility. This Guide, intended to primarily serve as a resource for States to assist their endeavours to reform legislation and institutions to protect and manage soils, will contribute to that aim. There are many reasons that may trigger the development and adoption of a sound legal and institutional framework for sustainable soils, such as the necessity to create an enabling environment for farmers and agencies to adopt sound management practices to enhance productivity levels of water and land. A sound legal and institutional framework for managing soils is not only critical for food production, but also for biological diversity conservation and poverty alleviation. This Guide addresses all these aspects. One of the most striking features of this publication is that it proposes legal and institutional elements that specifically address the needs of disadvantaged people, particularly women. This is unique, as there are not many examples of legal frameworks relating to natural resources management that specifically seek to accommodate the concerns of the poor. This Guide also highlights the need for national soil policy and sets out the elements of a soil management plan.
Orders to: IUCN Publications Services Unit, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom. Fax: +44-1223-277175. Email: info@books.iucn.org Internet: www.iucn.org/bookstore
New Vistas in Agroforestry. A Compendium for the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, 2004. Advances in Agroforestry 1, P.K.R. Nair, M.R. Rao and L.E. Buck, editors. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2004, 480 p. ISBN 1-4020-2501-7. Hardcover.
Agroforestry, the purposeful growing of trees and crops in interacting combinations, began to attain prominence in the late 1970s, when the international scientific community embraced its potentials in the tropics and recognized it as a practice in search of science. During the 1990s, the relevance of agroforestry for solving problems related to deterioration of family farms, increased soil erosion, surface and groundwater pollution, and decreased biodiversity, was recognized in the industrial nations too. Thus, agroforestry is now receiving increased attention as a sustainable land-management option the world over because of its ecological, economic, and social attributes. Consequently, the knowledge-base is being expanded at a rapid rate as illustrated by the growing number and quality of publications of various forms on different aspects of agroforestry. The aim of this new book series is to offer state-of-the-art synthesis of research results and evaluations relating to different aspects of agroforestry. The scope is broad enough to encompass any and all aspects of agroforestry research and development. This first volume in the series is a collection of 31 chapters on different aspects of agroforestry, produced as a compendium on the occasion of the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, held in 2004. Its contents include a tropical-temperate mix of topics, which is a rare feature of a publication of this nature. Several of the chapters are on topics that have not been discussed or described much in agroforestry literature. A third feature is that some of the authors, though well known in their own disciplinary areas, are somewhat new to agroforestry; the perceptions and outlooks of these scholars who are relatively uninfluenced by the past happenings in agroforestry give a whole new dimension to agroforestry and broadens the scope of the subject. Finally, rather than just reviewing and summarizing past work, most chapters take the extra effort in attempting to outline the next steps. Agroforestry stands to gain enormously from the infusion of these new and different ideas and bold initiatives, thus making the title New Vistas quite justifiable.
Price: EUR 109.95; USD 145.00; GBP 84.50.
Orders to: Springer Customer Service, Haberstrasse 7, D-69162 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345-4229. Email: orders@springer.de Internet: www.springeronline.com
Sustainability of Agrosilvopastoral Systems. Advances in GeoEcology 37. S. Schnabel and A. Ferreira, editors. Catena Verlag, Reiskirchen, 2004, 389 p. ISBN 3-923381-50-6. US-ISBN 1-59326-245-0. Hardcover.
This book contains selected papers presented during the symposium Sustainability of Dehesas, Montados and other Agrosilvopastoral Systems, which was held in Cecares in 2003. Agrosilvopastoral systems are widespread in the Mediterranean but are also found in other areas of the world having similar climatic conditions. In the southern and western past of the Iberian Peninsula these land use systems have existed for many centuries, and are commonly formed by open evergreen oak woodlands, covering approximately 4 million hectares. These are areas referred to as montados and dehesas of Portugal and Spain, which traditionally are exploited by multiple land use including livestock breeding, forestry and crop cultivation. They are important in an environmental sense as well as socio-economically. They support an outstanding diversity of wildlife, form unique landscapes, are the source of high-quality food derived from animal production, sustain rural population, and constitute an important basis for the growing demand of rural leisure and tourism. These areas have, however, undergone rapid changes during the second half of the 20th century, shifting from traditional farming systems to more simplified systems causing decreasing diversity of land use and inadequate management techniques. Land and pasture degradation are recognized as important problems. The volume has six sections. Section I presents general aspects of agrosilvopastoral systems in the Mediterranean basis. Section II treats economic and social aspects. Section III presents studies on soil water dynamics and soil degradation. In section IV the linkages between livestock and vegetation are discussed. Section V has several case studies, while the last section is dedicated to the sustainability and management of agrosilvopastoral systems, including studies from the Mediterranean as well as from California.
Price: EUR 119.00; USD 119.00.
Orders to: Catena Verlag, Armelgasse 11, D-35447 Reiskirchen, Germany. Fax: +49-6408-64978. Email: catenaverl@aol.com Internet: www.catena-verlag.de Or: HSU Bookstore, Catena Verlag Distribution, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA. Internet: www.humboldt.org/bookstore.
Development of Pedotransfer Functions in Soil Hydrology. Developments in Soil Science 30. Ya. Pachepsky and W.J. Rawls, editors. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Boston, 2004, xxix + 512 p. ISBN 0-444-51705-7. Hardcover. ISSN 0166-2481 (series).
Obtaining parameters of hydrological processes remains one of the largest problems in soil science and hydrology. This book is a compendium of ideas, conceptual approaches, techniques, and methodologies for estimating soil hydraulic and related parameters from readily available soil data. Pedotransfer functions provide such estimates and translate data we have into data we need. The book covers many pedotransfer results that will be useful in helping scientists and engineers across a range of soil-related disciplines and will help readers develop a greater understanding of how to parameterize hydrological processes using information on soil texture, soil structure, organic matter content, chemical, mineralogical, and mechanical properties, topographical information and remote sensing data. The authors present the state-of-the-art in addressing the fundamental issues of accuracy, reliability, and utility of pedotransfer functions. The book offers novel approaches based on data mining, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, and modern statistics to discover pedotransfer relationships to estimate soil water retention, soil hydraulic conductivity, parameters of solute retention and transport, and parameters of soil erosion processes. The book ends with some case studies from temperate and tropical regions.
Price: EUR 169.00; GBP 115.00; USD 184.95.
Orders to: In Europe, Middle East and Africa: Elsevier Customer Service Department, Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK. Email: eurobkinfo@elsevier.com In North America: Elsevier, Customer Service Department, 11830 Westline Industrial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146, USA. Email: usbkinfo@elsevier.com Internet: www.elsevier.com
New Dimensions in Agroecology. D. Clements and A. Shrestha, editors. Food Products Press, and imprint of The Haworth Press, New York, London, 2004, xv + 553 p. ISBN 1-56022-113-5, softcover; 1-56022-112-7, hardcover.
The term agroecology was proposed in the 1930s, but it became a discipline in its own right in the 1980s. The roots of an ecological approach to agriculture go back to the dawn of the agricultural revolution, when early farmers could contend with the elements only by understanding the ecological forces that could be wielded to design an agroecosystem. Recently, as traditional agronomic approaches have faced various economic and societal pressures, agroecology has been seen as a serious alternative and is now being introduced as a course or even a department at a number of colleges and universities. The idea of this book is to aid this process by incorporating contributions from researchers who have been working in agroecology with that of other people making headway in the area. The overall theme being developed is that ecological approaches offer numerous dimensions to help meet the challenges of agriculture. Agroecology strives to bridge two fields: agronomy and ecology, and thus to bring holism to agriculture. This stretching of perspective is evident throughout the book, be it stretching from the field level to the landscape level, or from the level of bioengineering a gene to incorporating that gene within a complex ecological system-the agroecosystem.
Price: USD 69.95 (softcover); USD 89.95 (hardcover).
Orders to: The Haworth Press, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA. Email: orders@haworthpress.com Internet: www.haworthpress.com To order online and get 20% discount, mention special offer code BKD20.
Scaling Soil Nutrient Balances. Enabling mesolevel applications for African realities. FAO Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin 15. FAO, Rome, 2004, xiv + 132 p. ISBN 92-5-105237-9. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
A 1990 macrolevel study that revealed declining soil fertility in Africa triggered microlevel case studies on nutrient flows. This report hypothesizes that a mesolevel approach can offer a valid entry point for policy makers and private sector intervention. The aim is to enable mesolevel stakeholders to better articulate and target scale-specific soil fertility enhancing methods. The report synthesizes studies on soil nutrient stocks, flows and balances for Ghana, Mali and Kenya. It explains nutrient flow calculations, shows how to construct mesolevel nutrient balances, and discusses the differences between levels and between the three countries. The mesolevel approach can consider specific management decisions and physiographical differences, and help target interventions on the basis of microlevel variations in nutrient management. In particular, it can identify constraints, use nutrient flows for planning purposes, and extrapolate results to other areas.
Requests to: National sales agents or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-06-57053360. Email: publications-sales@fao.org Internet: www.fao.org
Use of Phosphate Rocks for Sustainable Agriculture. FAO Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin 13. F. Zapata and R.N. Roy, editors. FAO, Rome, 2004, xx + 148 p. ISBN 92-5-105030-9. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
Extensive research on the agronomic potential and actual effectiveness of phosphate rocks as sources of phosphorous has been carried out in Africa, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere. This information is scattered in books, reports of meetings, etc. The present Bulletin gives a comprehensive coverage of the key topics regarding the utilization of phosphate rocks in agriculture, including the latest information on relevant research, and provides guidelines for the direct application of phosphate rocks to the acid soils the (sub)tropics. The selected topics include: world deposits; characterization of phosphate rock sources; evaluation methodologies of sources for direct application; analysis of the biophysical and farming factors that affect the agronomic effectiveness of phosphate rock sources, together with an analysis of the socio-economic factors that influence the use and adoption of technologies as the capital investment to trigger agricultural intensification; development and use of decision-support systems for the direct application of phosphate rock application; soil P testing for its application; available technologies for enhancing the agronomic effectiveness of indigenous phosphate rock sources; environmental issues; legislation guidelines; and future research areas and priorities.
Requests to: National sales agents or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-06-57053360. Email: publications-sales@fao.org Internet: www.fao.org
Can Bangladesh be Protected from Floods? H. Brammer. The University Press Limited, Dhaka, 2004, xvi + 262 p. ISBN 984-05-1695-7. Hardcover.
This is the author’s seventh book on soils, agricultural development and disaster management in Bangladesh. A soil scientist by training and experience, Mr. Brammer has spent 35 years in the country. He studied and published widely about the causes and impacts of the different types of floods which periodically ravage Bangladesh, and reviewed the efforts made to mitigate the damage and suffering these events cause. The three chapters in Part I provide background information on the physical environment. They contain a description of conditions of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna catchments area which determine Bangladesh’s vulnerability to rainfall floods, river floods, tidal floods and flash floods; a description of how climate change and a rising sea-level might affect the country’s flood vulnerability; and an attempt to dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings about floods, flood impacts and flood mitigation in Bangladesh. The five chapters in Part II describe how floods affect the people and economy of Bangladesh. The single chapter in Part III reviews the technical, economic and institutional issues raised by the changes in policy and strategy, and draws conclusions regarding the implications of these changes for the government and people of Bangladesh. This book is self-sufficient for readers who are not concerned with the main topics covered by the other books.
Price: GBP 22.00.
Orders to: The University Press Ltd., P.O. Box 2611, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
Using Eucalyptus for Soil and Water Conservation on the Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia. Tropical Resource Management Papers no. 52. S. Kidanu. Ph.D Thesis, Wageningen University, 2004, 197 p. ISBN 90-6754-733-6. ISSN 0962-9495. Softcover.
Resource degradation is a critical problem in the highlands of Ethiopia, covering nearly one half of the country. With agricultural production lingering behind population growth, the gap between the availability and the demand for agricultural land continues to grow. This results in severe land use conflicts. Thus, high potential and more resilient soils need intensification to sustain human needs. This publication discusses the opportunities of a short rotation (3 years) Eucalyptus-based agroforestry system to intensify annual sole cropping of the Vertisols in the highlands. This soil type represents a major production resource, but is vastly underutilized due to severe waterlogging. A typical Vertisol-Nitosol toposequence in Gishi watershed in the central highlands was selected for the study. The productive and protective functions, alternative resource utilization, farm economics and the allelopathic potential of an Eucalytus-based agroforestry system were investigated. The system increases land productivity, cuts down soil erosion rates to tolerable limits, reduces runoff, and increases the proportion of available water for biomass production without significant nutrient depletion.
Price: Listprice: EUR 20.00. Free for individuals in developing countries. Orders to: Department of Environmental Sciences, Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Wageningen UR, Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-486103. Email: jolanda.hendriks@wur.nl Homepage: www.dow.wau.nl/eswc
Soil Pollution. Origin, Monitoring & Remediation. I.A. Mirsal. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xi + 252 p. ISBN 3-540-40143-1. Hardcover.
This graduate-level text and reference book treats the subjects related to the interdisciplinary fields of soil pollution and remediation. Chapter 1 consists of a thorough, comprehensive introduction to the relevant fundamentals of the mineralogy, chemistry, and properties of soil, while in chapter 2 readers are well prepared to understand the biochemical aspects of soil remediation. Monitoring and modeling of soil pollution are covered in chapters 3 and 4 in a manner enabling readers of various disciplines to acquire the scientific literacy that makes further reading and research practical. The book is designed as a contribution to understanding the origins, mechanisms and consequences of the environmental setbacks brought about by soil pollution. The book presents a comprehensive, integrated overview of previously separately treated materials, written for students and teachers as well as for professionals from the earth, environmental and agricultural sciences.
Price: EUR 79.95, GBP 61.50, USD 109.00. Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de Homepage: www.springer.de In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-348-4505. Email: service@springer.ny.com Homepage: www.springer-ny.com
Managing Soil Quality. Challenges in Modern Agriculture. P. Schjonning, S. Elmholt and B.T. Christensen, editors. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, 2004, viii + 344 p. ISBN 0-85199-671-X. Hardcover.
Soil quality is a concept that allows soil functions to be related to specific purposes. Other books on soil quality have emphasized descriptive aspects, by focusing on, for example, soil quality indicators, indexing and minimum data sets. This book takes a management-oriented approach by identifying key issues in soil quality and management options to enhance the sustainability of modern agriculture. Topics covered include major plant nutrients (N, P, K), soil acidity, soil organic matter, soil biodiversity, soil compaction, erosion, pesticide and urban waste. Also 9included are treatments of the soil quality concept, its history, and its applicability in research and in developing and developed societies. The book is written for post-graduate students and researchers in agronomy and in soil, crop and environmental sciences, and to stakeholders involved in issues related to land use and agricultural development. The book has 18 chapters, with many tables and references. The last chapter is a synthesis about Soil Quality Management, in which it shown that, based on the contributions in the book, it is generally not possible to identify simple thresholds for sustainable farming at either the soil-quality indicator level or the management level. More adequate means of communicating management prescriptions to farmers and other decision makers in society are needed. Decisions should be based on knowledge of management effects on individual soil types as well as on stochastic and mechanistic models simulating soil processes and functions. This calls for well-educated farmers and consultants. The editors conclude this interesting synthesis with the sentences: The profession of (soil) science will only survive if scientists realize that they have to participate in teams involved with implementation of research results. The presentation of scientific results in a transparent framework of sustainability considerations will enable a more clear distinction between science per se and the values and goals set by society.
Price: GBP 75.00; USD 120.00. Orders to: CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, UK. Fax: +44-1491-829292. Email: orders@cabi.org Homepage: www.cabi-publishing.org/bookshop In USA and Latin America: Oxford University Press, 2001 Evans Road, Cary, NC 27513, USA. Fax: +1-919-677-1303. Email: orders@oup-usa.org.
Landscape Agroecology. P.A. Wojtkowski. Food Products Press, New York, London, 2004, xiv + 330 p. ISBN 1-56022-252-2 (hardcover); 1-56022-253-0 (softcover).
Agroecological landscapes are those that have productive purposes. They can involve agriculture and/or forestry, and be intensily managed or lightly touched, but still human-influenced. A fully agroecological landscape would be more in harmony with, and would often use, natural processes. A more agreeable end goal is a landscape formulated using ecological dynamics to back a productive role and as a by-product maintaining, through decorous use, respect for the land, the natural processes, the vegetation, and the living creatures therein. As such, landscape agroecology pursues multiple goals with multiple means. These goals include efficient food production, economic viability, protection of potable water and wildlife, sustainable recycling of nutrients, and social sustainability of rural community. Taking these considerations into account, makes decisions a complex process. The author examines a broad range of options for each goal and suggests criteria for preferring one over another.
Price: USD 79.95, hardcover; USD 49.95, softcover. If ordered online, use code BKD20 to receive 20% discount. Orders to: The Haworth Press, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA. Fax: 1-607-771-0012. Email: orders@haworthpress.com Homepage: www.haworthpress.com
Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment. D. Hillel, editor-in-chief. Elsevier, 2004, c. 2200 p. ISBN 0-12-348530-4. Four volumes, case bound.
This encyclopedia is a comprehensive and integrated consideration of a topic of vital importance to human societies in the past, present and future. It encompasses the present knowledge of the world’s variegated soils, their origins, properties, classification, and roles in the biosphere. Over 250 entries cover a broad range of issues facing today’s soil scientists, ecologists, and environmental scientists. The volumes feature articles that survey specific aspects of soil biology, ecology, chemistry and physics. Rounding out the encyclopedia’s coverage, contributions cover cross-disciplinary subjects, such as the history of soil utilization for agricultural and engineering purposes and soils in relation to the remediation of soil pollution and the mitigation of global climate change. All entries have photographs, figures, tables and graphs. The set is also available online. See for details about availability and subscription information: www.info.sciencedirect.com
(This information is derived from the brochure).
Introductory price, valid for 3 months after publication: USD 875.00; GBP 569.00. List price: USD 1095.00; GBP 710.00. 30% reduction for IUSS members. Orders to: In the Americas: Elsevier Customer Service, 11830 Westline Industrial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63146, USA. Fax: +1-800-535-9935 or +1-314-523-5940. Email: usbkinfo@elsevier.com Elsewhere: Elsevier Customer Service, Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford, OX2 8DP, UK. Fax: +44-1865-474111. Email: eurobkinfo@elsevier.com Homepage: www.books.elsevier.com
Impressions of Interactions. Land as a dynamic result of co-production between man and nature. M. Sonneveld. Ph.D. thesis Wageningen University, 2004, 132 p. Softcover.
During recent decades, considerable efforts have been made in the discipline of soil science to develop soil classification systems, soil maps and simulation models. Moreover, land evaluation procedures were developed as means to contribute to agriculture. In its early stages, just around and after the Second World War, it was known that farmers can and do adapt soils to their needs. Additionally, soil classification made extensive use of local (soil) knowledge and land evaluation was basically systematized farmers experience. However, it has proved to be difficult to include local actors systematically within a general research approach for soil science. It appears that, in time, the broad relationships between farmers and their land have been lost. Now that agriculture is confronted with environmental problems in many areas of the world, pleas for other research approaches have been made. In this thesis, it is proposed to use co-production as a new framework for research. In general, co-production has been regarded as the on-going interaction between and mutual transformations of farmers and living nature. The main objective of the thesis is to describe soil systems in two case study areas along the lines of co-production. One case study is located in the north of The Netherlands, the other one in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Requests to: Dr. M. Sonneveld, Boeslaan 43-1, 6703 EP Wageningen, The Netherlands. Email: marthijn.sonneveld@wur.nl
Cryosols. Permafrost-Affected Soils. J.M. Kimble, editor. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xviii + 726 p. ISBN 3-540-20751-1. Hardbound.
Cryosols or Gelisols are soils of the permafrost regions of the world. These regions are at high latitudes and also at high elevations. They cover about 25% of the world’s surface and, in countries such as Canada, include up to 40% of the soils. Permafrost creates such unique conditions that the permafrost-affected soils have different physical, biological and chemical properties than other soils. In the last couple of decades, development in regions of permafrost has increased and so has interest in these regions soils. Also, these areas are projected to undergo the greatest impact from global warming, which may have a major effect on soil-forming processes and on how the soils are used and managed. Thus there is an even greater need to better understand the distribution, soil-forming processes, ecological processes, classification, use, and management of permafrost-affected soils. In the late 1980s, the International Permafrost Association and the International Union of Soil Sciences formed the Cryosol Working Group, which began efforts to improve the classification of these soils. Out of this effort came the Gelisols classification of Soil Taxonomy and the Cryosols classification of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Another major accomplishment included a Northern Circumpolar Soils Map and database. Under the leadership of Dr. Charles Tarnocai, the group decided to produce the present book. The idea behind the book was to compile as much knowledge as possible about permafrost-affected soils. Numerous papers on these soils and specific permafrost topics have been published in many journals, proceedings and conference publications, and much of that has been published in Russian, as the largest extent of these soils is in Russia, but no single book has been dedicated to the soils of cold regions. Therefore, much of the information in this book is being presented to a wide audience for the first time. The book is divided into six sections. The first section is a history of research of polar regions. The second section covers the geographic distribution of Cryosols in all regions where the soils occur. The third section deals with the soils properties and processes. The fourth section covers ecological processes of Cryosols. The fifth section deals with their classification, and the last section covers the management and use of such soils. All sections start with a short introduction to the specific topic. The book is well-illustrated with photographs, figures and maps. It forms an excellent contribution to the literature about permafrost-affected soils!
Price: EUR 149.95 plus VAT when applicable; SFR 254.00; GBP 115.50; USD 219.00.
Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de. In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-384-4505. Email: service@springer-ny.com. Internet: www.springeronline.com
Amazonian Dark Earths: Explorations in Space and Time. B. Glaser and W.I. Woods, editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xiv + 216 p. ISBN 3-540-00754-7. Hardbound.
The idea for this volume first came about through a conversation the editors had at the Sustainable Management of Soil Organic Matter Conference in Edinburgh in 1999. It developed with two symposia in 2001 and culminated at the First International Workshop on Terra Preta Soils in Manaus and Santarm, Brazil in 2002. As a comprehensive treatment of these distinctive anthropogenic soils has never been published, the editors decided to select papers from these symposia and develop an edited volume. The result contains the efforts of an international group of scholars from the disciplines of anthropology, archaeology, biology, geography and soil science. The issues posed by the dark earth soils from the past potentially provide a rich resource for the future of Amazonia and, indeed, the world. The 15 chapters of this book provide an array of interesting and complementary interpretative stances developed from a diverse body of investigative methodologies. Recently, a number of books and articles have appeared about different aspects of Dark Earths, giving many observations and data, but also posing many questions which are still unanswered about the origin, distribution and properties of these intriguing soils. The editors have dedicated this book to Dr Wim Sombroek, friend, scholar, and the godfather of the Amazonian Dark Earths.
Price: EUR 106.95, plus VAT when applicable; USD 139.00.
Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de. In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-384-4505. Email: service@springer-ny.com. Internet: www.springeronline.com
Below-ground Interactions in Tropical Agroecosystems. Concepts and Models with Multiple Plant Components. M. van Noordwijk , G. Cadisch and C.K. Ong, editors. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, 2004, xxi + 440 p. ISBN 0-85199-673-6. Hardbound.
Below-ground interactions are often seen as the dark side of agroecosystems, especially when more than one crop is grown on the same piece of land at the same time. This book aims to review the amount of light the past decade of research has shed on this topic. It also aims to review how far we have come in unravelling the positive and negative aspects of these interactions and how, in dialogue with farmers, we can use the generic principles that are now emerging to look for site-specific solutions. The material selected for this book is intended to complement existing textbooks on intercropping, agroforestry, and biological nitrogen fixation. T this end, this volume provides a synthesis of plant-soil-plant interactions in agroforestry, mixed pastures and intercropping systems with a focus on processes that are relevant to many types of multispecies agroecosystems. Although the principle of interaction between plants is not unique to tropical systems, the editors have chosen to concentrate on tropical agroecosystems as they have remained more complex than their temperate counterparts, resisting the onslaught of modernisation. Each of the 20 chapters provides an overview of key results and progress made with regard to research methods. This leads to an operational description of specific concepts in the form of simulation models. Within each chapter the main challenges that remain are discussed. The book begins with an overview of the simple methods used to diagnose the net effect of below-ground interactions on overall plant (tree, crop, grass) performance. Ch. 2 introduces the methods researchers use to explore farmers knowledge of soil fertility and below-ground effects. The next three chapters focus on the root systems of trees and crops as key to our understanding of below-ground interactions. Ch. 7-10 look at root functioning in more detail. Ch. 11 and 13-16 go beyond plant-mineral-soil-plant interactions, and considers interactions via soil organic matter, Nitrogen-fixing symbionts, mycorrhizal partners, nematodes and other plant disease organisms, and the below-ground foodweb as a whole. In Ch. 17 the authors evaluate how the process-level understanding of below-ground interactions discussed in the previous chapters can contribute to farmers management of real-world agroecosystems, by interventions at the plot or farm scale. Ch. 18 and Ch. 12 explore interactions at the farm-to-landscape scale, via flows of water and the emission and/or absorption of greenhouse gases. Ch. 3 considers simulation models, including the issue of for whom are they built. Ch. 20, the synthesis, returns to the issues of where and how our attempts to open the black box of below-ground interactions can be of direct use in managing natural resources.
Price: GBP 75.00; USD 140.00.
Orders to: CABI Publishing, Wallingford, OX10 8DE, UK. Fax: +44-1491-833509. Email: cabi@cabi.org. Internet: www.cabi-publishing.org. Or: CABI Publishing, 875 Massachusetts Avenue, 7th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Fax: +1-617-354-6875. Email: cabi-nao@cabi.org
Environmental Geochemistry in Tropical and Subtropical Environments. L.D. de Lacerda, R.E. Santelli, E.K. Duursma and J.J. Abro, editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xx + 384 p. ISBN 3-540-42540-3. Hardbound.
Three symposia on environmental geochemistry in tropical regions, held between 1993 and 1999 made it very clear that tropical geochemistry is of world standard and fast increasing in multi-disciplinarily and impact on important geochemical paradigms. It has additionally strong links with the economy of tropical countries, such as mining and industrialisation and is in full development for treating environmental problems caused by human activities of urban and industrial origin. The result of the three symposia clearly showed that time was ripe to produce a first synthesis of the knowledge accumulated during the last decade. This book contains twenty six contributions on diverse aspects of the environmental geochemistry in tropical and subtropical environments. They summarize original research not readily available elsewhere in the literature. Most of the chapters include extensive original data that will be very useful to researchers interested in the (sub)tropics. The book is well-illustrated with many tables and figures. A group of papers on methods and their applications is aimed directly at scientists involved in environmental research in the tropics. There are also some interesting intercontinental comparisons drawn on paleoclimatology, environmental impacts of mining and geochemistry of continental shelf sediments.
Price: EUR 129.95 plus VAT when applicable; GBP 100.00; USD 169.00.
Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de. In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-384-4505. Email: service@springer-ny.com. Internet: www.springeronline.com
Applied Bioremediation and Phytoremediation. Soil Biology series, volume 1. A. Singh and O.P. Ward, editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xix + 281 p. ISBN 3-540-21020-2. ISSN 1613-3382. Hardbound.
This new series will deal with the study of the nature, types and functioning of soil and the inhabitating macro- and microorganisms. The series editor is A. Varma.
The huge expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries in the 20th century has resulted in the production of a vast array of chemical compounds and materials that have transformed our lives. The associated large-scale manufacturing, processing and handling activities have caused a serious deterioration in environmental quality and created threats to human health. These negative impacts have led to responses and regulations requiring remedial action in support of environmental sustainability. The application of biotechnological methods through bioremediation has gained prominence as an option for soil remediation methods. It is a multidisciplinary approach where biologists, chemists, soil scientists and engineers work a team to develop and implement remediation processes. It is a rapidly advancing field and new bio-based remedial technologies are continuing to emerge. This volume addresses a wide range of topics related to applied aspects of microbial and plant-based technologies for treatment of environmental contaminants. Topics include bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, explosives, pesticides and metallic pollutants, bioremediation in extreme environments, natural attenuation and phytoremediation of persistent organic contaminants and metals. Chapters dealing with innovative methods address current bioremediation technologies, biofiltration and risk-based soil remediation approaches. The book is illustrated with 19 figures and 27 tables.
Price: EUR 119.95, plus VAT when applicable; USD 169.00; SFR 203.00; GBP 92.50.
Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de. In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-384-4505. Email: service@springer-ny.com. Internet: www.springeronline.com
Biodegradation and Bioremediation. Soil Biology volume 2. A. Singh and O.P. Ward, editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2004, xvii + 309 p. ISBN 3-540-21101-2. Hardbound.
This second volume in a series of seven discusses the diverse metabolic capabilities of microorganisms and their interactions with hazardous organic and inorganic compounds. Microbial processes are environmentally compatible and can be integrated with non-biological processes to detoxify, degrade, and immobilize environmental contaminants. Bioremediation, the application of biological methods, has been used successfully for soil remediation. Chapters dealing with microbiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of biodegradation and bioremediation cover numerous topics, including: bioavailability, biodegradation of various pollutants, microbial community dynamics, properties and engineering of important biocatalysts, and methods for monitoring bioremediation processes. As volume 1, also this volume is well-illustrated and contains 40 figures.
Price: EUR 119.95, plus VAT when applicable; SFR 203.00; GBP 92.50; USD 159.00.
Orders to: Springer-Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. Email: orders@springer.de. In North America: Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-201-384-4505. Email: service@springer-ny.com. Internet: www.springeronline.com
Genetics and Regulation of Nitrogen Fixation in Free-Living Bacteria. Nitrogen Fixation: Origins, Applications, and Research Progress Volume 2. W. Klipp, B. Masepohl, J.R. Gallon and W.E. Newton, editors. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, 2004, xix + 300 p. ISBN 1-4020-2178-X (hardback); 1-4020-2179-1 (e-book).
This book is the second volume of a seven-volume series, which covers all fields of research related to nitrogen fixation from basic studies through applied aspects to environmental impacts. It provides a comprehensive and detailed source of information concerning the genetics and regulation of biological nitrogen fixation in free-living prokaryotes. The book contains, in addition to individual chapters representing an organism-based view of selected, well-characterized diazotrophic proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, Gram-positive clostridia, and Archaea, the more general cross-organismic themes dealing with different regulatory aspects, electron transport to nitrogenase, and molybdenum metabolism. In all the chapters, wherever appropriate, historical aspects have been included to give the reader a sense of where things started and how much have been achieved, especially in the last 25 years or so. Also, agricultural and ecological impacts have been taken into consideration. Each chapter has an extensive list of references. This book, like the other 6 six volumes in the series, is intended as a comprehensive reference work for all scientists working in this and closely related fields, and to assist students to enter this challenging area of research.
Price: EUR 129.00; USD 142.00; GBP 90.00 (Hardback).
Orders to: Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-78-6576254. Internet: www.springeronline.com.
Managing Nutrient Cycles to Sustain Soil Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. A. Bationo, editor. Academy Science Publishers (ASP), in association with the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) of CIAT, Nairobi, xx + 608 p. ISBN 9966-24-075-6. Hardbound.
Soil fertility depletion has been described as the major biophysical cause of declining per capita food available in small-holder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This has necessitated changes in research approaches. The need has been recognized for an integration of socio-economic and policy research besides technical research. Soil fertility can no longer be regarded as a simple item solved by the issues of organic and inorganic sources of plant nutrients. Integrated soil fertility management embraces responses to the full range of driving factors and consequences, namely biological, physical, chemical, social, economic and political aspects. The holistic approach encompasses nutrient deficiencies, inappropriate germplast and cropping system design, pest, disease interaction with soil fertility, linkage between land degradation, poverty and global policies, incentives as well as institutional failure considerations. Such long term and holistic soil fertility management strategies require an evolutionary and knowledge intensive process, participatory research and development focus rather than a purely technical focus. This book espouses such an approach. The book is written by members of the African Network for Soil Biology and Fertility (AfNet), and dedicated to Professor Mike Swift for his many years of dedicated service to the TSBF Institute. The first part of this book deals with the issue of integrated soil fertility management. The second part discusses below-ground biodiversity, the last part is on participatory and scaling up of soil fertility restoration technologies.
Orders to: Academy Science Publishers, P.O. Box 24916, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: asp@africaonline.co.ke. Internet: www.aasciences.org.
Bibiography of Soil Science Research at NARC. A. Rashid and N. Bughio. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, 2004, vii + 107 p. Softcover.
This bibliography enlists 638 publications reporting results of laboratory, greenhouse and field research conducted all over Pakistan on almost all predominant soil types in the disciplines of soil fertility, plant nutrition, soil chemistry, biology and physics, soil salinity, soil environment, land use planning, soil testing and plant analysis.
This practical publication has a subject index as well as an author index.
Orders to: Land Resources Research Program, Institute of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Park Road, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan. Fax: +92-51-925-5034. Email: abdul.rashid@comsats.net.pk. Internet: www.parc.gov.gov.pk.
Controlling Nitrogen Flows and Losses. D.J. Hatch, D.R. Chadwick, S.C. Jarvis and J.A. Roker, editors. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, 2004, 624 p., ISBN 90-769983-4. Hardbound.
This book is a synthesis of contributions drawn from the 12th Nitrogen Workshop. It provides a valuable compilation of current research, aimed a reconciling the environmental and economic components of N cycling within the context of a productive agricultural industry. The book is divided into seven sections, which examines the nature of the problems associated with losses of N and a range of possible solutions. Section 1 (18 papers), Drivers towards sustainability-why change? identifies the need to adopt new strategies to avoid losses to the environment. Section 2 (51 papers) considers the options for Matching supply with demand, followed by the reasons for, and means of Controlling losses to air and to water in section 3 (42 papers) and section 4 (24 papers). Section 5 (32 papers) describes the challenges of Reconciling productivity with environmental considerations. Section 6 (7 papers) Models and decision support systems considers some mathematical models to assist the researcher. In section 7 (7 papers) some important topical questions are debated, e.g. about organic matter; the integration of fertilizers use and manure use; controlling gaseous N emissions; missing N; pollution problems; system studies or desktop studies; and the level of confidence and applicability of model answers. In all, this book will be of value to researchers, policy makers and all those wishing to promote a more efficient use of nitrogen.
Price: EUR 85.40, plus VAT when applicable; USD 98.00.
Orders to: Wageningen Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 220, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-453417. Email: info@wageningenacademic.com. Internet: www.wageningenacademic.com.
Medical Geology. Effects of Geological Environments on Human Health. Developments in Earth and Environmental Sciences, volume 2. M.M. Komatina. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Boston, 2004, xii + 488 p. ISBN 0-444-51615-8. Hardbound. Translation from Medicinska Geologija, Tellur, Beograd, 2001.
Public health depends in great measure on environmental condition. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates (460-377 BC), wrote: Disease does not come to us from out of the clear blue sky, but rather develops from everyday small sins against nature. Mankind faces great difficulties in studying nature and seeking to establish the true causes if disease or the positive influence of natural factors on health. The current level of development of biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, geography, geology, soil science, etc. makes it possible to uncover not only basic regularities governing the distribution of disease in concrete territories, but also the factors that determine the level of public health. All that is needed in greater cooperation and coordination of multidisciplinary research efforts. In Chapter 1, the author gives an overview of the development of the disciplines of Medical Geography and Medical Geography, including methodologies and procedures used in research and the goal, task and significance of medical geology. Following chapters deal with: Ch. 2 Geological factors; Ch. 3 Other natural factors; Ch. 4 Anthropogenic factors; Ch. 5 Socio-economic factors and their influence on human health and health protection; Ch. 6 The geography of disease; Ch. 7 Subject and tasks of geological and medical disciplines in defining quality of the environment and its influence on human health; Ch. 8 Methods of medical geology; Ch. 9 Regional medical geology; Ch. 10 Applied medical geology, and Ch. 11 Use of applied medical geology results in economy and health care. The main objective of this book is to show how the geological environment affects human health and to explore preventative methods for improvement. In this, there is a clear link with the subjects dealt with in the IUSS Working Group Soils and Geomedicine, and a greater involvement of soil scientists in interdisciplinary studies should be rewarding for improving the quality and protection of human and animal health.
Price: EUR 150.00; GBP 100.00.
Orders to: In Europe, Middle East and Africa: Elsevier Customer Service department, Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK. In USA and Canada: Elsevier Customer Service Department, 11830 Westline Industrial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146, USA.
Internet: www.elsevier.com
Principles of Soil Physics. Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment. R. Lal and M.K. Shukla. Marcel Dekker, New York and Basel, 2004, viii + 716 p. ISBN 0-8247-5324-0. Hardbound.
This book addresses the topic of soil’s physical properties and processes with particular reference to agricultural, hydrological and environmental applications. The book is written to enable undergraduate and graduate students to understand soil’s physical, mechanical, and hydrological properties, and develop theoretical and practical skills to address issues related to sustainable management of soil and water resources. The sustainable use of these resources cannot be achieved unless soil’s physical conditions or quality is maintained at a satisfactory level. The assessment of physical properties and processes of soil is not commonly done as that of chemical and nutritional properties, and their importance receives insufficient attention. Sustainability is jeopardized when soil’s physical quality is degraded. The process of decline is set in motion by a deterioration of soil structure: e.g. an increase in bulk density, decline in strength and percentage of aggregates, decrease in porosity, formation of a surface seal or crust. The emphasis in this textbook is placed on understanding the impact of the physical properties and processes of soil on agricultural and forestry production, sustainable use of soil and water resources for a range of functions of interest to humans, and the environment with special attention to water quality and the greenhouse effect. The sustainable use of natural resources is the basic, underlying theme throughout this book. The book is divided into 5 parts with 20 chapters. Part I is an introduction to soil physics; Part II deals with soil mechanics; Part III discusses soil hydrology; Part IV informs the reader about soil temperature and aeration; Part V deals with two miscellaneous topics physical properties of gravely soils, and water movement in frozen, saline and water-repellent soils. The senior author is well-known for his well-written soil science textbooks and as an editor of many more prominent books in our science. The present textbook is no exception: clearly written, well-illustrated with photographs, figures and tables. The chapters have some case studies, questions and answers, and a listing of problems. All chapters also have an extensive list of references.
Price: USD 95.00.
Orders to: Marcel Dekker, Inc., Cimarron Road, Monticello, NY 12701, USA. Fax: +1-845-796-1772. Eastern Hemisphere: Marcel Dekker AG, Postfach 812, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland. Fax: +41-61-260-6333. Internet: www.dekker.com
Stream Hydrology. An Introduction for Ecologists. Second edition. N.D. Gordon, Th.A. McMahon, B.L. Finlayson, Chr.J. Gippel and R.J. Nathan. John Wiley & Sons, 2004, xiv + 429 p. ISBN (paperback) 0-470-84358-6; (hardback) 0-470-84357-8.
Water plays an important role in today’s environmental concerns. Since the publication of the first edition there have been rapid developments in the application of hydrology, geomorphology and ecology to stream management. In particular, growth has occurred in the areas of stream rehabilitation and the evaluation of environmental flow needs. The concept of stream health has been adopted as a way of assessing stream resources and setting management goals. This textbook documents recent research and practice in these areas. Chapters provide information on sampling, field techniques, stream analysis, the hydraulics of moving water, channel form, sediment transport and commonly used statistical methods such as flow duration and flood frequency analysis. Methods are presented from engineering hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and hydraulics with examples of their biological implications. The book demonstrates how these fields are linked and utilized in modern, scientific river management. Compared to the first edition, it is updated to include new sections on environmental flows, rehabilitation, measuring stream health and stream classification. The relevant software package, AQUAPAK has been completely updated. It is tailor made for the readers of this book and can be downloaded from the internet
Price: GBP 32.50 or EUR 48.80, paperback; GBP 75.00 or EUR 112.50, hardback, plus VAT when applicable.
Orders to: John Wiley & Sons, Customer Services Department, 1 Oldlands Way, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9SA, UK. Fax: +44-1243-843303. Email: cs-books@wiley.co.uk. Or: John Wiley & Sons, Customer Care Center, 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, USA. Email: consumers@wiley.com. Internet: www.wileyeurope.com or www.wiley.com
Papua New Guinea Agricultural Literature Database. T. Harwood and V. Vlassak, editors. Land Management Group, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2004. CD-ROM with guidelines book.
The publication PNG Agriculture Literature Database (PNGAgBib) is a database of bibliographic material related to Papua New Guinea agriculture. It contains more than 13,600 references and is 6.2 MB in size. The primary objective for this database is agriculture, but related topics are also included, in particular human nutrition, climate and the environment. There is also a small amount of literature on anthropology, mining, fisheries, politics, governance, law and order, education and tourism.? The data is stored in electronic form. It is accessible using EndNote, software designed for accessing outputting and managing bibliographic information. EndNote has powerful search functions. The database exists in the form of an EndNote Library, but does not include the EndNote software. Users will need to obtain EndNote in order to be able to read the bibliographic file, called PNGAgBib.enl (.enl = EndNote library). The manual with the guidelines accompanying the CD gives the user all the information needed to take full benefits from the database contents. The CD itself also contains the manual in PDF format.
The PNGAgBib can be also assessed on the internet at:
http://database.aun.edu.au/rspas/hug/pngagbib/index.html. The bibliography will be updated from time to time.
Orders to: Land Management Group, Department of Human Geography, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. Fax: +61-2-6125-4896. Email: lmg@anu.edu.au. Internet: http://rspas.anu.edu.au/lmg/ or via: http://anu.edu.au
Wind Erosion and Dust Dynamics: Observations, Simulations, Modelling. D. Goossens and M. Riksen, editors. Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 2004,197 p. ISBN 90-6754-813-8. Softcover.
The erosion, transportation and subsequent deposition of particles by wind have been recognized as a major environmental problem worldwide. Particle transport by wind is a rapid process, able to affect areas several hundreds of kilometres distant within only a few hours. The finest particles can even travel around the world in just a few days. Considerable progress has been made during the last decade in understanding the physical, environmental, social and economic consequences of aeolian processes. This book deals with several aspects of wind erosion and aeolian soil dust dynamics. Much of the information presented was collected or developed as part of the European wind erosion projects WELSONS (Wind Erosion and Loss of Soil Nutrients in Semi-arid Spain) and WEELS (Wind Erosion on European Light Soils). Additional information was collected from several other national and wind erosion projects. The book contains articles based on various methodological approaches: observations (in the field and in wind tunnels), simulations (process simulations in wind tunnels, scenario simulations) and modelling (of the physical processes and of erosion risk predictions). It also discusses social and economic aspects of wind erosion.
Price: EUR 20.00, 1 copy free on individual request.
Requests to: Department of Environmental Sciences, Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-486103. Email: jolanda.hendriks@wur.nl Internet: www.dow.wau.nl/eswc/
Modelling Nutrient Losses by Wind and Water Erosion in northern Burkina Faso. Tropical Resource Management Papers 53. S.M. Visser, Department of Environmental Sciences, Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 2004, 169 p. ISBN 90-6754-785-9. ISSN 0926-9495. Softcover. Also published as Ph.D. thesis.
In the semi-arid environment of northern Burkina Faso the processes of wind and water erosion occur almost simultaneously and may cause severe soil degradation. Especially in the early rainy season when soils are bare and unprotected, violent winds preceding intense rainfall events result in intense sediment transport by both wind and water. This Ph.D. project aimed at quantifying and modelling wind and water erosion processes, their interaction and related nutrient flows in a Sahelian environment. The source codes of EUROSEM and the stand-alone erosion sub-model of WEPS are translated to the dynamic modelling language PCRaster, further adapted to be applicable to the Sahelian situation and extended with nutrient components. From field measurement and modelling results it is concluded that for water erosion rain splash is the most important detaching agent at the scale of the field and that despite the large volumes of overland flow, erosion is transport capacity limited due to the general low slopes. The material detached by water is available for wind-blown transport. Due to the absence of non-eroding boundaries, intense mass transport under influence of violent winds does not always result in erosion. Depending on wind direction, cover and crust type, net deposition may occur. Further, due to the large spatial variation in wind erosion controlling parameters, areas with erosion and deposition can be identified within a field. Based on model results it is concluded that wind erosion is responsible that wind erosion is responsible for the loss of deposition of large amounts of fine sediment and the nutrients attached to these sediments. Though compared to wind erosion, the nutrient losses under influence of water erosion are small, these losses should not be underestimated; these nutrients flow to the nearest stream and are forever lost for the catchment. Due to the interaction between wind and water, nutrient and soil erosion at field scale may be large, but are limited at village scale. Provided a good management of natural resources as tree and shrub cover and a good insight in the distribution of cultivated and fallow fields around the village, long-term productivity is not at risk in the southern Sahelian zone.
Price: EUR 20.00.
Requests to: Department of Environmental Sciences, Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-484759. Email: jolanda.hendriks@wur.nl. Internet: www.dow.wau.nl/eswc
Soil Macrofauna Community Structure along a Gradient of Land Use Intensification in the Humid Forest Zone of Southern Cameroon. Tropical Resource Management Papers 56. Madong Birang. Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 2004, 194 p. ISBN 90-6754-783-2. ISSN 0926-9495. Softcover. Also published as Ph.D. thesis.
In this thesis the impact of land use systems and land use intensity on earthworm, termite and ant community structures are described as well as their relationships with the vegetation and soil parameters in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. 36 Earthworm species were found, of which 1 new genus and 17 undescribed species, belonging to 3 families. 223 Termite species were recorded of which 43% were undescribed and 6% were soil inhabiting species and 13% were potential pests to agricultural crops. 80 Ant species were found belonging to 7 subfamilies. Soil macrofaunal species richness and diversity were more responsive to soil and vegetation parameters than macrofaunal abundances. There is a positive relation between the structure of vegetation and soil macrofaunal community in terms of species richness and diversity. The knowledge gathered on the present state of earthworm, termite and ant communities and the effects of land use change on these macrofauna in southern Cameroon constitutes the baseline information necessary for the design and/or implementation of measures of conservation in which farmers should play a pivotal role. The author can be reached at: mbirang@cgiar.org
Price: EUR 20.00.
Orders to: Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-483766. Email: office.bodemkwaliteit@wur.nl. Internet: www.dow.wau.nl/soil_quality
Dams and Environment: Effects on Soils. V. Starodubtsev, O. Fedorenko and L. Petrenko. Nora-Print, Kyiv, 2004, 84 p. ISBN 966-7837-74-2. Softcover.
Dams and reservoirs cause large scale environmental changes, not only near the constructed objects, but in the river basis as a whole. These changes include flooding of large areas of soils, but may usually also include waterlogging, salinization, formation of swamps, aridization in the lower reaches and delta of the river, water quality deterioration, etc. As an outcome of all these changes the construction of dams and reservoirs in the last decades has resulted in a powerful resistance of environmental experts and in some cases with that of the local affected population. The authors have collected many relevant data on the impact of large dams on the environment, including the effect on soils, in the territory of the New Independent States (NIS) or former Soviet Union. This publication include