Environmental Influences On Microbial Populations And Activity Of The Forest Floor

This open access book synthesizes leading-edge science and management information about forest and rangeland soils of the United States. It offers ways to better understand changing conditions and their impacts on soils, and explores directions that positively affect the future of forest and rangeland soil health. This book outlines soil processes and identifies the research needed to manage forest and rangeland soils in the United States. Chapters give an overview of the state of forest and rangeland soils research in the Nation, including multi-decadal programs (chapter 1), then summarizes various human-caused and natural impacts and their effects on soil carbon, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biological diversity (chapters 2–5). Other chapters look at the effects of changing conditions on forest soils in wetland and urban settings (chapters 6–7). Impacts include: climate change, severe wildfires, invasive species, pests and diseases, pollution, and land use change. Chapter 8 considers approaches to maintaining or regaining forest and rangeland soil health in the face of these varied impacts. Mapping, monitoring, and data sharing are discussed in chapter 9 as ways to leverage scientific and human resources to address soil health at scales from the landscape to the individual parcel (monitoring networks, data sharing Web sites, and educational soils-centered programs are tabulated in appendix B). Chapter 10 highlights opportunities for deepening our understanding of soils and for sustaining long-term ecosystem health and appendix C summarizes research needs. Nine regional summaries (appendix A) offer a more detailed look at forest and rangeland soils in the United States and its Affiliates.

"As befits the topic, this beautifully packaged, wonderfully illustrated, interdisciplinary resource has more than 1200 entries written by specialists. A helpful reader′s guide groups topics like agriculture, conservation and ecology, movements and regulations, politics, pollution, and society. A resource guide, chronology, glossary, and list of the UN′s economic indicators complete the set." —Library Journal "...this important work gives a well-focused snapshot of environmentalism in the early 21st Century, and it will remain valuable into the future both for its content and as a yardstick to measure progress toward sustainability and conservation. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and general readers." —CHOICE Booklist Editors′ Choice 2008 "This superb interdisciplinary work should find a place on the shelves of every public and academic library that has the least bit of interest in environment issues—which should mean just about all." —Booklist (Starred Review) Where does the environment leave off and society begin? When expanding production and consumption drives greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet, which in turn influence the conditions of economic expansion, it is unclear where the climate ends and the economy begins. This fact is not new to our era, however, our social and natural sciences have only recently come to grips with the incredible complexity of the world described by understanding the environment and society as being of a piece. As a result, in the last decade there has been an unprecedented explosion of new concepts, theories, facts, and techniques that follow from such an understanding. The Encyclopedia of Environment and Society brings together multiplying issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies, with the goal of clearly explicating an emerging way of thinking about people and nature. With more than 1,200 entries written by experts from incredibly diverse fields, this innovative resource is a first step toward diving into the deep pool of emerging knowledge. The five volumes of this Encyclopedia represent more than a catalogue of terms. Rather, they capture the spirit of the moment, a fascinating time when global warming and genetic engineering represent only two of the most obvious examples of socio-environmental issues. Key Features Examines many new ideas about how the world works, what creates the daunting problems of our time, and how such issues might be addressed, whether by regulation, markets, or new ethics Demonstrates how theories of environmental management based on market efficiency may not be easily reconciled with those that focus on population, and both may certainly diverge from those centering on ethics, justice, or labor Offers contributions from experts in their fields of specialty, including geographers, political scientists, chemists, anthropologists, medical practitioners, development experts, and sociologists, among many others Explores the emerging socio-environmental problems that we face in the next century, as well as the shifting and expanding theoretical tools available for tackling these problems Covers regions of North America in greater detail but also provides a comprehensive picture that approaches, as effectively as possible, a cohesive global vision Key Themes Agriculture Animals Biology and Chemistry Climate Conservation and Ecology Countries Geography History Movements and Regulations Organizations People Politics Pollution Society Packed with essential and up-to-date information on the state of the global socio-environment, the Encyclopedia of Environment and Society is a time capsule of its historic moment and a record of where we stand at the start of the 21st century, making it a must-have resource for any library. These inspiring volumes provide an opportunity for more new ways of thinking, behaving, and living in a more-than-human world.