Handbook of Soil Sciences：Properties and Processes, Second Edition

The second edition of this comprehensive reference is published in two volumes, of which this is the first. (The second, sold separately, focuses on resource management and environmental impacts). This volume, on properties and processes, presents 39 contributions organized thematically in sections on soil physics, chemistry, mineralogy, biology and biochemistry, and pedology. Coverage encompasses principles, practices, and up-to-date data for an expected audience of soil scientists, agronomists, engineers, ecologists, biologists, naturalists, and students of these fields. The three editors' affiliations are as follows: Pan Ming Huang (deceased; emeritus, U. of Saskatchewan, Canada); Yuncong Li (U. of Florida); Malcolm E. Sumner (emeritus, U. of Georgia). They are joined by five co-editors, and the long list of contributors includes scientists based world wide. The two volumes of the second edition are sold separately, and each has its own index. Annotation Ac2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dr. Pan Ming Huang was the professor of soil science emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and served for 44 years in that institution. His research work has significantly advanced the frontiers of knowledge on the formation chemistry, nature, and surface reactivity of mineral colloids, organic matter, and organomineral complexes in soils and sediments and their role in the dynamics, transformations, and fate of nutrients, toxic metals, and xenobiotics in terrestrial and aquatic environments. His research findings, embodied in well over 300 refereed scientific publications, are fundamental to the development of sound strategies for managing land and water resources in the Earth’s critical zone.

Dr. Yuncong Li is the University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF) professor of soil science in the Department of Soil and Water Science at the Tropical Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida in Homestead. He is also an affiliated professor at the University of Florida’s Center for Tropical Agriculture, Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster, School of Natural Resources and Environment, and Water Institute. His research and extension program focuses on water and soil quality monitoring, assessment and remediation, management practices to improve nutrient use efficiency, and nutrient cycling in soils/sediments. He has authored or coauthored over 150 research papers, 70 extension articles, and 15 book chapters. He recently edited a book, Water Quality Concepts, Sampling, and Analyses (CRC Press, 2010). He serves as an associate editor for Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology and Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis.

Dr. Malcolm E. Sumner is the Regents’ Professor of Environmental Soil Science Emeritus in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia, Athens. His published works cover a wide range of topics, including subsoil acidity, the agricultural uses of gypsum, diagnosis of yield-limiting factors, beneficial use of anthropogenic wastes, and transport of nutrients in soils. A widely respected author, Dr. Sumner’s works include Soil Acidity (Springer-Verlag, 1991), Soil Crusting: Chemical and Physical Processes (Lewis Publishers, 1992), Suelos de la Agroindustria Cafetalera de Guatemala (University of Georgia, 1994), Distribution, Properties and Management of Australian Sodic Soils (CSIRO Publications, 1995), Sodic Soils: Distribution, Properties, Management, and Environmental Consequences (Oxford University Press, 1998), and the Handbook of Soil Sciences (CRC Press, 1999). He has authored or coauthored over 350 scientific papers, including 220 refereed journal articles, and has contributed chapters to over 30 books.