Describes the sampling and analysis methods commonly used in modern soil laboratories around the world. This book contains three chapters on soil and plant test methods. It focuses on testing and analysis limited to edaphology, as opposed to edaphology and pedology as a whole in the ecosystem.
This second edition of the popular Soil Sampling, Preparation, and Analysis provides a hands-on guide to the methods most commonly used in modern soil laboratories around the world, illustrating the methods with actual results. Divided into three sections, the book covers principles of soil sampling and sources of errors and variability of results, common procedures for extraction and analysis in soil plant testing, and instrumentation. The author added three new chapters on soil and plant test methods, electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance. He has extensively revised, updated, and expanded all of the other chapters to reflect recent advances and shifting interests in the field.
"? covers principles of soil sampling, sources of errors, and variability of results; ? explains common procedures for soil characterization, ? extraction and analysis of macro- and micro-elements in soil plant testing; ? covers instrumentation, from colorimetry to atomic absorption, atomic emission, and plasma emission spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermal analysis (DTA) and NMR, highlighting the major differences between humic and fulvic acids. ? provides students with an exceptionally clear description of the sampling and analysis methods most commonly used in modern soil laboratories around the world. ? it offers in fundamental principles, professional protocols, and specific procedures." - J Albaigés, Editor in Chief, Department of Environment Chemistry CID-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, in International Journal Of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 86, 2006 praise for the first edition "?a valuable reference for anyone who deals with multi-disciplinary soil and environmental issues --Journal of Environmental Quality