Trees, Crops and Soil Fertility: Concepts and Research Methods
Readership
Advanced students and researchers - forestry, crop sciences, ecology and soil science.
Key Features
• Integrates information from soil science, agronomy and forestry
• Provides both background theory and practical methods
• Applicable to both temperate and tropical regions
Main Description
Successful agroforestry requires an understanding of the complex relationship between trees, crops and soils. This book provides a review of both economic and biophysical aspects of soil use and research in agroforestry, with an emphasis on nutrient-poor forest and savanna soils. Key topics covered include the economics of soil fertility management, cycling of water, nutrients and organic matter, soil structure, and soil biological processes. The book combines synthetic overviews of research results and a review of methods used in research.
Reviews
• From the foreword: “The book is written within a particular context - soil fertility development under agroforestry. At first this may seem very specific and thus limited in appeal and application. But over the last decade or so agroforestry research has been one of the most influential in developing new insights into soil biology and fertility and thus provides a very suitable framework for review of progress. Furthermore the influence of trees on soil is profound and of significance beyond agroforestry systems, so the book is likely to be of interest in the wider spheres of agriculture, forestry and ecological sciences.”
Mike Swift, TSBF, Nairobi, Kenya
• "Each chapter is detailed and well referenced, many with boxes to emphasise specific points...This is essentially a manual with considerable practical value".
A M Mannion, Biologist, 50(6), 2003
• "Overall, for anyone interested in the major topics and techniques in soil science and agroforestry, this is an excellent and up-to-date review, and includes a 76-page reference section. It truly belongs in the reference collection for any advanced class on agroforestry and would be useful for all researchers in the biophysical aspects of agroforestry.
J Doland Nichols, Forest Science, 5(11), 2005
• "The book combines synthetic overviews of research results and a review of methods used in research. It will be of significant interest to those working in forestry, agriculture, ecology and soil science."
M Wood, Microbiology Today, 31, Feb 2004
• "This is an excellent companion book for anyone interested in studying the impacts of trees on soil propterties."
R B Harrison, Agricultural Systems, 80, 2004
• "This is essential reading for researchers in tropical agroforestry, forestry and agriculture".
John C Weber, The International Forestry Review, 6 (1), 2004
• "This is an excellent book with 21 outstanding contributors. It is particularly valuable as an introduction to the design and analysis of experiments in this area of study."
R F Fisher, Forest Ecology and Management, 192, 2004
Main Contents
• Impacts of trees on the fertility of agricultural soils, G Schroth and F L Sinclair
• Economic aspects of soil fertility management and agroforestry practices, A M N Izac, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya
• Designing experiments and analysing data, R Coe, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya, B Huwe, University of Bayreuth, Germany and G Schroth
• Soil organic matter, G Schroth, B Vanlauwe, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme, Nairobi, Kenya and J Lehmann, Cornell University, USA
• Soil nutrient availability and acidity, G Schroth, J Lehmann and E Barrios, CIAT, Cali, Colombia
• Decomposition and nutrient supply from biomass, G Schroth
• Nutrient leaching, J Lehmann and G Schroth
• Nutrient capture, G Schroth and J Lehmann
• Nutrient exchange with the atmosphere, G Schroth and J Burkhardt, University of Bonn, Germany
• Soil structure, M Grimaldi, IRD-ORSTOM, France, G Schroth, W G Teixeira, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria-Amazonia Ocidental, Brazil and B Huwe
• Soil water, W G Teixeira, F L Sinclair, B Huwe and G Schroth
• Root systems, G Schroth
• Biological nitrogen fixation, K E Giller, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
• Mycorrhizas, D L Godbold and R Sharrock, University of Wales, Bangor, UK
• Rhizosphere processes, D Jones, University of Wales, Bangor, UK
• Soil macrofauna, P Lavelle, Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Sols Tropicaux, France, B Senapati, Sambalpur University, India and E Barros, INPA, Brazil
• Soil erosion, M A McDonald, University of Wales, Bangor, UK, A Lawrence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK and P K Shrestha, LI-BIRD, Nepal
