ARS | Publication request: Soil Ecology and Ecosystem Services

Submitted to: Complete Book
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: December 1, 2011
Publication Date: June 15, 2012
Citation: Wall, D., Bardgett, R.D., Behan-Pelletier, V., Herrick, J.E., Jones, H., Ritz, K., Six, J., Strong, D.R., van der Putten, W.H. (Editors). 2012. Soil Ecology and Ecosystem Services. Oxford University Press. UK. 424 p.

Interpretive Summary: This book offers a unique synthesis of state-of the-art information on soil ecology and ecosystem services. Research in soil ecology has matured and continues to accelerate, while the study of living soils as a provider of ecosystem services is still emerging. This advancement is reflected in this book by the authors’ expertise, analyses, and perspectives of how soils and their biodiversity, scaling from single genes up to communities of hundreds of interacting species, function to provide ecosystem services across local to global scales, and how soils are affected by global change. The discussions of new technologies, molecular tools, models, and lab and field studies show a regression of increasing understanding of the functions of many species, both animals and microbes, which comprise the biodiversity in our soils. The information in this book also reveals the relevance of soil biodiversity to humankind, and contributes data, examples, and perspectives that will be useful in scientific and policy discussions on sustaining soils and people.

Technical Abstract: This multi-contributor, international volume synthesizes contributions from the world's leading soil scientists and ecologists, describing cutting-edge research that provides a basis for the maintenance of soil health and sustainability. The book covers these advances from a unique perspective of examining the ecosystem services produced by soil biota across different scales - from biotic interactions at microscales to communities functioning at regional and global scales. The book leads the user towards an understanding of how the sustainability of soils, biodiversity, and ecosystem services can be maintained and how humans, other animals, and ecosystems are dependent on living soils and ecosystem services.