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BOOK REVIEW

Solute Movement in the Rhizosphere;

Western Ecology Division National Health and Environmental Research Laboratory Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 200 SW 35th St. Corvallis, OR 97333

andersen.christian{at}epa.gov

P.B. Tinker and P.H. Nye, Oxford University Press, Inc., 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. 2000. 444 p. $95.00. ISBN 0-19-512492-8.

After 23 years, Tinker and Nye have published an updated version of their earlier book titled Solute Movement in the Soil-Root System (University of California Press, 1977). The book contains many of the same elements that made the 1977 publication so useful. The first half of the book is similar to the 1977 text, with updated information. The second half contains primarily new information that reflects the tremendous increase in research interest in rhizosphere chemistry and biology. The book has been updated to include several models in use to understand solute transport and uptake.

The text is literally packed with information that makes it quite useful as a reference text. The authors include fundamental aspects of each topic, permitting nonspecialists to follow chapter discussions about recent advancements in each area. I consider this to be a strength of the book since it provides the necessary background for readers with little familiarity of the subject. The authors have condensed what is, in some cases, a substantial literature base into a straightforward summary that identifies areas of uncertainty as well as areas where good understanding exists.

One concern with the book is that in the authors' quest for breadth of coverage they have treated some topics more thoroughly than others. As a result, I found the authors' selection of recent references to be adequate in most cases, but not exhaustive. I was surprised in some chapters to see the omission of important references. Nonetheless, the book is not intended to provide an exhaustive literature review. I believe the book's overall strength lies in its tremendous breadth of coverage and the authors' perspective on the state-of-the-science. In this regard, the book is extremely valuable.

The text is organized into 11 chapters, and focuses primarily, although not exclusively, on crop plants and soils. At first glance, Chapters 1 through 6 appear very similar to the earlier text, although the many changes become evident as you read through each chapter. The authors have included more depth and breadth by providing new hypotheses and updated references. Chapter 1 is relatively unchanged but is perhaps one of the most enjoyable to read since it provides background information and perspective for subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 deals with soil and plant water. In this and subsequent chapters, the authors include a summary of important fundamental concepts, making the book a useful reference text. The latter part of Chapter 2 has been changed substantially from the earlier book in order to reflect both the importance of water and the advancements that have been made in the field.

Chapters 3 and 4 cover solute movement and interchange in soils. The chapters provide general principles governing the interchange of solutes between all phases in the soil, including inorganic and organic solutes, in addition to metal ions. Particularly useful was the inclusion of several simulation programs that allow prediction of solute movement and binding in soils. Chapter 5 discusses uptake properties of roots, and is much expanded compared to the chapter included in the 1977 book. It includes new information on molecular and cellular processes. Chapter 6 deals with solute transport near root surfaces.

The latter half of the book is considerably expanded compared with the 1977 edition, with new chapters dealing with chemical and physical modifications of the rhizosphere (Chapter 7), microbial modification of the rhizosphere (Chapter 8), and root system architecture (Chapter 9). I found that these chapters provided well-written summaries of recent research in each of the areas. Chapters 10 and 11 attempt to integrate the information presented in the first nine chapters by providing a synthesis of uptake by single plants (Chapter 10) and by crops/vegetation (Chapter 11). Both chapters provide an excellent review of several models, their assumptions, and their limitations. The authors' perspectives and discussion on modeling are excellent, and I found these two chapters to be extremely useful.

I am unaware of a more comprehensive discussion of the topic, and I consider this book to be an indispensable addition to the library of anyone involved in rhizosphere research.

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