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USDA Agricultural Research Service S-306 Turner Hall 1102 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
(acupples{at}uiuc.edu)
Edited by David M. Sylvia, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Peter G. Hartel, and David A. Zuberer, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. 2004. 672 p. $88.35 hardcover. ISBN 0-13-094117-4.
Soil microbiology is an integral part of many agricultural and environmental disciplines. Nutrient cycling and mycorrhizal symbioses, for example, are crucial concerns for crop production, whereas microbial ecology, xenobiotic biodegradation, and composting are cornerstone issues for maintaining soil quality. This book effectively summarizes a wide range of essential soil microbiology topics, and should satisfy a diverse audience of students and professionals interested in this discipline.
Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology contains both detailed information and the most recent research developments in each subject area, which is accomplished by having multiple authors (28) contribute from their specific areas of expertise. Notable improvements over the first edition include higher-quality illustrations and a superior format. Along with an additional chapter on genetics and a rearrangement of chapters, a new section was created describing basic terminology and concepts necessary for understanding soil microbiology. This format provides a more logical flow of information allowing the reader to comprehend and assimilate the material more readily.
The book is divided into four sections: "Fundamentals" (Chapters 1–4), "Organisms and Interactions" (Chapters 5–12), "Cycles in Soil" (Chapters 13–16), and "Environmental and Agricultural Perspectives" (Chapters 19–23). The first half of the book (the first two sections) reviews fundamental soil microbiology concepts, the microorganisms involved, and their interactions. Soil microbiology is introduced, and the historical context and future directions of the discipline are discussed in Chapter 1. The basics of soil science, microbial metabolism, and genetics are summarized in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Following this, the second section reviews soil organisms, including bacteria and archaea (Chapter 5), fungi (Chapter 6), cyanobacteria and algae (Chapter 7), fauna (Chapter 8), and viruses (Chapter 9), as well as the interactions of these organisms (Chapter 10). Chapter 11 presents an overview of the rhizosphere and discusses, for example, plant exudates, organisms inhabiting the rhizosphere, and microbe–plant interactions. Mycorrhizal symbioses are examined in the final chapter (Chapter 12) of this section. The content in these chapters (1–12) provides the necessary background information for the last two sections of the book.
The activity of soil organisms and their importance to applied soil microbiology topics are presented in the third and fourth sections. Soil cycles are introduced with a review of carbon transformations and soil organic matter (Chapter 13). Chapter 14 provides a summary of the nitrogen cycle and further details on nitrogen mineralization, immobilization, and the fate of ammonia and nitrate in soil. Chapters 15 and 16 cover nonsymbiotic and symbiotic biological dinitrogen fixation, respectively. The forms and transformations of sulfur, and the microorganisms involved, are examined in Chapter 17. The discussion of soil cycles concludes with the cycling of phosphorus and the transformations associated with iron, manganese, mercury, selenium, and arsenic (Chapter 18). Moving on from soil cycles, Chapter 19 focuses on the global importance of soil gases. Xenobiotic biodegradation mechanisms and the bioremediation of contaminated soils are described in Chapters 20 and 21, respectively. Chapter 22 covers the biological control of soilborne plant pathogens and nematodes. The organisms involved in composting, their activities, the properties of compostable wastes, and composting systems are given in the final chapter (Chapter 23). Overall, the final two sections provide both comprehensive reviews of critical soil cycles, along with well-chosen applied soil microbiology topics.
The book is enjoyable to read and provides an easily understandable review of soil microbiology, ranging from the fundamentals to topical issues. I recommend it to undergraduate and graduate students interested in this field and suggest that it is an ideal textbook for courses in the discipline of soil microbiology.
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