Soils and Environmental Quality

Book excerpt: A perpetual bestseller, this third edition explores environmental quality from the perspective of soil science. The coverage ranges from the theoretical to the practical with an abundance of examples such as an exploration of allowable pesticide concentrations in drinking water and an inquiry into soil contamination from the trace elements in organic by-products. It also explores the use of soil carbon sequestration as a remedy for global climate change and the effects of acid precipitation on forestation. Case studies with political, economic, and legal implications illustrate the human side of environmental problems. Also covered is the use or misuse of the Scientific Method and the potential for factual bias. The three authors, all teaching professors distinguished in soil science, have updated this student favorite to include a greater number of even more relevant topics. Responding to reques