Standard Soil Methods for Long-Term Ecological Research [Hardcover]

Standardized methods and measurements are crucial for ecological research, particularly in long-term ecological studies where the projects are by nature collaborative and where it can be difficult to distinguish signs of environmental change from the effects of differing methodologies. This second volume in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Series addresses these issues directly by providing a comprehensive standardized set of protocols for measuring soil properties. The goal of the volume is to facilitate cross-site synthesis and evaluation of ecosystem processes. Chapters cover methods for studying physical and chemical properties of soils, soil biological properties, and soil organisms, and they include work from many leaders in the field. The book is the first broadly based compendium of standardized soil measurement methods and will be an invaluable resource for ecologists, agronomists, and soil scientists.

Contributors
1. Soil Sampling, Preparation, Archiving, and Quality Control,R. D. Boone et al.
2. Site and Landscape Characterization for Ecological Studies,D. F. Grigal et al.
I. Soil Physical Properties
3. Soil Water and Temperature Status,W. M. Jarrell et al.
4. Soil Structural and Other Physical Properties,E. T. Elliott et al.
II. Soil Chemical Properties
5. Soil Carbon and Nitrogen: Pools and Fractions,P. Sollins et al.
6. Exchangeable Ions, pH, and Cation Exchange Capacity,G. P. Robertson et al.
7. Soil Phosphorus: Characterization and Total Element Analysis,K. Lajtha et al.
8. Analysis of Detritus and Organic Horizons for Mineral and Organic Constituents,M. E. Harmon and K. Lajtha
9. Collection of Soil Solution,K. Lajtha et al.
III. Soil Biological Processes
10. Soil CO[2, N[2O, and CH[4 Exchange,E. A. Holland et al.
11. Measuring Decomposition, Nutrils