Soils, Plants and Clay Minerals treats the inter-relations between plants and minerals in an entirely new way in that it introduces the notion of eco-engineering, that is, the manipulation of the mineral world by the living world to the ends of the living world.
These inter-relations are the basis for traditional agriculture and should be the basis for the new, ecologically oriented land management disciplines, including agriculture itself. These relations also impact surface geochemistry and determine pollution problems. An understanding of this concept will lead to a renewed consideration of surface environmental problems.
- The Soil Profile and its Mineralogy
- Structure of Soil Profile
- Origins of Soil Profile Formation
- Soil Classification as a function of Age, Climate, Rock type
- Identification of Clay Minerals
- Clay Mineral Properties
- Organic Matter, Clay Minerals and Soil Aggregation
- Physical Factors Affecting Soil Profiles
- Movement of Clay Material
- Stability of Clay Minerals in the Profiles
- Plants and Soils
- Chemical Action of Plants on Soil Fertility
- Manipulation of Soil Chemistry by Plants to ensure Group Supremacy
- Predicting Soil Plant Interaction
- Role of Human Activity
- History of Agriculture in Northern Europe
- Kinetics of Clay Mineral Transitions
- Ecosystem Approach to Soils