An abridged, student-oriented edition of Hillel's earlier published Environmental Soil Physics, Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics is a more succinct elucidation of the physical principles and processes governing the behavior of soil and the vital role it plays in both natural and managed ecosystems. The textbook is self-contained and self-explanatory, with numerous illustrations and sample problems. Based on sound fundamental theory, the textbook leads to a practical consideration of soil as a living system in nature and illustrates the influences of human activity upon soil structure and function. Students, as well as other readers, will better understand the importance of soils and the pivotal possition they occupy with respect to careful and knowledgeable conservation. - Written in an engaging and clear style, posing and resolving issues relevant to the terrestrial environment - Explores the gamut of the interactions among the phases in the soil and the dynamic interconnection of the soil with the subterranean and atmospheric domains - Reveals the salient ideas, approaches, and methods of environmental soil physics - Includes numerous illustrative exercises, which are explicitly solved - Designed to serve for classroom and laboratory instruction, for self-study, and for reference - Oriented toward practical problems in ecology, field-scale hydrology, agronomy, and civil engineering - Differs from earlier texts in its wider scope and holistic environmental conception

Analytical and comprehensive, this state-of-the-art book, examines the mechanics and engineering of unsaturated soils, as well as explaining the laboratory and field testing and research that are the logical basis of this modern approach to safe construction in these hazardous geomaterials; putting them into a logical framework for civil engineerin

This innovative study presents concepts and problems in soil physics, and provides solutions using original computer programs. It provides a close examination of physical environments of soil, including an analysis of the movement of heat, water and gases. The authors employ the programminglanguage Python, which is now widely used for numerical problem solving in the sciences. In contrast to the majority of the literature on soil physics, this text focuses on solving, not deriving, differential equations for transport. Using numerical procedures to solve differential equations allowsthe solution of quite difficult problems with fairly simple mathematical tools. Numerical methods convert differential into algebraic equations, which can be solved using conventional methods of linear algebra. Each chapter introduces a soil physics concept, and proceeds to develop computer programsto solve the equations and illustrate the points made in the discussion.Problems at the end of each chapter help the reader practise using the concepts introduced. The text is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduates and researchers of soil physics. It employs an open source philosophy where computer code is presented, explained and discussed, and provides thereader with a full understanding of the solutions. Once mastered, the code can be adapted and expanded for the user's own models, fostering further developments. The Python tools provide a simple syntax, Object Oriented Programming techniques, powerful mathematical and numerical tools, and a userfriendly environment.

An authoritative reference on soil physics, Soil Physics Companion is lavishly illustrated with graphs, charts, line drawings, and equations. The book provides a valuable source of material and reference for most contemporary topics of soil physics and the vadose zone - arguably the most comprehensive volume available. In addition to being a reliab

The importance to preserve soil and water have is increasingly recognized. Agricultural practices and ecological trends both affect and are affected by soil physical properties. The more frequency of natural disasters, as landslides and thunderstorms addresses the importance to integrate soil characteristics in predictive models. Soil physics research has grown considerably specially in the use of innovative sensors, soil databases, and modeling techniques have been introduced into soil water relationship and environmental monitoring. Those advances are thoroughly dispersed in articles and conference proceedings In this volume, the authors will bring together the effectiveness of many new field and lab sensors and examine the current state-of-the-art in modeling and data analysis. It also includes innovative approaches and case studies in tropical soils. Future directions in soil physics research are given by key researchers in this discipline.

More than 1800 terms are included in this revised glossary. Subject matter includes soil physics, soil chemistry, soil biology and biochemistry, pedology, soil and water management and conservation, forest and range soils, nutrient management and soil and plant analysis, mineralogy, wetland soils, and soils and environmental quality. Two appendices on tabular information and designations for soil horizons and layers also are included.

The soils are fundamental to our existence, delivering water and nutrients to plants, that feed us. But they are in many ways in danger and their conservation is therefore a most important focus for science, governments and society as a whole. A team of world recognised researchers have prepared this first English edition based on the 16th European edition. • The precursors and the processes of soil development • The physical, biological and chemical properties of soils • Nutrients and Pollutants • The various soil classifications with the main focus on the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) • The most important soils and soil landscapes of the world • Soil Evaluation Techniques • Basic Principles of Soil Conservation Whoever works with soils needs this book.

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students, this book covers important soil physical properties, critical physical processes involving energy and mass transport, movement and retention of water and solutes through soil profile, soil temperature regimes and aeration, and plant-water relations. It includes new concepts and numerical examples fo