Handbook of Soil Sciences

The second edition of the Handbook of Soil Sciences is published 12 years after its first successful edition (Sumner, 2000), which was followed by a series of soil science encyclopedias (Lal, 2002; Hillel et al., 2005; Chesworth, 2008). The 2000 version was in a single volume of 2110 pages, but this second edition is in two volumes, is fully updated and has 45 extra pages. It has 15 extra articles and was written by an additional 94 authors. In total, 72 review articles are now published in this two-volume handbook. Volume 1 (Soil properties and Processes) is the larger of the two and has five parts: soil physics, soil chemistry, soil mineralogy, soil biology and biochemistry, and pedology. The chapter topics in the soil physics part have more or less remained the same, and a tenth chapter has been added on soil thermal regimes. Soil spatial variability is also included in the soil physics part as in the first edition. The soil chemical part has one chapter less (the chemical composition of soil), but has been fully updated, and in particular, the chapter on soil organic matter combines biochemistry and practical implications. The mineralogy part has retained the same chapter headings, and each chapter has been updated. The section on soil biology and biochemistry includes molecular techniques. There are also various microbiology chapters in the second volume in the part on soil physical, chemical and biological interactions. In the pedology part, chapters have been added on hydropedology, subaqueous soils, digital soil mapping, soil change in the anthropocene and non-invasive geophysical methods in soil science. The last chapter focuses only on ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetic induction despite the availability of a range of other proximal and non-invasive techniques. The chapter on pedological modelling has not been updated from the first edition of the handbook despite some recent progress in this area (Cornu et al., 2008; Stockmann et al., 2011). Volume 2 (Resource Management and Environmental Impacts) starts with a large and new section on soil physical, chemical and biological interactions. This volume has ten chapters on topics such as the use of the synchrotron, nanoscale technology in soil science, inputs of nanoparticles, enzymatic activities and biogeochemical processes, metals and metalloids transformations, nutrients and pollutants in the critical zone, processes in the rhizosphere and anthropogenic organic pollutants. The part on soil fertility and plant nutrition has been updated, and a chapter on soil acidity and liming has been added. Interdisciplinary aspects of soil science now include a chapter on soil water repellency, but without a chapter on hard-setting soils. The last part on soil databases has been drastically revised and rewritten and includes chapters on databases in China, Russia, Brazil and Africa. The articles are in-depth reviews that are well edited. They are all extensive, each 30 pages on average, and are useful for teaching by presenting a thorough understanding of a particular subject. This reviewer applauds the inclusion of all basic soil science sub-disciplines. Its focus on the more fundamental aspects of our science can only be applauded, given the push to more applied soil science. When compared with the first edition, it is apparent that most articles have been added to the sections on pedology, and soil physical, chemical and biological interactions. In part that may reflect the editors’ preferences and expertise but may also indicate the focus of much current research activity. Our science rapidly advances and many of the subjects treated in the 72 articles of this handbook will sooner or later become surpassed by new insights and reviews. Until that happens, this handbook is an excellent source of review papers on the basic aspects of soil science. A. E. Hartemink