The World Beneath Our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil

Rating:
Summary: Hugely informative
Review: If you are interested in gardening, natural history or ecology this book is a "must read". The writer, a biologist at the University of Illinois has done a masterful job of explaining just what the earth beneath our feet contains. This book is a close look at what soil is, how it evolved, how it supports life and why it wears out. It also looks at the plants and animals that form the ecosystem of healthy soil and how we can help nurture them.

The first part of the book, "Working Partnerships", explains that soil consists of minerals broken down from rocks, together with plants and their bacterial, fungal and animal partners. It also explains how soil gets its fertility. This may sound like dull stuff, but the way this writer presents it, it's as fascinating as the unravelling of a mystery.

Part Tow presents members of the soil community - microbes, invertebrates and vertebrates. You'll meet some of the most extraordinary creatures here - mother centipedes guarding and licking their eggs, termites sabotaging tropical agriculture and beetles, lots of beetles. More species of beetle inhabit the earth than any other order of animals.

The final section is titles "The gift of Good Earth" and the writer very briefly presents the concept of erosion and how humans have contributed to the degradation of the soil. Finally he offers the idea that composting is the act of creating a wildlife refuge for many of the creatures living in the soil in our won backyard. I'd never thought of it in those terms before. The book ends with a decent reading list and list of web sites.

This is a readable and intriguing resource book for the library of any gardener or naturalist.

Rating:
Summary: Hugely informative
Review: If you are interested in gardening, natural history or ecology this book is a 'must read'. The writer, a biologist at the University of Illinois has done a masterful job of explaining just what the earth beneath our feet contains. This book is a close look at what soil is, how it evolved, how it supports life and why it wears out. It also looks at the plants and animals that form the ecosystem of healthy soil and how we can help nurture them.

The first part of the book, 'Working Partnerships', explains that soil consists of minerals broken down from rocks, together with plants and their bacterial, fungal and animal partners. It also explains how soil gets its fertility. This may sound like dull stuff, but the way this writer presents it, it's as fascinating as the unravelling of a mystery.

Part Tow presents members of the soil community - microbes, invertebrates and vertebrates. You'll meet some of the most extraordinary creatures here - mother centipedes guarding and licking their eggs, termites sabotaging tropical agriculture and beetles, lots of beetles. More species of beetle inhabit the earth than any other order of animals.

The final section is titles 'The gift of Good Earth' and the writer very briefly presents the concept of erosion and how humans have contributed to the degradation of the soil. Finally he offers the idea that composting is the act of creating a wildlife refuge for many of the creatures living in the soil in our won backyard. I'd never thought of it in those terms before. The book ends with a decent reading list and list of web sites.

This is a readable and intriguing resource book for the library of any gardener or naturalist.

Rating:
Summary: Hugely informative
Review: If you are interested in gardening, natural history or ecology this book is a �must read�. The writer, a biologist at the University of Illinois has done a masterful job of explaining just what the earth beneath our feet contains. This book is a close look at what soil is, how it evolved, how it supports life and why it wears out. It also looks at the plants and animals that form the ecosystem of healthy soil and how we can help nurture them.

The first part of the book, �Working Partnerships�, explains that soil consists of minerals broken down from rocks, together with plants and their bacterial, fungal and animal partners. It also explains how soil gets its fertility. This may sound like dull stuff, but the way this writer presents it, it�s as fascinating as the unravelling of a mystery.

Part Tow presents members of the soil community - microbes, invertebrates and vertebrates. You�ll meet some of the most extraordinary creatures here - mother centipedes guarding and licking their eggs, termites sabotaging tropical agriculture and beetles, lots of beetles. More species of beetle inhabit the earth than any other order of animals.

The final section is titles �The gift of Good Earth� and the writer very briefly presents the concept of erosion and how humans have contributed to the degradation of the soil. Finally he offers the idea that composting is the act of creating a wildlife refuge for many of the creatures living in the soil in our won backyard. I�d never thought of it in those terms before. The book ends with a decent reading list and list of web sites.

This is a readable and intriguing resource book for the library of any gardener or naturalist.