Soil and Its Role in the Ecosystem
Soil is highly heterogeneous body in the terrestrial ecosystem that has evolved through thousands of years of natural processes and has remained habitat for enormous biodiversity. Due variability in seasonal temperature, rainfall, parent materials and veg
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Soil and Its Role in the Ecosystem
Abstract Soil is highly heterogeneous body in the terrestrial ecosystem that has evolved through thousands of years of natural processes and has remained habitat for enormous biodiversity. Due variability in seasonal temperature, rainfall, parent materials and vegetation, different types of soils have been found in India; and each of these soils have distinct mineralogical compositions, physical and chemical properties. Such heterogeneity has resulted wide variations in the response of soils to polluting activities which causes differential location specific impacts. To understand the interaction of pollutants with soil constituents and their impact on agroecosystems, basic knowledge on various aspects of soil resources and its functions are essential. This chapter describes in brief, the major soil types of India and their properties, role of soil constituents on its quality, different soil forming processes, inhabiting organisms and their role in different soil nutrient cycling processes affecting crop productivity. Keywords Soil type • Ecosystem • Organisms • Pedogenic processes • Agroecological zone • India
Soil is a highly heterogeneous body in respect of physical, chemical and biological characteristics as well as constituents and such heterogeneity arises both at microand macro-scale in all three dimensions. Pollutants interact quite differently with each of its constituents and hence, impact of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem varies widely. This necessitates a comprehensive understanding on soil and its role in the ecosystem by the personnel’s involved in environmental impact assessment. This chapter briefly describes the important aspects of soil science mainly in the perspective of crop productivity. Soil is a resource on which every person’s life, well-being and fulfillment depend. Poor management reveals itself in terms of social and economic costs along with political repercussions. No sustainable agriculture and sustainable development is possible without this awareness. Present societies show little interest in this regard, and soil is often considered as no more than a support for human activities. We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity for use by us but when we see it as a part of community to which we belong, we start looking at it with respect. If soil is viewed as precious resource, its use should abide by certain rules and a number of conditions so that different ecosystem functions are protected © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 J.K. Saha et al., Soil Pollution - An Emerging Threat to Agriculture, Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World 10, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4274-4_2
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and sustained. In sum, soil is the source of life for humankind. Through the intermediary of plants, animals, water and minerals, the soil shelters and nourishes the people and their well being and health are dependent upon it. Soil is thus essential for humanity, whether its uses are of an agricultural, f
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