Life in the Soil

Leonardo da Vinci once mused that "we know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot," an observation that is as apt today as it was five hundred years ago. The biological world under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated, yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth, there live trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes, hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of their location and size, many of these creatures are as unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the bottom of the ocean. Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred color illustrations and masterfully rendered black-and-white drawings throughout, "Life in the Soil" invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig in and discover the diverse community of creatures living in the dirt below us. Biologist and acclaimed natural history artist James B. Nardi begins with an introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth, and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by taxon, "Life in the Soil" covers everything from slime molds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems in conserving the worlds above and below ground. A unique and illustrative introduction to the many unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape our environment above-ground, "Life in the Soil" will inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.

ISBN 0226568520   Pages 336 ISBN13 9780226568522 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher The University of Chicago Press   Weight (grammes) 582 Imprint University of Chicago Press   Published in Chicago, IL Format Paperback   Height (mm) 216 Publication date 09 Nov 2007   Width (mm) 141 Library of Congress 2006037834   Spine width (mm) 19 DEWEY 577.57   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

Pt. 1		The Marriage of the Mineral World and the Organic World
A		Introduction		1
B		How Soil Forms from Rocks and Weather		6
C		Plant Roots and Their Bacterial Partners		9
D		Plant Roots and Their Fungal Partners		11
E		Where Roots Meet Rocks and Minerals		15
F		Plant Roots and Their Animal Partners		22
G		How Plants and Animals Affect the Layers of a Soil		40
Pt. 2		Members of the Soil Community
A		Microbes		47
		Animal Kingdom
B		Invertebrates - Animals without Backbones		67
C		Vertebrates		197
Pt. 3		Working in Partnership with Creatures of the Soil
1		Preventing Erosion		240
2		Avoiding Excessive Use of Fertilizers		242
3		Effects of Acid Rain		245
4		Avoiding Salt-Encrusted Soils		246
5		Maintaining Soil Structure		248
6		Discouraging Invasion of Soils by Exotic Species		250
7		Composting as an Antidote to Soil Abuse		251
		Collecting and Observing Life of the Soil		257

"Soil, for the layman, is typically out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Those who enjoy the beauty of nature rarely look down. James B. Nardi offers an engaging and informative view of the living creatures whose activities in the soil affect its creation, composition, and fertility. Like Alice in Wonderland, the reader of Life in the Soil is dropped into a fantastical world." - Cathy J. Maloney, editor, Chicagoland Gardening"

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