Increasing population pressures and poor management of the diminishing fragile, marginal tropical lands is eroding the agricultural production capacity base necessary for its sustenance as well as a sound environmental health. This increasing degradation is largely associated with poor or inadapted management practices and environmental pollution problems. A good understanding of basic soil science is central to more sustainable land management. The lack of basic soil science text books at affordable prices constraint these efforts.

With the above in view, this book has as its focus the development of an introductory soil science text, which covers in great detail a broad spectrum of the elements of soil science to include: soil formation, the morphological, physical, chemical properties, soil pedogenic processes, soil classification, and special aspects like soil biology, soil fertility and management, which are unavoidable in the continuum from basic to applied soil science principles. A good background of geology and parent material, which is often treated very superficially in most introductory soil science texts is given greater depth to give the reader the much needed support during the field description phase.

This book will appeal to those working within soil science, forestry, plant nutrition and soil management, and environmental issues in the tropics.