Soil Science and Sustainable Land Management in the Tropics

An understanding of the properties of soils, particularly those of tropical regions where soil fertility is usually low and the need for food production high, is central to the development of sustainable land management systems. This book examines the contribution that soil science can make to sustainable land management in the tropics, through a series of review chapters and case studies. It addresses four themes: soil and land resource evaluation; soil biology; soil erosion and conservation; and soil fertility and fertility management. In addition, it considers topics such as Quaternary geology and the economic context of soil science. Case studies include work from Zimbabwe, Thailand and the Philippines. The contributions have been developed from papers presented at a meeting of the British Society of Soil Science held in Newcastle in 1992, and should appeal to all concerned with land management in the tropics.