The soil and its environment.

This chapter focuses on nutrients and their cycles, fertilizers and their uses, and mulches. The following basic soil properties are also covered: horizons, texture, structure, bulk density, color, organisms (arthropods, earthworms, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, protozoa), soil chemistry (cation exchange capacity, percentage base saturation, anion adsorption, pH, liming, alkalinity), soil salinity, soil testing, soil sampling, calibrating and interpreting soil test results, and soil fertility.