The Rhizosphere

Below the soil surface, the rhizosphere is the dynamic interface among plant roots, soil microbes and fauna, and the soil itself, where biological as well as physico-chemical properties differ radically from those of bulk soil. The Rhizosphere is the first ecologically-focused book that explicitly establishes the links from extraordinarily small-scale processes in the rhizosphere to larger-scale belowground patterns and processes. This book includes chapters that emphasize the effects of rhizosphere biology on long-term soil development, agro-ecosystem management and responses of ecosystems to global change. Overall, the volume seeks to spur development of cross-scale links for understanding belowground function in varied natural and managed ecosystems. - First cross-scale ecologically-focused integration of information at the frontier of root, microbial, and soil faunal biology
- Establishes the links from extraordinarily small-scale processes in the rhizosphere to larger-scale belowground patterns and processes
- Includes valuable information on ecosystem response to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and enhanced global nitrogen deposition
- Chapters written by a variety of experts, including soil scientists, microbial and soil faunal ecologists, and plant biologists

Chapter 1: Root Interactions with Soil Microbial Communities and Processes Chapter 2: Carbon Fluxes in the Rhizosphere Chapter 3: Microfaunal Interactions in the Rhizosphere, How Nematodes and Protozoa Link Above- and Belowground Processes Chapter 4: Mycorrhizas: Symbiotic Mediators of Rhizosphere and Ecosystem Processes Chapter 5: Soil Rhizosphere Food Webs, Their Stability, and Implications for Soil Processes in Ecosystems Chapter 6: Understanding and Managing the Rhizosphere in Agroecosystems Chapter 7: The Contribution of Root - Rhizosphere Interactions to Biogeochemical Cycles in a Changing World Chapter 8: The Rhizosphere and Soil Formation Index