This new book by Marc Pansu and Jacques Gautheyrou provides a synopsis of the analytical procedures for the physicochemical analysis of soils. It is written to conform to analytical standards and quality control. It focuses on mineralogical, organic and inorganic analyses, but also describes physical methods when these are a precondition for analysis. It will help a range of different users to choose the most appropriate method for the type of material and the particular problems they have to face. The compiled work is the product of the experience gained by the authors in the laboratories of the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) in France and in tropical countries, and includes an extensive review of the literature. The reference section at the end of each chapter lists source data from pioneer studies right up to current works, such as, proposals for structural models of humic molecules, and itself represents a valuable source of information.
IRD soil scientists collected data on Mediterranean and tropical soils in the field from West and North Africa, Madagascar, Latin America, and South East Asia. Soil materials from these regions are often different from those found in temperate zones. As their analysis brought new problems to light, it was essential to develop powerful and specific physicochemical methods. Physicists, chemists and biologists joined forces with IRD soil scientists to contribute knowledge from their own disciplines thereby widening its scope considerably. This work is the fruit of these experiments as applied to complex systems, involving soils and the environment.
