Essentials of Soil Science

Winfried E.H. Blum is Emeritus Professor of Soil Science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Austria. He was formerly Professor of soil science at Freiburg University/Germany, State University of Paraná in Curitiba/Brazil and BOKU University in Vienna/Austria. He is a member of numerous learned national and international organisations worldwide and the author of more than 800 scientific publications including books and monographs in 15 languages with numerous distinctions and awards.

Peter Schad is a lecturer of soil science at the Technical University of Munich (Germany). He holds a Master’s Degree in Biology and a PhD in soil science. He is the lead author of the current edition of the international soil classification system WRB. During his countless excursions worldwide, he has been able to familiarize himself with the soils of all ecozones across the globe.

Stephen Nortcliff is Emeritus Professor of Soil Science at Reading University, United Kingdom. He joined Reading in 1978, teaching and researching in a wide range of soil science areas. His initial research focus was in soil variability and its characterisation to assist soil survey and soil mapping. He subsequently worked on the sustainable management of soils of the Tropics. Within the United Kingdom he worked on the use of recycled organic residues in the form of compost and anaerobic digestates to reduce the requirements for inorganic fertiliser inputs. He was Secretary General of the International Union of Soil Sciences from 2002 to 2010 and continues to be actively involved in the Union’s management.