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

1 Introduction; 2 Root life history and dynamics; 3 The flux of carbon from roots to rhizosphere soil; 4 Microbial communities and their activity in the rhizosphere; 5 Rhizosphere microfauna; 6 Plant residues and their influence on soil physical properties; 7 Mycorrhizas - symbiotic mediators of rhizosphere and ecosystem processes; 8 Elevated CO2 and links between carbon and nutrient cycling; 9 Rhizospheres: keys to formation and function of highly weathered soils; 10 Plant root systems in a changing world; 11 The rhizosphere in agricultural ecosystems; 12 Soil rhizosphere food webs, their stability, and implications for soil processes in ecosystems