The Rhizosphere: An Ecological Perspective

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 biologyEstablishes the links from extraordinarily small-scale processes in the rhizosphere to larger-scale belowground patterns and processesIncludes valuable information on ecosystem response to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and enhanced global nitrogen depositionChapters 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