AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH.

295pp incl Index; Tables, Graphs, diagrams.

This is a guide book for students, through a subject area with many facets. Readers with interest in Ecology, Botany, Geography and Environmental Sciences will find it of value, especially those with a wish to undertake practical investigations. The first two parts concentrate on assembling basic ideas on plants and then soils, setting the multidisciplinary scene. Plants are viewed first as the centre of a complex of organisms with specific mineral requirements and capable of processing energy, water and minerals. Symbiotic relationships are described which facilitate ion accumulation and other relationships contribute to the transfer of ions within ecosystems.

Soils are described as a vital portion of general environment, supplying ions and water on the one hand, whilst also subjecting the plant to growth constraints. The text provides a basic understanding of the phenomena described, emphasising the possibilities for experimental investigations. The third part contains case histories which draw on the descriptive text. They range from simple autecological studies, those at the ecosystem or watershed level, and complex examples with many interacting soil factors. Localities include Alaskan Tundra, Australian Heath, broad leaf forest in New Hampshire, British mine wastes, and salt marshes in various parts of the world.

The ideas of this book are intended to be widely applicable, to cases and regions not specifically covered.