Books by Rattan Lal

Written by world-renowned experts, this book is a ready references and data source for soil scientists and professionals in related fields.

This book explains predominant soil degradative processes for agricultural, urban, industrial and military land uses. It describes the methods of evaluating soil degradation by different processes and scaling procedures of data extrapolation across temporal and spatial scales.

Principles of Soil Physics examines the impact of the physical, mechanical, and hydrological properties and processes of soil on agricultural production, the environment, and sustainable use of natural resources. The text incorporates valuable assessment methods, graphs, problem sets, and tables from recent studies performed around the globe and offers an abundance of tables, photographs, and easy-to-follow equations in every chapter.The book discusses the consequences of soil degradation, such as erosion, inhibited root development, and poor aeration. It begins by defining soil physics, soil mechanics, textural properties, and packing arrangements . The text continues to discuss the theoretical and practical aspects of soil structure and explain the significance and measurement of bulk density, porosity, and compaction. The authors proceed to clarify soil hydrology topics including hydrologic cycle, water movement, infiltration, modeling, soil evaporation, and solute transport processes. They address the impact of soil temperature on crop growth, soil aeration, and the processes that lead to the emission of greenhouse gases. The final chapters examine the physical properties of gravelly soils and water movement in frozen, saline, and water-repellant soils.Reader-friendly and up-to-date, Principles of Soil Physics provides unparalleled coverage of issues related to soil physics, structure, hydrology, aeration, temperature, and analysis and presents practical techniques for maintaining soil quality to ultimately preserve its sustainability.

A comprehensive book on basic processes of soil C dynamics and the underlying factors and causes which determine the technical and economic potential of soil C sequestration.

A comprehensive book on basic processes of soil C dynamics and the underlying factors and causes which determine the technical and economic potential of soil C sequestration.

This book addresses the importance of soil processes in the global carbon cycle.

Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems is a comprehensive book describing the basic processes of carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, their contribution to carbon sequestration and implications for mitigating abrupt climate change.

Studying the impact of the physical and hydrological properties and processes of soil on agricultural production, the environment, and sustainable use of natural resources, this book covers issues related to soil physics, structure, hydrology, aeration, temperature, and analysis.

Discusses basic processes, definitions, land use change, and global trends. This book provides the data on soil degradation by various processes such as water and wind erosion, salt build-up, and soil contamination. It summarizes the magnitude and severity of degradation and addresses policy issues in relation to economic and environmental impact.

Covers soil C pools in different ecoregions, the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on soil C pool, the method of assessment of C, other properties of soils of the cold ecoregions, the fate of C in soils of the cold ecoregions, and research and development priorities.

Describes methods of assessment of soil degradation by different processes in relation to their impact on agronomic productivity and environmental quality; addresses the agronomic and economic impacts of soil degradation; and considers research and development priorities.

"Principles of Soil Management and Conservation" comprehensively reviews the state-of-knowledge on soil erosion and management.