Interpreting Soil Test Results is a practical reference enabling soil scientists, environmental scientists, environmental engineers, land holders and others involved in land management to better understand a range of soil test methods and interpret the results of these tests. It also contains a comprehensive description of the soil properties relevant to many environmental and natural land resource issues and investigations.
This new edition has an additional chapter on soil organic carbon store estimation and an extension of the chapter on soil contamination. It also includes sampling guidelines for landscape design and a section on trace elements. Interpreting Soil Test Results updates and expands sections covering acid sulfate soil, procedures for sampling soils, levels of nutrients present in farm products, soil sodicity, salinity and rainfall erosivity. It includes updated interpretations for phosphorus in soils, soil pH and the cation exchange capacity of soils.
Interpreting Soil Test Results is ideal reading for students of soil science and environmental science and environmental engineering; professional soil scientists, environmental scientists, engineers and consultants; and local government agencies and as a reference by solicitors and barristers for land and environment cases.
Introduction
1. Soil sampling issues: aspects of design and implementation of soil investigations
2. Soil physical properties
3. Soil properties and soil behaviour for engineering
4. Soil erodibility and erosion hazard
5. Soil chemical properties
6. Organic matter content of soils
7. Application of waste-water and waste materials to soils
8. Soil contamination
9. Units and conversions
10. General and technical suggested references
11. References
Appendix 1 – Assessing soil texture using field behaviour of moist soil
Index
Pam Hazelton has worked as a soil scientist for over 35 years. She lectures in the Faculty of Engineering and IT at the University of Technology Sydney. In recent years her interests have been in urban and coastal soils with an emphasis on environmental engineering.
Brian Murphy has worked as a soil scientist for over 30 years, with a strong focus on applied soil science. He is an experienced pedologist and provides day-to-day advice on the management of soils for a range of natural resource issues.
Review of the second edition:
"Interpreting Soil Test Results is a handy compendium. Soil scientists who write for clients and the clients who read their reports, both in Australia and elsewhere, should find this book valuable."
– European Journal of Soil Science 58, 1219–1220 (2007)