Volcanic Ash Soils, Volume 21

Plates. Preface. Acknowledgements. The Authors. 1. Terminology, Concepts and Geographic Distribution of Volcanic Ash Soils. Terminology. Central concepts. Geographic distribution of volcanic ash soils. 2. Morphology of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Morphological characteristics. Examples of profile morphology. 3. Genesis of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Formation of Andisols. Transition of Andisols to other soil orders. 4. Classification of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Classification of Andisols. Classification of Andisols in the FAO/Unesco Soil Map of the World. National classifications of volcanic ash soils. 5. Mineralogical Characteristics of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Volcanic ash as a parent material. Colloidal constituents common to volcanic ash soils. Formation and transformation of colloidal constituents. 6. Chemical Characteristics of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Inorganic constituents. Organic constituents. Metal humus complexes. Physico-chemical properties. 7. Physical Characteristics of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Soil color. Soil texture. Soil structure. Soil consistence. Bulk density and porosity. Water retention and plant available water. Water permeability. Irreversible changes in soil physical properties with drying. 8. Productivity and Utilization of Volcanic Ash Soils. Introduction. Soil productivity. Chemical properties relating to soil productivity. Physical properties relating to soil productivity. Utilization and management of volcanic ash soils in Japan. Appendix 1. Description and selected properties of Tsukuba soil, Findley Lake soil, Abashiri soil, and Yunodai soil. Appendix 2. Andisol TU database. Appendix 3. Selected thermodynamic data and uncertainties used in modeling mineral stability relationships in Fig. 5.12. Appendix 4. Reactions and equilibrium constants (25°C) used modeling stability relationships in Fig. 5.12. References Index. Subject Index.

Volcanic eruptions are generally viewed as agents of destruction, yet they provide the parent materials from which some of the most productive soils in the world are formed. The high productivity results from a combination of unique physical, chemical and mineralogical properties. The importance and uniqueness of volcanic ash soils are exemplified by the recent establishment of the Andisol soil order in Soil Taxonomy. This book provides the first comprehensive synthesis of all aspects of volcanic ash soils in a single volume. It contains in-depth coverage of important topics including terminology, morphology, genesis, classification, mineralogy, chemistry, physical properties, productivity and utilization. A wealth of data (37 tables, 81 figures, and Appendix) mainly from the Tohoku University Andisol Data Base is used to illustrate major concepts. Twelve color plates provide a valuable visual-aid and complement the text description of the world-wide distribution for volcanic ash soils.

This volume will serve as a valuable reference for soil scientists, plant scientists, ecologists and geochemists interested in biogeochemical processes occurring in soils derived form volcanic ejecta.