Soil Organisms as Components of Ecosystems

This book is the Proceedings of the 6th International Soil Zoology Colloquium held in Uppsala in June 1976. The major theme is the interactions of plant roots, microorganisms, and soil animals. Four subthemes were chosen for the plenary sessions. These were: (i) Community structure and niche separation; (ii) The role of soil organisms in nutrient cycling; (iii) Plant roots in the soil system; and (iv) Models of soil organisms and their environment. In addition tothe 51 papers (14, 16, 13, and 8) presented in the above sessions, there are summarized versions of 41 papers given in poster session. The individual papers range from excellent to poor, with about one-fourth in the poor category. About half the remainder are autecological in subject matter treatment and lack the perspective promised in the colloquium title. Most of the papers in the first plenary session are on niche exploitation and responses by members of the soil fauna rather than on their roles as ecosystem components. The papers on nutrient cycling are, with few exceptions, excellent contributions. Particularly commendable is the comprehensive discussion offered by D. E. Reichle. The bulk of the papers in the third session concern either the activities or the effects on plants of rhizophagic invertebrates. Good discussions are given by Vancura and associates on quantitative aspects of root exudation and by Sihanonth and Todd on transfer of nutrients by ectomycorrhizal fungi. Readers expecting to find any noteworthy array of simulation models on soil organisms will be disappointed. Most of the papers in this session might have been placed just as appropriately in some other session. The closing session address by J. E. Satchell is thought-provoking as well asentertaining. The reader, while being told that earthworms are the trombones of the grave, gains the impression that as a group, the soil zoologists are alive and well. Mechanistically the book is soft cover and generally excellently edited. There are about 200 illustrations, mostly line graphs and histograms, but also some light microscope and scanning electron micrographs. Unfortunately, some of the hand-drawn diagrams are so overcrowded with small-scale details as to be practically unreadable. This volume belongs primarily in the personal libraries of invertebrate zoologists. Its reading by systems ecologists and soil scientists will be, in part, time well spent.--FRANCIS E. CLARK, Federal Research, Western Region, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box E, Fort Collins, CO 80522.