Soil Biochemistry is the reference book available that covers the essentials of the topic plus provides information on the latest technological advances that represent the cutting edge of the science. Soil plays a crucial role on numerous environmental processes. They interact with the air above them, the rivers that border them, the ground water below them, and the biological activity in them. They supply nutrients to plants and filter our wastes. The book is a concise and authoritative introduction to the field of Environmental Soil Biochemistry that is very suitable for a one semester course. The second edition is replete with crisp graphics and real world examples that lay out the foundations of Soil Biochemistry, while providing a firm basis for illustrating the emergence in our field of cutting-edge techniques in molecular spectroscopy and kinetics. Soils support life. Soils contain air, water, and minerals. Not surprisingly, Soil Biochemistry involves many environmental disciplines, such as atmospheric chemistry, aquatic chemistry, interface chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and mineralogy. The chemistry principles in this book are presented in a sequential manner, and many of them are covered in great depth. Often, the concepts in Soil Biochemistry cannot really be well understood unless you also understand them from a mathematical point of view. Sometimes, however, the mathematics behind the soil biochemistry principles can be a bit overwhelming. Contents - Introduction; Mechanics of Soils; Soils, Weathering, and Nutrients; Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis; Influencing Amount of Organic Matter; Drought-Resistant Soil; Organic form of Soil; Chemical Equilibrium: The Solid and Liquid Phases and Principles of Chemical Dynamics.