Amazonian Dark Earths: Origin, Properties, Management (Hardcover)

~ Johannes Lehmann (Editor), Dirse C. Kern (Editor), Bruno Glaser (Editor), William I. Woods (Editor) "As a result of human occupation, enormous areas of the earth have been modified by a variety of mechanisms leading to the redistribution and alteration..." (more)
Key Phrases: amazonian dark earths, terra pieta, terra mulata, New York, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Brazilian Amazon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

"Two symposia on the Amazonian Dark Earths were held in 2001, and these were followed in 2002 by the First International Workshop on the subject in Manaus and Santerem, Brazil. … The Workshop succeeded in its aims of bringing a great deal of information from disparate fields of research to a wide international audience. The editors … provide a … comprehensive view of current knowledge, understanding, methods of research, and prospects for land management." (R. Webster, European Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 56, 2005)

"Amazonian Dark Earths … represents the state of the art in the study of archaeological sediments in the Amazon basin. … The volume, composed of 23 chapters, explores diverse aspects of the origins, properties, and management of Amazonian dark earths (ADE) … . This volume is a critical contribution to ADE research and of great relevance to archaeology, soil science, and contemporary development. … the editors and contributors should be congratulated for establishing the benchmark for ADE studies." (Michael J. Heckenberger, Journal of Anthropological Research, Vol. 61, 2005)

Product Description

Amazonian Dark Earths are not only a testament to the vanished civilizations of the Amazon Basin, but may provide the answer to how the large, sophisticated societies were able to sustain intensive agriculture in an environment with mostly infertile soils. Locally known as Terra Preta de Indio or Indian black earth, these anomalous soils are even today fertile and highly productive. Though clearly associated with pre-European settlements questions remain whether the Dark Earths were intentionally produced or merely a by-product of habitation activities. This publication provides a comprehensive review of our current understanding of these fascinating soils: their origin, properties, and management through time. These new and multidisciplinary perspectives by leading experts on Amazonian Dark Earths may pave the way for the next revolution of soil management in the humid tropics.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 523 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (January 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402018398
• ISBN-13: 978-1402018398
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,580,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Academia, March 27, 2008

By	emmfullness - See all my reviews

This is an excellent resource if you're actually interested in the study of soils, agriculture, or amazonia as a whole. No, this is not intended as a how-to guide and if that's all you're looking for, I'd go for a basic gardening book and look to this resource only if you're really interested in the science behind the art. THIS IS AN ACADEMIC PIECE OF LITERATURE! And an excellent piece of it at that. Since I had no background in the study of ecology or of agriculture or soils when I read this I had a hard time following it which is why I had to go back and do a lot of background research before digging into it again. It's really not light reading and clearly wasn't meant to be so, but has enough information in it to satisfy a curious mind!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, February 9, 2008

By	M. Haller "Reading is FUNdamental" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have an interest in organic gardening and from what I have read about the properties of Amazonian Dark Earths, I believed this would be a very desirable book to own. I was mistaken. It is basically a bunch of scientific papers bundled together and given a cover. It is NOT a how to book. Save your money!