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Le sol vivant. By Jean-Michel Gobat, Michel Aragno & Willy Mathey
Technical Report · January 2012
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4227.5287/1
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Jean-Michel GOBAT, Michel ARAGNO & Willy MATHEY (1998). Le sol vivant. Presses
Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes, Collection Gérer l'Environnement, vol. 14, Lausanne,
Switzerland, 519 pp + 8 inlet plates. Foreword by Roger DAJOZ
This book will help every student and scientist working in the frame of soil ecology, landscape ecology,
plant sociology, land management, environmental protection, owing to enlarge his (her) view of the
soil to the light of most recent knowledge. This master book, covering the widest panorama of patterns
and processes taking place in the soil system (and allies), is at the present time unique in its kind, and
fills successfully a gap in the world of science books.
Despite a deep insight into modern concepts in soil science and soil biology, the reading has been
made easy and comfortable by the use in the outer margins of numerous two-colour simple and clear
figures and explanatory boxes. Most useful are abundant definitions of scientific terms (references
indicated) and short summaries of most important ideas developed in the text.
The authors avoided to fall into two traps. The presentation of quantitative data, often masking the
absence of knowledge of processes, has been kept to a minimum, privileging the understanding of
mechanisms. Theoretical developments, more especially those in usage in litter decomposition,
nutrient cycle, plant succession and ecosystem stability studies, have not been included, in the
absence of clear, reliable, work hypotheses, and often poor predictive value.
After three chapters devoted to general properties of the soil system (excellent initiation to soil
science) the book turns deliberately to a biological concept of the soil. Turning away from the
equilibrium concept (popularized in French-speaking countries by Philippe Duchaufour), according to
which vegetation, climate and soil are in tight connection and thus are in or tend towards equilibrium,
the authors show, through several examples, that real phenomena are of a more complex and
changing nature. Differences in the rate of evolution of soil, vegetation and climate, processes taking
place at varying scales, make the real world more variegated than predicted by the theory, and the
authors point to the interest everyone should bear on subnormal or even incongruous situations, as a
start for explanatory investigations.
The humus profile is defined as the interface between vegetation, soil, and climate, thus reflecting
most changes taking place in each of them. It bears living organisms, which contribute directly or
indirectly to most functional processes such as plant nutrition, litter decomposition, mineral
weathering, humification, trophic and symbiotic relationships. These processes have been detailed, on
the basis of most recent knowledge in microbiology, soil zoology, plant physiology and soil
biochemistry. A particular accent has been put on some milieus which have been often neglected by
soil scientists and biologists, such as sphagnum bogs and soil annexes (fallen wood, carrion, dung,
boulders), and on some compartments of the soil such as the rhizosphere.
Application of this knowledge has been developed in a special chapter dealing with composting, a
pathway for the reuse of the constantly increasing production of waste products by man, and the
conclusive chapter traces the way to a still wider application of soil biology.
JF PONGE
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