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Contents:
1 - Element interactions and the cycles of life; 2 - Human disruption of element interactions; 3 - Disturbance and elemental interactions; 4 - New frontiers in the study of elemental interactions; 5 - Potential for deliberate management of element interactions to address major environmental issues; 6 - Stochiometry and flexibility in the Hawaiian model system; 7 - Element interactions; 8 - Biogeochemical interactions and biodiversity; 9 - Keystone molecules and organic chemical flux; 10 - Elemental interactions in Brazilian landscapes as influenced by human interactions; 11 - Elemental interactions and constraints on root symbiont functioning; 12 - Multiple element interactions and ecosystem productivity with emphasis in micronutrients in tropical agroecosystems; 13 - Element interactions and trace gas exchange; 14 - Acid deposition; 15 - Atmospheric chemistry and the bioatmospheric carbon and nitrogen cycles; 16 - The role of iron as a limiting nutrient for marine plankton processes; 17 - Carbon-silicon interactions; 18 - Interactions among carbon, sulfur and nitrogen cycles in anoxic and extreme marine environments.
Review:
This book is part of the SCOPE series. Since 1969 its been responsible for over 60 publications each one of which is aimed at synthesising one area of environmental science with an aim to improving global environmental solutions. This particular text is a major update which seeks to put forward new information about the way in which the major global elements interact in the environment. We start with an introduction which highlights the key elements, points out their many interactions and describes the work that lead to this update. From this point, the book is divided into five parts. The first part looks at a series of cross-cutting issues. Chapter two describes what causes people to interfere in global cycles and what the consequences are. This is followed by work showing how the elements are moved between the four spheres and the limitations of our knowledge on this. Chapter four shows the problems and prospects for new research in this area both in theoretical and practical aspects. A final chapter in this part outlines the ways in which we can maintain interactions to 'natural' levels either by using less of counteracting the cycles elsewhere. Part two, a relatively brief section,focusses on theory with chapters dealing with interactions and biochemistry versus biodiversity. Part three deals with the lithosphere. This starts with chapter nine demonstrating key molecules and how they respond to changes. This is followed by two chapters acting as case studies showing how this works in the field. A final chapter looks at micronutrients in terms of tropical agriculture. Part four looks at the atmosphere starting with an overview of trace gas interactions which are vital in understanding climate change. Next, there's a study of sulphur and nitrogen which are mainly stored with few interactions but which have significant reactions in terms of acid deposition etc. Finally, part five looks at the hydrosphere. The first chapter is even more topical because of its study of iron in ocean systems (which links to current research suggesting iron as a counter to global warming). This is followed by two chapters which together look at the interactions of carbon, silicon, sulphur and nitrogen.
This is one of those texts whose readership deserves to be outside the usual areas. Although it's too advanced for school students (but would be an excellent undergraduate text) there is a range of diagrams and data that would make it ideal for educators to use in a number of situations. It's discussion of science makes it an exemplar of changes which can all too often be hidden in more obscure journals.