References

Contents
Part I Introduction
1 WhatAreSoils? 3
François Buscot
1 Introduction .................................................................. 3
2 Soil Genesis ................................................................... 4
2.1 Rock Weathering or Decay ...................................... 4
2.2 Importance of Soil Texture...................................... 5
2.3 Input of Organic Matter into Soils and Aggregation .... 7
2.4 Migration Processes............................................... 8
3 Biogeochemical Processes in Soils ..................................... 8
3.1 Energy and Carbon................................................ 8
3.2 Nitrogen and Phosphorus....................................... 10
4 Biotic Interactions Involving Soil Microorganisms............... 11
4.1 Competition Versus Facilitation............................... 11
4.2 The Example of Mycorrhizas ................................... 12
5 Integrative Considerations on Functions of Microorganisms
in Specific Soil Compartments .......................................... 13
5.1 Release of Transgenic Organisms as a Tool
to Trace Effects of Ecological Disruptions
on Soil Microorganisms.......................................... 13
5.2 Soil Pollution by Heavy Metals
as a More Complex Disruption ................................ 14
5.3 Understanding Complex Functional Domains
in Soil Habitats...................................................... 15
6 Conclusion or Back to Biodiversity of Soil Microbes............. 15
References ............................................................................. 16
2 MicrobialDiversityinSoils 19
Bhoopander Giri, Pham Huong Giang, Rina Kumari, Ram Prasad,
Ajit Varma
1 Introduction .................................................................. 19
2 Origin of Microbial Diversity............................................ 20