LibGuides: Soil Sciences: Get started

Encyclopedias & handbooks

Use reference resources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks to get background information and explore topics in the disciplines of soil science.

Glossary of Soil Science Terms
Created by a committee of the Soil Science of America to provide a single glossary of terms for the various disciplines of soil science.

Encyclopedia of Soil Science by Ward Chesworth (Editor)
Covers the basic facts, concepts, and uses of soils for scientists, engineers, technologists, environmentalists, and planners. Provides a comprehensive, alphabetical treatment of basic soil science in a single volume.
Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment by Daniel J. Hillel (Editor-In-Chief)
Covers information on the world's variegated soils, their origins, properties, classification, and roles in the biosphere. Articles survey specific aspects of soil biology, ecology, chemistry and physics, while also covering cross-disciplinary subjects, such as the history of soil utilization for agricultural and engineering purposes and soils in relation to the remediation of pollution and the mitigation of global climate change.
Handbook of Soil Sciences: Properties and Processes by Pan Ming Huang
Covers the traditional areas of soil science: soil physics, soil chemistry, soil mineralogy, soil biology and biochemistry, and pedology.
Handbook of Soil Sciences: Resource Management and Environmental Impacts by Pan Ming Huang (Editor); Yuncong Li (Editor); Malcolm E. Sumner (Editor)
Contains definitive descriptions of each major area in soil science; including its fundamental principles, appropriate methods to measure each property, and guidelines for the interpretation of the data for various applications. Several major subdisciplines are discussed.