Forest and Rangeland Soils of the United States Under Changing Conditions

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxvi

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2. State of Forest and Rangeland Soils Research in the United States

   • Dan Binkley, Daniel D. Richter, Richard V. Pouyat, Linda H. Geiser

   Pages 1-7Open Access

3. Soil Carbon

   • Erin Berryman, Jeffrey Hatten, Deborah S. Page-Dumroese, Katherine A. Heckman, David V. D’Amore, Jennifer Puttere et al.

   Pages 9-31Open Access

4. Soils and Water

   • Mary Beth Adams, Vince A. Archer, Scott Bailey, Kevin McGuire, Chelcy F. Miniat, Daniel G. Neary et al.

   Pages 33-49Open Access

5. Biogeochemical Cycling in Forest and Rangeland Soils of the United States

   • Lindsey E. Rustad, Jennifer Knoepp, Daniel D. Richter, D. Andrew Scott

   Pages 51-73Open Access

6. Forest and Rangeland Soil Biodiversity

   • Stephanie A. Yarwood, Elizabeth M. Bach, Matt Busse, Jane E. Smith, Mac A. Callaham Jr, Chih-Han Chang et al.

   Pages 75-97Open Access

7. Wetland and Hydric Soils

   • Carl C. Trettin, Randall K. Kolka, Anne S. Marsh, Sheel Bansal, Erik A. Lilleskov, Patrick Megonigal et al.

   Pages 99-126Open Access

8. Urban Soils

   • Richard V. Pouyat, Susan D. Day, Sally Brown, Kirsten Schwarz, Richard E. Shaw, Katalin Szlavecz et al.

   Pages 127-144Open Access

9. Soil Management and Restoration

   • Mary I. Williams, Cara L. Farr, Deborah S. Page-Dumroese, Stephanie J. Connolly, Eunice Padley

   Pages 145-167Open Access

10. Soil Mapping, Monitoring, and Assessment

    • Mark J. Kimsey, Larry E. Laing, Sarah M. Anderson, Jeff Bruggink, Steve Campbell, David Diamond et al.

    Pages 169-188Open Access

11. Challenges and Opportunities

    • Linda H. Geiser, Toral Patel-Weynand, Anne S. Marsh, Korena Mafune, Daniel J. Vogt

    Pages 189-198Open Access

12. Back Matter

    Pages 199-289

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This open access book synthesizes leading-edge science and management information about forest and rangeland soils of the United States. It offers ways to better understand changing conditions and their impacts on soils, and explores directions that positively affect the future of forest and rangeland soil health. This book outlines soil processes and identifies the research needed to manage forest and rangeland soils in the United States. Chapters give an overview of the state of forest and rangeland soils research in the Nation, including multi-decadal programs (chapter 1), then summarizes various human-caused and natural impacts and their effects on soil carbon, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biological diversity (chapters 2–5). Other chapters look at the effects of changing conditions on forest soils in wetland and urban settings (chapters 6–7). Impacts include: climate change, severe wildfires, invasive species, pests and diseases, pollution, and land use change.  Chapter 8 considers approaches to maintaining or regaining forest and rangeland soil health in the face of these varied impacts. Mapping, monitoring, and data sharing are discussed in chapter 9 as ways to leverage scientific and human resources to address soil health at scales from the landscape to the individual parcel (monitoring networks, data sharing Web sites, and educational soils-centered programs are tabulated in appendix B). Chapter 10 highlights opportunities for deepening our understanding of soils and for sustaining long-term ecosystem health and appendix C summarizes research needs. Nine regional summaries (appendix A) offer a more detailed look at forest and rangeland soils in the United States and its Affiliates.

• Soil biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling
• Climate change and climate change impacts
• Urban soils and carbon
• Rangelands and wetlands
• Invasive species, pests and diseases
• Severe wildfires
• Pollution and land uses
• Open Access

• Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Newark, USA

  Richard V. Pouyat

• Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Moscow, USA

  Deborah S. Page-Dumroese

• Washington Office, USDA Forest Service, Washington, USA

  Toral Patel-Weynand, Linda H. Geiser

Deborah Page-Dumroese is a research soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station.  She conducts research on harvest impacts on long-term soil productivity, creating and deploying biochar made from non-merchantable woody biomass, and the effects of land management on belowground processes. 

Richard Pouyat is an emeritus scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Northern Research Station and was the Assistant Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Program Leader for Bioclimatology.  Rich is a leading U.S. expert on urban soils and biogeochemical cycles.

Toral Patel-Weynand is the Director of Sustainable Forest Management Research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. She co-wrote the first-ever scientific assessment on agroforestry as a mechanism for improving the resiliency and productivity of farm and ranch lands.  Among other publications she helped produce an assessment of nontimber forest products and the National Climate Assessment. 

Linda Geiser is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service National Air Program Manager.  Linda conducts research in ecology, air pollution deposition and effects, biological monitoring, and lichenology.  She is also involved with the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project.