The soils of Aotearoa New Zealand
Professor David Lowe FRSNZ and Dr Megan Balks (both from the Earth sciences group, School of Science/Te Aka Mātuatua, University of Waikato) have teamed up with Dr Allan Hewitt (Manaaki Whenua–Landcare Research) to write a book on the soils of New Zealand.
Published by Springer in February-March 2021, and part of the World Soils Book Series (WSBS), the book is the first general text on the soils of New Zealand to be published in more than 30 years. It is the only book available that describes New Zealand’s soils in the context of the New Zealand Soil Classification (NZSC) (developed by Hewitt) that has been used in New Zealand since 1992.
Illustration from the book’s chapter on Anthropic Soils (Ch. 3) showing a beautiful and informative layered soil over a buried Podzol Soil at an early 17th century site at Cooks’ Beach on the eastern coast of Coromandel Peninsula. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hoffmann.
The book provides an up-to-date overview to the soils of New Zealand structured according to NZSC and encompasses 18 chapters, including a chapter on soils in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica (with which New Zealand has had a >100-year-long explorative and scientific connection).
The authors’ aim has been to provide a clear, modern and reasonably detailed account of New Zealand’s soils for undergraduate and graduate students, land managers, farmers, and those with an interest in New Zealand's natural history and landscapes. All chapters are written by the three authors, which helps to maintain a continuity of style and coherence, whereas many other books in the WSBS comprise edited volumes.
Book launch
The book is to be formally launched by the Right Honourable Simon Upton (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment) on Monday 28 June 2021, on the first day of a joint soil science conference of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science and Soil Science Australia which is being held simultaneously in two hubs, one in Cairns and one at the University of Waikato, along with virtual participation.
Publication details and availability
Hewitt, A.E., Balks, M.R., Lowe, D.J. 2021. The Soils of Aotearoa New Zealand (1st ed). Springer, Cham, xx + 332 pp. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64763-6.