This book investigates soil ecology and biodiversity for its ability to maintain a balance of beneficial organisms to support plant growth. This subject is discussed by a group of international authors in natural, agricultural and urban systems. The importance of biodiversity per se and, specifically, the feedbacks between the plant and soil biota in mediating soil function are emphasized. Examples are selected from allelopathy and invasive plant species along with the, hitherto overlooked, role of viruses in soil. The book is intended to provide a framework for a holistic understanding of the essential role of soil organisms in promoting plant growth.

1) John Dighton, Professor, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, Station Director of Pinelands Field Station, President of the Soil Ecology Society, USA He is an expert in soil ecology and leads research in the area through the Pinelands Field Station. He has written several articles for good international journals and book chapters (first ones start appearing in the 80s), including for Springer, but also for Elsevier (I would say mostly), Wiley, Cambridge University Press, among others. Some of his papers were very well cited. He is member of the Editorial Board of several international journals such as Mycological Research (Elsevier), Soil Biology and Biochemistry (Elsevier), Bartonia (Philadelphia Botanical Club). He edited a book in 1993 - Fungi in Ecosystem Processes (Mycology Series) - Marcel Dekker Publishers (now part of the Taylor & Francis Group). It is still available through Amazon for 187 USD. There will be a Society meeting in 2013. The proceedings of these meetings are always published by Elsevier. As Dighton is the President of the Society as of January this year, there could be room for some exploring there. 2) Jennifer Adams Krumins, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University, USA Invited by John Dighton for this proposed book. She has published several articles in international journals including Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, and a very highly cited article co- published in Nature Reviews - Microbiology (403 citations since 2006).