Originally published in 1979, this book was conceived and developed to serve the needs of A-Level students by restricting its scope to a full coverage of relevant topics, thereby obviating the need for time-consuming reference to a variety of more advanced texts. The simple and clear treatment of the complexities of soils helps the reader understand topics that would appear off-putting in more advanced books. Detailed examples are presented alongside a wealth of illustrations. The importance of local variations in soils is stressed, using maps and diagrams from soil survey work in the British Isles and abroad. A major part of the book is devoted to applied topics such as land capability classifications, guides to the upgrading of land, and erosion and conservation methods. The book concludes with in-depth comparative studies of soil erosion and conservation in Britain and the developing world, thereby illustrating the importance of soil as a natural resource and introducing aspects of environmental management. Example problems are provided at the end of each chapter and the appendices include a simplified explanation of horizon terminology, a summary of major soil groups and maps of the distribution of some of the major groups in Britain, North America and worldwide.