This book, perhaps inappropriately titled Permafrost Soils, is edited by Dr Rosa Margesin from the Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Austria. The book is part of a soil biology series published under the auspices of the Amity Institute of Microbial Sciences, India. Rather than “Permafrost Soils,” the book could more appropriately be titled “Biology of Permafrost-Affected Soils.”
The book is divided into six parts, including i) properties of permafrost, ii) biodiversity, iii) biological activity, iv) global warming and permafrost, v) contaminants in permafrost, and vi) permafrost and extraterrestrial habitats. The 21 chapters generally have been prepared by experts in the field. Russian contributions are particularly noteworthy. The book heavily emphasizes microbiology. The chapters average 16 pages and are followed by extensive lists of citations. The tables and figures are clear but include only three poor-quality colour images. It is unfortunate that no effort was made to introduce or summarize each part to provide cohesiveness within the book.
Many interesting findings are reported, including the existence of old DNA and ancient protozoa in permafrost (two chapters) and the unexpected diversity of microbial communities in permafrost (several chapters). The chapter on genomic insights into cold adaption of permafrost bacteria (Bakermans et al.) was particularly interesting.
In addition to its emphasis on soil biology, the book differs from Crysols: Permafrost-Affected Soils, (edited by J.M. Kimble; published in 2004 by Springer) with its treatment on potential impacts of global warming on permafrost-affected soils. The five chapters in this part address global warming and thermokarst (Murton), mountain permafrost (Haeberli & Gruber), methane production (Wagner & Liebner), dissolved organic carbon release (Prokushkin et al.), and foundations of buildings (Shur & Goering). The book ends with a fascinating chapter on terrestrial permafrost models and analogues of Martian habitats and inhabitants (Demidov & Gilichinsky).
In summary, Permafrost Soils complements previously published books on permafrost-affected soil with its emphasis on soil microbiology.
