From the reviews: "Studying, understanding and managing such a complex forest system is the central theme of the book ... . The good news is that data from many unpublished PhD and Diploma theses are included in this book, and otherwise these would have been forever lost to public use. ... The result is a rather heterogeneous book that has its strengths ... . Overall, the book is very useful for soil scientists who seek detailed information about abiotic and microbial parameters of forest ecosystems ... ." (Mark Maraun, Basic and Applied Ecology, Vol. 11 (6), 2010)