Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek's Vision

Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek’s Vision William I. Woods • Wenceslau G. Teixeira, Johannes Lehmann • Christoph Steiner, Antoinette WinklerPrins • Lilian Rebellato Editors Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek’s Vision Editors William I. Woods Department of Geography University of Kansas KS, USA [email protected] Christoph Steiner Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering GA, USA [email protected] Wenceslau G. Teixeira Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental Rodovia, Brazil [email protected] Lilian Rebellato Department of Geography University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, USA [email protected] Johannes Lehmann Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA [email protected] ISBN 978-1-4020-9030-1 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-9031-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008933381 © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Logo on back cover: Symbol of the Terra Preta Nova group designed by Wim Sombroek. Picture on front cover: Wim examining a house garden on the Rio Negro, July 2002. Printed on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com Dr Wim G. Sombroek He had a passion for land as we know Fueled by the Amazon where jungles grow A flame that didn’t flicker or even go out His last endeavour Terra Preta still t