Q37.1-3CC - Campbell Biology

Question

How would adding clay to loamy soil affect capacity to exchange cations and retain water? Explain.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The cation exchange capacity (CEC) and water retention will increase due to the addition of clay into the loamy soil.

Step 1: Clay

The heavy soil is found alongside river floodplains, and this earthy material becomes molded when wet and hardened when dried is called clay.

The several uses of clay are oil drilling wells, mold binders, pottery, gasoline production, medicinal use of clay minerals, and chemical filtering.

Step 2: Loamy soil

The most fertile type of soil comprises a variety of combinations, including organic material, clay soil, and silt particles. This mixture is called loamy soil. Examples of loamy soil are silty clay, sandy, and clay loams.

The different properties of loamy soil are water-holding capacity, easy plowing, and varying size of rock particles (small and large).

Step 3: Effect of incorporating loamy soil with clay

The negatively charged clay particles can attract and hold cations or positively charged ions present in the soil; this holding capacity of soil will raise the cation exchange capacity of soil and hold more water molecules in the soil.