1. How might physical properties of soil affect the chemical properties? 2. What
ID: 154456 • Letter: 1
Question
1. How might physical properties of soil affect the chemical properties?
2. What might be some factors affecting your soils’ nutrients and pH?
1. How might physical properties of soil affect the chemical properties?
2. What might be some factors affecting your soils’ nutrients and pH?
1. How might physical properties of soil affect the chemical properties?
2. What might be some factors affecting your soils’ nutrients and pH?
1. How might physical properties of soil affect the chemical properties?
2. What might be some factors affecting your soils’ nutrients and pH?
Explanation / Answer
1. The following physical properties affect the chemical properties of soil:
a. Texture: The size of constituent particles in the soil affects the adsorption of cations which may impact the quantity of organic matter present in the soil. Soils having smaller sizes of particles, i.e. clays, are capable of adsorbing more cations and thus have more organic matter content which increases the availability of nutrients in the soil.
b. Porosity: The amount of space between the particles in the soil determines how much water and air is present within the soil. Larger pore spaces enable the movement of the soil solution, i.e. water and ions, as well as air.
2. The factors affecting the nutrients of soil are:
a. Soil solution: The amount of water present in the pores of soil has an impact on the concentration of cations, anions and the compounds which are transported as nutrients from the soil to plants. Equal amount of water and air in the soil solution may cause nutrient enrichment and increase the fertility of the soil.
b. Soil texture: The sizes of particles in the soil determine the number of cations that can be adsorbed on the particles. Soils having smaller particle sizes, i.e. clays, provide a large negatively charged surface area to adsorb cations, so they are rich in nutrients and thus considered to be fertile.
The factors affecting the pH of soil are:
a. Rate of bedrock weathering: Warm temperatures and high rainfall cause an increase in the rate at which the bedrock is weathered. The chemical breakdown of bedrock allows the movement of water-soluble ions, such as H+, which increases the acidity of the soil.
b. Organic matter: Soil having a high amount of organic matter and minerals increases the ability of soil to buffer the pH as more water-soluble ions are attracted towards the anions of the soil. The buffering capacity reduces with decreasing amount of organic matter.
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