Effect of aluminum and iron oxides and organic matter on flocculation and dispersion of arid zone soils

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Soil Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199009000-00004· OSTI ID:5453871

Goldberg, S; Rhoades, J D ^[1]; Kapoor, B S ^[2]

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1. Dept. of Agriculture, Riverside, CA (USA)
2. Univ. of Delhi (India)

The authors investigated the structural stabilities of eight arid zone soils using percent optical transmittance as a measure of flocculation-dispersion behavior. The soils were sodium saturated and their stabilities determined in sodium chloride solutions of varying concentrations. They treated the soils with hypochlorite for organic matter removal, with oxalate for removal of amorphous aluminum and iron oxides, and with dithionite for removal of crystalline aluminum and iron oxides. The removal of amorphous and/or crystalline oxides increased the clay dispersivity. This indicated that amorphous and crystalline oxides play important, stabilizing roles in soil structure. The removal of organic matter decreased the clay dispersivity. This indicated that dissolved organic matter enhances clay dispersion. The well-known positive effect of organic matter on soil structure prrobably occurs through binding of soil particles by roots and hyphae at the aggregate level, but at the clay-particle level the negative charge of organic anions enhances clay dispersion.

• OSTI ID: 5453871
• Journal Information: Soil Science; (United States), Vol. 150:3; ISSN 0038-075X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
REMOVAL
IRON OXIDES
ORGANIC MATTER
SOILS
STABILIZATION
AGGLOMERATION
ARID LANDS
DISSOLUTION
FLOCCULATION
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRECIPITATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)