alleryStart learning →In an ideal soil, how should the pore space be shared?
AHalf the pore space water, half of it air
BAll of the pore space water, none of it air
COne quarter water, three quarters of it air
DThree quarters water, one quarter of it air
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Half the pore space water, half of it air
1. Soil should ideally contain 50 percent solid material and 50 percent pore space.
2. About one half of that pore space should contain water.
3. The other half should contain air.
4. So water and air split the pore space evenly, each taking a quarter of the whole soil volume.
5. Filling all the pores with water would leave no air, which is what happens when heavy machinery compacts a field.
6. A good healthy soil has sufficient air, water, minerals and organic material to sustain plant life, so no single phase should crowd out the others.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 31 "Soil and Plant Nutrition", section 31.2 The Soil_
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