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Base Unsaturation and pH in Relation to Soil Type
Author(s) -
Mehlich Adolf
Publication year - 1942
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1942.036159950006000c0026x
Subject(s) - degree of unsaturation , citation , chemist , relation (database) , library science , computer science , chemistry , database , organic chemistry
ADOLF MEHLICH IN measuring the base exchange capacity, base unsaturation, and pH of some North Carolina soils appreciable differences in base unsaturation and pH in relation to soil type were encountered. These differences appeared to be characteristic of some property relating to the nature of the base exchange complex. Differences in base saturation and pH of soils of different origin were reported by Pierre and Scarseth (11) . They found that at a given pH value highly weathered soils indicated a lower degree of saturation than less weathered soils and no relation between organic matter content or the nature of bases present and the percentage saturation at similar pH values. The silica-sesquioxide ratio and the total base exchange capacity of the colloids were generally, although imperfectly, correlated with the percentage base saturation at the same pH values. They obtained a good correlation between avidity of soil acids and the percentage saturation at pH 4.80. Mattson (6) assumes that a direct relationship of base unsaturation and pH is not to be expected, and that it will vary with the acidoid-basoid ratio of the colloid. Pierre and Scarseth (n) reviewed the results of other investigators who reported a general but imperfect relationship of base saturation to pH. The results of Morgan (9) with Connecticut soils and those of Peech (10) with Florida soils show a general relationship of base saturation and pH, although there were decided individual variations. Similar results were obtained with North Carolina soils. Since the differences in percentage base saturation of various soils at like pH values are of considerable practical, as well as theoretical importance, a detailed examination of the significance of these variations with special reference to soil type was therefore made, and the more pertinent results' are discussed in this paper.