Moisture Characteristics of Pennsylvania Soils: I. Moisture Retention as Related to Texture

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Abstract
Soil moisture retentions are associated with similar soil properties within each textural class of the USDA Textural Classification and family grouping of the New Classification System. Multiple regression analyses showed bulk density most strongly associated with ⅓ atm moisture (core samples) and clay content with 15 atm moisture (<2 mm sieved samples). Organic carbon was also associated with 15 atm moisture but not with ⅓ atm moisture. Available moisture, as determined by the difference between ⅓ atm and 15 atm moisture, was negatively correlated with sand and clay and positively correlated with silt content. Available moisture was also highly correlated with ⅓ atm moisture whereas 15 atm moisture showed either no correlation or a negative correlation.Scatter diagrams, with corresponding quadratic equations for the line of best fit, allow determinations of ⅓‐atm and 15‐atm moisture contents from known clay percentages. Prediction equations, for estimating available moisture from predetermined soil properties, are given for each textural class, with the exception of sand and sandy clay, and for each textural class of family grouping in the New Classification System.

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