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Contribution of Organic Matter to the Cation Exchange Capacity of Soils

Abstract

THE cation exchange capacity of soils is due to inorganic constituents such as clay minerals, hydrous oxides, primary and secondary minerals and to organic matter. Estimates of the contribution of organic matter are usually made by determining the cation exchange capacity of soils before and after destruction of organic matter. Using this approach, Gorbunov1 estimated that organic matter accounted for between 30 and 60 per cent of the cation exchange capacity of plough-depth layers of a number of Russian podzol soils.

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References

  1. Gorbunov, N. I., referred to by Flaig, W., Sochtig, H., and Beutelspacher, H., Landbauforschung Volkenrode, 13, 13 (1963).

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  2. Schnitzer, M., and Desjardins, J. G., Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc., 25, 362 (1962).

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  3. Peech, M., Alexander, L. T., Dean, L. A., and Reed, J. F., U.S. Dep. Agr. Circ., 757 (1947).

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SCHNITZER, M. Contribution of Organic Matter to the Cation Exchange Capacity of Soils. Nature 207, 667–668 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/207667a0

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