Help re: compaction and osmosis

[jimmynz]

Gday, I am currently studying towards a Dip. Arb and am getting bogged down on the question of how soil compaction affects osmosis. I figure that because available water in the soil is decreased that osmosis will be functioning at a lower rate,but do compacted soils have higher salinity? I have searched low and high but can't seem to find anything. Any ideas or advice would be very welcome
James :bang:

 

[Boa07]

Hi Jimmy, I think you need to clarify in your mind just what is happening to fertile soils when they become compacted, then you will be able tto understand in what indirect ways compaction can alter (increase) the osmotic pressure on tree roots.

I would suggest that you read Kim Coder's excellent paper
View attachment 185036

Hopefully you will see that as soils become compacted the physical changes to pore size, distribution and total volume of pore spaces has an effect on both gaseous diffusion and water movement (perculation) through the soil profile this can have an impact on existing and introduced salts and consequently salt concentrations.

 

[jimmynz]

Thanks mate, Coder's paper has been my bible thus far, awesome reading. For someone who's been on the tools for the last 8 years, getting my head round science has been a bit of a battle, but rewarding. Thanks for your help