中国土壤胶体研究 Ⅵ.西藏高原几种主要土壤的粘土矿物组成和演变

西藏高原突起于我国西南,绝大部分地面的海拔高度在4000米以上,为世界上最高的大高原。它大致在第三纪开始形成,后来曾受第四纪冰川的深刻作用,高山顶部至今仍是冰川的活动场所^[1,2]。高原为昆仑山、唐古拉山、喜马拉雅山和横断山等大山脉所盘踞。     

Interactions of clay minerals with Arthrobacter crystallopoietes: starvation, survival and 2-hydroxypyridine catabolism

For bacterial inoculants to be effective in soil remediation, the bacterial strain must be capable of overcoming any negative effects of soil minerals on cellular processes. One class of minerals commonly encountered by soil bacteria is clays. Thus, the effect of commonly occurring clay minerals in soils on starvation, survival and 2-hydroxypyridine catabolism by Arthrobacter crystallopoietes was evaluated. Stationary phase A. crystallopoietes cells were suspended in 0.03M, pH7.0, phosphate buffer containing no clay or amended with 0.2% (wt/vol) montmorillonite, sodium montmorillonite or kaolinite. Marked effects of clay minerals on both survival rates and catabolic rates of 2-hydroxypyridine were noted. For example, after 14 weeks starvation, 4.6% of the initial cell population was viable with no clay present, compared to 0.8% (montmorillonite), 22.1% (kaolinite) and 54.1% (sodium montmorillonite) in the presence of the clay minerals. Acclimated and nonacclimated cell populations were used to evaluate 2-hydroxypyridine catabolism. Induction of 2-hydroxypyridine metabolism occurred in the unacclimated cells following starvation. Differential impact of the clay minerals on unacclimated cells was detected. Montmorillonite enhanced the capacity for induction of 2-hydroxypyridine catabolism and its decomposition rate after 0–3 days starvation. For acclimated cells, clay did not affect the metabolic activity prior to starvation, but the presence of clay resulted in increased activity during starvation. For example, after 3 days starvation, a nearly two fold increase in metabolism was detected in the presence of clay minerals. These data suggest that some clay minerals in soil alter the survival time and metabolic activity of soil-amended bacteria, thereby affecting the potential for bioremediation success. Received: 1 March 1996     

广西水耕人为土黏粒矿物组成及其空间分布特征

黏粒矿物影响着土壤理化性质，可指示成土因素特征和土壤发生发育过程/强度，也是中国土壤系统分类的基层单元土族矿物学类型划分的重要依据。本研究选择了广西不同纬度和成土母质的18个代表性水耕人为土的剖面，应用X射线衍射（XRD）方法分析了其典型水耕氧化还原层（Br层）的黏粒矿物组成及其空间分布特征，并确定了其中“黏质”剖面的土族控制层段矿物学类型。结果表明：（1）供试土壤的黏粒矿物主要包括高岭石、伊利石、三水铝石、1.42 nm过渡矿物、蒙脱石和蛭石等，依次分别出现在100%、88.9%、72.2%、61.1%、44.4%和38.9%的剖面中。（2）黏粒矿物组成在纬度空间分布上具有明显规律性特征。随着纬度降低，土壤黏粒中的高岭石增加，伊利石、蒙脱石、1.42nm过渡矿物逐渐减少；纬度＞23°N区域内，成土母质对黏粒矿物组成影响明显。（3）纬度23°N是黏粒矿物组成和土族矿物学类型分界线，＜23°N区域，黏粒矿物均以高岭石为主，是“黏质”剖面的土族控制层段的主要矿物学类型；＞23°N区域，黏粒矿物组成以高岭石、蒙脱石、伊利石或1.42 nm过渡矿物为主，因成土母质不同而异，“黏质”剖面的土族控制层段矿物学类型包括高岭石混合型、混合型和伊利石型。     

CLAY MINERAL DISTRIBUTION AND ORIGIN IN THE SOIL TYPES OF ISRAEL

The mineralogical composition of clays (< 2μm) in representative profiles of all soil types of Israel was investigated. The soils were classified according to their clay mineral assemblages into three groups. I. Montmorillonitic soils. Montmorillonite is the dominant mineral and exceeds 65 per cent of the total minerals found; each of the other minerals comprises less than 15 per cent. 2. Montmorillonitic-kaolinitic soils. The soil clay fractions contain 50-60 per cent montmorillonite and 15-25 per cent kaolinite, generally adding up to more than 75 per cent of the clay fraction. 3. Montmorillonitic-calcitic soils. The clays contain more than 10 per cent calcite. Montmorillonite is the dominant clay mineral (except for one soil type, mountain rendzina, where calcite is dominant). The first and second assemblages are typical of the soils of the Mediterranean zone, whereas the soils of the desert zone are characterized by the third assemblage. The origin of montmorillonite, kaolinite, and illite, the three main clay minerals, was found to be detritic, as was the origin of palygorskite which was mainly found in the calcite rich soils of the desert zone. The cation exchange capacity of montmorillonite seems to be higher under higher precipitation. Montmorillonite content and cation exchange capacity of the clays were found to be highly correlated. The carbonate content of the clay fraction and the amount of carbonate in the soil were also highly correlated.     

Artificial soils to assess temperature sensitivity of the decomposition of model organic compounds: effects of chemical recalcitrance and clay‐mineral composition

Understanding the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition is important to predict the response of soil carbon (C) dynamics to projected global warming. There is no consensus, however, as to whether or not the decomposition of recalcitrant soil C is as sensitive to temperature as is that of labile soil C. Soil C is stabilized by three mechanisms: chemical recalcitrance, mineral interaction and physical accessibility. We used artificial soils with controlled compositions to assess the effects of chemical recalcitrance (cellulose compared with lignin) and clay‐mineral composition with montmorillonite (M) or kaolinite (K) on the decomposition of model organic compounds at 2, 12, 22 and 32°C. When only substrate composition was varied, the presence of cellulose enhanced the decomposition rate of lignin. Treatments with relatively large amounts of cellulose were very sensitive to temperature only at low temperatures (2–12°C), whereas treatments with relatively large amounts of lignin had similar temperature sensitivities at all temperatures. When only clay‐mineral composition was varied, CO₂ production rates were greatest in soils containing kaolinite‐montmorillonite mixtures (10% K:20% M) and least in soils containing kaolinite only at temperatures ≥12°C. Clay mixtures and pure montmorillonite treatments had their greatest temperature sensitivities at 2–12°C, whereas pure kaolinite treatments had the greatest temperature sensitivities at 12–22°C. Temperature sensitivities at the highest temperatures (22–32°C) were all small (Q₁₀ < 1.1 on days 30 and 140). Artificial soils with controlled but flexible compositions may serve as simple and useful models for evaluating SOM dynamics with a minimum of confounding factors.     

Crystalline clay minerals of the soils derived from recent volcanic ashes in Hokkaido,Japan

For the past ten years much work has been carried out on clay minerals of volcanic ash soils. Most investigators have reported that allophane is dominant among clay minerals of volcanic ash soils and crystallizes to halloysite or meta-halloysite with the advance of weathering (1–8). On the other hand, UCHIYAMA, MASUI and ONIKURA (1960) found that montmorillonite predominates in the clay fraction of volcanic ash soil in Kawatabi (9). Furthermore, MASUI, SHOJI and UCHIYAMA (1966) showed that the major crystalline clay minerals of volcanic ash soils in the Tohoku district are montmorillonite, vermiculite, intergradient montmorillonite-vermiculite and chlorite (10). They also showed that these minerals increase with the advance of weathering and that kaolin minerals are minor constituents.     

The influence of amendments on the volumetric shrinkage and integrity of compacted clay soils used in landfill liners

Clay liners remain an important component of composite liners used in landfill construction. Because their hydraulic integrity is frequently lost due to desiccation cracking, either during construction or shortly thereafter. The present study was initiated to evaluate the effects of common soil additives including lime, cement, and sand on the shrinkage and hydraulic conductivity of compacted clay soils commonly used in clay liner construction. Three soils having predominant clay minerals of smectite, illite and kaolinite were amended with varying amounts of lime, cement or sand; compacted using the Harvard miniature compactor; and the volumetric shrinkage was measured on the compacted samples. Additional samples of each treated soil were compacted according to ASTM 698 and used for measurement of the hydraulic conductivity. The results show that the majority of shrinkage occurs when the samples were dried to 25 °C with little additional shrinkage at temperatures up to 105 °C. The amendments of either 4% lime or 40 to 50% sand resulted in reduced shrinkage and increased hydraulic conductivity. The addition of 3% cement reduced shrinkage by up to 50% and simultaneously reduced hydraulic conductivity by 2 orders of magnitude. Thus, amendment of clay soils having a high shrink-swell potential with Type I Portland cement has the greatest poetential for field application as an amendment to help maintain the integrity and improve the long term performance of compacted clay liners.     

Adsorption of DNA on clay minerals and various colloidal particles from an Alfisol

Adsorption and desorption of salmon sperm DNA on four different colloidal fractions from Brown Soil and clay minerals were studied. The adsorption isotherms of DNA on the examined soil colloids and minerals conformed to the Langmuir equation. The amount of DNA adsorbed followed the order: montmorillonite?fine inorganic clay>fine organic clay>kaolinite>coarse inorganic clay>coarse organic clay. A marked decrease in the adsorption of DNA on organic clays and montmorillonite was observed with the increase of pH from 2.0 to 5.0. Negligible DNA was adsorbed by organic clays above pH 5.0. As for inorganic clays and kaolinite, a slow decrease in DNA adsorption was found with increasing pH from 2.0 to 9.0. The results implied that electrostatic interactions played a more important role in DNA adsorption on organic clays and montmorillonite. Magnesium ion was more efficient than sodium ion in promoting DNA adsorption on soil colloids and minerals. DNA molecules on soil colloids and minerals were desorbed by sequential washing with 10 mM Tris, 100 mM NaCl and 100 mM phosphate at pH 7.0. A percentage of 53.7-64.4% of adsorbed DNA on organic clays and montmorillonite was released, while only 10.7-15.2% of DNA on inorganic clays and kaolinite was desorbed by Tris and NaCl. The percent desorption of DNA from inorganic clays, organic clays, montmorillonite and kaolinite by phosphate was 39.7-42.2, 23.6-28.8, 29.7 and 11.4%, respectively. Data from this work indicated that fine clays dominate the amount of DNA adsorption and coarse clays play a more important role in the binding affinity of DNA in soil. Organic matter may not favor DNA adsorption in permanent-charge soil. The information obtained is of fundamental significance for the understanding of the ultimate fate of extracellular DNA in soil.     

Simulated acid rain (H2SO4) and microbial activity in soil

Soil mixtures containing 9% kaolinite, 9% montmorillonite, or no clay supplements were amended with 1% glucose and treated with H₂SO₄ to lower their bulk pH to levels ranging from 5.4 to 0.8. Acidification had little effect on soil respiration (CO₂ evolution) until the pH was lowered below 3. Glucose was not degraded at approximately pH 2 but was degraded once the soil pH was raised to non-inhibitory levels, i.e. pH 4.1–4.3. When the soil pH was reduced to 1.4 or below, it was necessary to reinoculate the soil and raise the pH to a non-inhibitory level to obtain CO₂ evolution. The addition of clay minerals, particularly montmorillonite, mitigated the toxic effect of H₂SO₄, especially at pH values below 3. The growth of Aspergillus niger, A. flavipes, Trichoderma viride and Penicillium brefeldianum was reduced or completely inhibited in soils acidified below pH 3.5. The addition of montmorillonite enhanced fungal growth under these acidic conditions, but kaolinite had no effect.     

豫北第四纪沉积物的矿物特征

豫北平原属于黄淮海平原的一部分,位于太行山洪积-冲积扇以东的黄河、漳河之间,是河南新乡和安阳两地区的主要粮棉产地。豫北平原除部分地区是黄土缓丘和山前洪积冲积物外,大部分由黄河、漳河、沁河等现代河流沉积物所组成,其中沁河沉积物、黄土、次生黄土分布在豫北平原西部,漳河沉积物分布在豫北平原北部,而中部和东部则为大面积的黄河河流沉积物。为配合黄淮海平原中豫北平原的治理及南水北调工程中线的选线间题,我们曾对豫北地区各种沉积物上所发育的土壤进行分析,有关华北平原的土壤已有详细专著(熊毅等1965),本文仅就豫北平原地区土壤的矿物性质作简要讨论。     

Specific Features of Profile Distribution and Crystallochemistry of Phyllosilicates in Soils of the Cisbaikal Forest-Steppe

The mineralogical composition of agrogray, dark gray, and agro-dark gray soils (Luvic Greyzemic Retic Phaeozems); agro-dark gray residual-calcareous soils (Calcaric Cambic Phaeozems); clay-illuvial agrochernozems (Luvic Chernic Phaeozems); and agrochernozems with migrational–mycelial carbonates (Haplic Chernozems) developed in the forest-steppe of Central Siberia within the Irkutsk Depression has been studied. The clay (<1 μm) fraction separated from these soils consists of mixed-layer minerals with alternating layers of hydromica, smectite, vermiculite, and chlorite; the proportions between them change within the soil profiles. The clay fraction also contains hydromicas, kaolinite, chlorite, and some admixture of the fine-dispersed quartz. Each type of the soils is characterized by its own distribution pattern of clay material with specific alternation of layers in the mixed-layer formations. Mixed-layer minerals of the chlorite–vermiculite type predominate in the upper horizons of texture-differentiated soils. Down the soil profile, the content of mixed-layer mica–smectitic minerals increases. In the clay fraction of arable dark gray-humus soils with residual carbonates, the distribution of the clay fraction and major mineral phases in the soil profile is relatively even. An increased content of well-crystallized kaolinite is typical of these soils. The parent material of agrochernozems has a layered character: the upper horizons are generally depleted of clay, and the middle-profile and lower horizons are characterized by the considerable kaolinite content. In general, the clay material of soils of the Tulun–Irkutsk forest-steppe differs considerably from the clay material of foreststeppe soils developed from loesslike and mantle loams in the European part of Russia. In particular, this difference is seen in the proportions between major mineral phases and between biotitic and muscovitic components, as well as in the degree of crystallinity and behavior of kaolinite and chlorite.     

Hydrolysis of cellobiose by β-glucosidase in the presence of soil minerals - Interactions at solid-liquid interfaces and effects on enzyme activity levels

Extracellular enzymatic activities in soils are essential for the cycling of organic matter. These activities take place in multiphase environments where solid phases profoundly affect biocatalytic activities. Aspergillus niger is ubiquitous in soils; its β-glucosidase plays an important role in the degradation of cellulose, and therefore in the global carbon cycle and in the turnover of soil organic matter. However, the information on the interactions of this protein with soil minerals is very limited, and even less is known about their consequences for the hydrolysis of the natural substrate cellobiose. We therefore characterised the sorptive interactions of this enzyme with the soil minerals montmorillonite, kaolinite and goethite and quantified the resulting changes in the hydrolysis rate of cellobiose. Fractions of adsorbed protein, and the resulting catalytic activity loss, were lower for montmorillonite than for kaolinite and goethite at given experimental conditions; adsorption was 9.7 ± 7.3% for montmorillonite, 70.3 ± 3.1% for kaolinite and 71.4 ± 1.8% for goethite, respectively. Adsorption of the protein to the minerals caused a total decrease in the catalytic activity of 18.8 ± 3.4% for kaolinite and 17.9 ± 4.7% for goethite whereas it was not significant for montmorillonite. The average catalytic activity lost by the pool of adsorbed molecules was 26.8% for kaolinite and 25.0% for goethite. Both the amount of adsorbed protein and the resulting loss of catalytic activity were found to be independent of the specific surface areas yet were influenced by the electrical properties of the mineral surfaces. Under the experimental conditions, montmorillonite and kaolinite are negatively charged whereas goethite is positively charged. However, because of the adsorption of phosphate anions from the buffer, a charge reversal took place at the surface of goethite. This was confirmed by zeta (ζ)-potential measurements in phosphate buffer, revealing negative values for all the tested minerals. Indeed goethite interacted with the enzyme as a negatively charged surface: the amount of adsorbed protein and the resulting catalytic activity loss were very similar to those of kaolinite. Our results show that, even if an important fraction of β-glucosidase is adsorbed to the minerals, the catalytic activity is largely retained. We suggest that this strong activity retention in presence of soil minerals results from a selective pressure on A. niger, which benefits from the activity of the adsorbed, and thus stabilized, enzyme pool.     

Influences of kaolinite and montmorillonite on benzo[a]pyrene biodegradation by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and the underlying interface interaction mechanisms

Clay minerals play an important role in biogeochemical cycling. Here, kaolinite and montmorillonite, the two most abundant and widespread clay minerals with typical layered structures, were selected to investigate and compare their effects on the biodegradation of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and to investigate the underlying interface mechanisms. Overall, the BaP degradation efficiency was significantly higher 7 d after montmorillonite addition, reaching 68.9% (P < 0.05), when compared with that of the control without addition of clay minerals (CK, 61.4%); however, the addition of kaolinite significantly reduced the BaP degradation efficiency to 45.8%. This suggests that kaolinite inhibits BaP degradation by inhibiting the growth of strain HPD-2, or its strong hydrophobicity and readily agglomerates in the degradation system, resulting in a decrease in the bio-accessibility of BaP to strain HPD-2. Montmorillonite may buffer some unfavorable factors, and cells may be fixed on the surface of montmorillonite colloidal particles across energy barriers. Furthermore, the adsorption of BaP on montmorillonite may be weakened after swelling, reducing the effect on the bio-accessibility of BaP, thus promoting the biodegradation of BaP by strain HPD-2. The experimental results indicate that differential bacterial growth, BaP bio-accessibility, interface interaction, and the buffering effect may explain the differential effects of the different minerals on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation. These observations improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which clay minerals, organic pollutants, and degrading bacteria interact during the biodegradation process and provide a theoretical basis for increasing the biodegradation of soil pollutants by native microorganisms under field conditions.     

THE MINERALOGY OF THE CLAY FRACTION FROM BASALTIC SOILS IN THE GALILEE, ISRAEL

The mineralogy of the clay fraction from basaltic soils in the Galilee, Israel, has been studied by X-ray and differential thermal analysis techniques, supplemented by electron-micrographs and chemical determinations. The mineralogical composition of the clay was greatly influenced by the amount of rainfall. In SE Galilee, where rainfall is 400–550 mm/annum, the dominant clay mineral is montmorillonite, with kaolinite as the second most important component. With increasing rainfall the amount of montmorillonite in the clay falls, and the amount of amorphous oxides of Fe and Al increases. In N and NE Galilee, rainfall is 550–700 mm/annum and the major part of the clay is composed of kaolinite or halloysite, quartz, and amorphous oxides of Fe and Al. The decrease in the amount of montmorillonite with increasing rainfall is explained by decomposition to kaolinite and amorphous oxides.     

Adsorption mechanisms of thiazafluron in mineral soil clay components

The adsorption of the herbicide thiazafluron, 1,3-dimethyl-1-(5-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)urea, by three smectites, illite, kaolinite, ferrihydrite and the clay fraction of an illitic soil (54.9% illite, 17.0% montmorillonite and 24.9% kaolinite) and a montmorillonitic soil (33.9% illite, 55.0% montmorillonite and 11.1% kaolinite) has been determined. Thiazafluron adsorbed on neither kaolinite nor iron oxide. The adsorption isotherms on smectites and illite conformed to the Freundlich equation. Values of K_f-obtained for smectites were larger than for the illite and increased as the layer charge of the smectite decreased. Desorption of thiazafluron on smectites was shown to be highly irreversible. Adsorption isotherms of thiazafluron on different homoionic montmorillonite samples suggest an important role of the exchangeable cations in the adsorption. Infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction analysis of the complexes of thiazafluron with homoionic montmorillonites indicated that thiazafluron adsorbs in the interlamellar space of the smectites, mainly by substitution of water molecules associated with the exchangeable cations through the carbonyl-amide group and formation of H-bonds or waterbridge between the NH group of the amide and the basal oxygens of the montmorillonite. The illitic soil clay adsorbed more of the herbicide than the montmorillonitic one did, suggesting that illite and montmorillonite may be present in soils in altered forms giving rise to different adsorption capacities from those of the pure minerals.     

除草剂草甘膦在几种土壤和矿物上的吸附研究

通过批平衡实验考察了草甘膦在几种性质不同土壤和矿物上的吸附行为。研究发现土壤对草甘膦有较强的吸附能力，草甘膦在土壤上吸附量的大小与土壤理化性质密切相关。草甘膦在土壤和矿物上的吸附符合Freundlich吸附方程，其在土壤上的吸附常数K与土壤粘粒含量呈正相关，并随土壤氧化铁和氧化铝含量增加而增加，而与土壤的pH呈显著负相关。草甘膦在高岭石上的吸附量要比在蒙脱石上大，而草甘膦在金属离子饱和的蒙脱石和高岭石上的吸附研究结果表明，草甘膦在钠、钙、铁离子饱和的矿物上的吸附能力依次为Fe-蒙脱石〉Ca-蒙脱石〉Na-蒙脱石和Fe-高岭石〉Ca-高岭石〉Na-高岭石。     

Assessing the fixation and availability of sorbed phosphate in soil using an isotopic exchange method

An isotopic exchange method was used to characterize quantitatively the fixation and plant availability of phosphate previously sorbed by soils. In general, the exchangeability of the sorbed phosphate was much higher than its desorbability for both soils and clay minerals. Isotopic exchangeability of the sorbed phosphate increased with sorption saturation during the initial stage (15–60% saturation), but the increase was less with increasing saturation from 60–90% for all soils tested. Therefore a sorption saturation of 60% was recommended as the upper limit of P fertilization in terms of economical efficiency. For clay minerals, with increasing sorption saturation, the isotopic exchangeability of the sorbed P increased significantly for kaolinite and sesquioxides, but decreased for montmorillonite. Most of the phosphate sorbed by montmorillonite and kaolinite was found to be isotopically exchangeable, but only a small amount of the P sorbed by goethite could be exchanged. The P sorbed by Al oxide exhibited isotopic exchangeability between that of kaolinite and Fe oxide. The isotopically exchangeable phosphate pool could readily account for the P uptake of plants and the available P determined by some commonly used chemical methods, such as Olsen-P and Bray-P.     

胡敏酸对铵钾在粘土矿物上交互作用的影响

Interaction of ammonium (NH+4) and potassium (K+) is typical in field soils. However, the effects of organic matter on interaction of NH+4 and K+have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we examined the changes in major physicochemical properties of three clay minerals (kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite) after humic acid (HA) coating and evaluated the influences of these changes on the interaction of NH+4 and K+on clay minerals using batch experiments. After HA coating, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and specific surface area (SSA) of montmorillonite decreased significantly, while little decrease in CEC and SSA occurred in illite and only a slight increase in CEC was found in kaolinite. Humic acid coating significantly increased cation adsorption and preference for NH+4, and this effect was more obvious on clay minerals with a lower CEC. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis showed that HA coating promoted the formation of H-bonds between the adsorbed NH+4 and the organo-mineral complexes. HA coating increased cation fixation capacity on montmorillonite and kaolinite, but the opposite occurred on illite. In addition, HA coating increased the competitiveness of NH+4 on fixation sites. These results showed that HA coating affected both the nature of clay mineral surfaces and the reactions of NH+4 and K+with clay minerals, which might influence the availability of nutrient cations to plants in field soils amended with organic matter.     

海南岛土壤粘粒矿物特征与土壤系统分类

研究了海南岛不同母质土壤的粘粒矿物特征:都含有较多的高岭石,其中玄武岩发育土壤粘粒中高岭石最多,但其结晶最差。片岩和紫色砂岩发育土壤含相当多的水云母,粘粒部分水云母含量高达40％～45％,石灰岩发育土壤水云母含量亦较高,达20％～37％,此类水云母属二八面体型的水化白云母。玄武岩和花岗岩发育的“湿润”土壤粘粒中针铁矿与赤铁矿的含量之比为（3～4）:1,而花岗岩发育的“常湿”土壤粘粒中只有针铁矿,不见赤铁矿存在,证明土壤中氧化铁矿物的类型是土壤湿润状况的反应,在中国土壤系统分类中可以用来区分“湿润”和“常湿”土壤的一个指标。     

THE INFLUENCE OF MAGNESIUM AND OF EASILY WEATHERED MINERALS ON HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY CHANGES IN A SODIC SOIL

Exchangeable Mg appears to have no specific effect on soil hydraulic conductivity of A and C horizons of a sodic sandy loam soil (montmorillonite and kaolinite clay minerals) leached with solutions which cause clay swelling to be the dominant mechanism reducing conductivity (SAR < 20, electrolyte concentration 10 meq per litre). There is some evidence of a specific effect when these soils are subsequently leached with water which causes clay dispersion to become important. Fresh loess in the A horizon dissolves in percolating rainwater, causing difficulties in the replication of experiments. It seems to give a small degree of ‘self protection’ to soil structure, a property likely to be operating in other soils affected by recent loess deposits.