Free and bound air in soil aggregates

The total content of air entrapped, adsorbed, dissolved, and occurring as bubbles in soil water is termed “bound soil air.” The content of free soil air is determined from the difference between the total and bound soil air. Data on the content of free and bound air in different-sized aggregates of calcareous coarse silty-clayey meadow alluvial soil in the Dnestr River floodplain are presented. The effect of density, aeration, and sand and straw addition on the content of the free and bound air in soil aggregates was shown. A classification of aggregates based on their density and the content of the free, bound, and total soil air was proposed.