Soil texture know the percentages of sand, clay, and silt in your soil sample, the triangle can be used to determine which of the twelve soil types you have. To do this, find your percentage of sand along the bottom of the triangle. Then follow the slanted line up to the left until you reach your percentage of clay. Where that point is will tell you what soil type you have. For example, if your soil is 70 percent sand and 10 percent clay then your soil is classified as a sandy loam. The same method can be used starting on any
Soil released as ammonium by the processes of mineralisation. Protein material is easily broken down, but the rate of its decomposition is slowed by its attachment to the crystalline structure of clay and when trapped between the clay layers. The layers are small enough that bacteria cannot enter. Some organisms can exude extracellular enzymes that can act on the sequestered proteins. However, those enzymes too may be trapped on the clay crystals. Ammonium fixation occurs when ammonium pushes potassium ions from between the layers of clay such as illite or montmorillonite. Only a small fraction of soil nitrogen is held this