What does the formula for AWHC involve?

The formula for Available Water Holding Capacity (AWHC) primarily involves texture and depth of the soil. Texture refers to the size and distribution of soil particles, which includes sand, silt, and clay. These characteristics significantly influence how much water the soil can retain and how easily plants can access that water.

Soil depth is also crucial because it determines the volume of soil available to hold water. A deeper soil profile can store more water than a shallow one, which means that plants have a larger reservoir to draw moisture from during dry periods.

In contrast, factors like pH, density, and color, while important in soil science, do not directly influence the calculation of AWHC in the same manner that texture and depth do. pH affects nutrient availability and soil microbial activity, density can relate to compaction and porosity, and color can give clues about organic content or iron presence but not directly about moisture capacity. Hence, understanding AWHC requires focusing on the interplay of texture and depth.