What term describes the amount of water soil can release?

The term that accurately describes the amount of water soil can release is Available Water Holding Capacity (AWHC). AWHC is a crucial concept in soil science as it refers to the range of water that is held in the soil and is available for plant use. This capacity is determined by the soil's texture, structure, and organic matter content, and it indicates how much water can be retained after excess water has drained away.

Understanding AWHC is important for various applications such as agriculture, forestry, and environmental management, as it helps in assessing the soil's ability to supply water to plants during dry periods. It directly influences irrigation practices and water management strategies for crops and natural vegetation.

In contrast, other terms such as water saturation and field capacity reflect different states of soil moisture but do not specifically denote the water that can be released. Water saturation refers to the condition when all soil pores are filled with water, which does not indicate the available water for plants. Field capacity describes the amount of water soil can hold after excess gravitational water has drained, but again, it does not equate to the amount that can be readily released for plant uptake. Soil moisture is a general term referring to the water content in the soil but lacks the specificity that A