Dear Sir. Concerning your issue about the method for measuring the stability of aggregate size classes in dried silt loam samples . A new theoretical and experimental framework that permits an accurate determination of aggregate-size stability distribution is presented. The size-stability distribution in addition to estimating aggregate-size distribution distinguishes between amounts of stable and unstable macroaggregates (>250 μm). The determination of aggregate-size stability distribution involves the assumptions that soil aggregates can be categorized in terms of their size and water stability (slaking resistance). Experimentally this procedure involves the slaked and capillary-wetted pretreatments; and a subsequent slaking treatment of aggregates >250 μm in size. We also propose the stable aggregates index (SAI) and the stable macroaggregates index (SMaI) for studying soil stability based on aggregate resistance to slaking. These indices account for the total weighted average of stable aggregates and the total weighted average of stable macroaggregates, respectively. Both the SAI and the SMaI indices were shown to be sensitive to the effects of vegetation on soil stability under different riparian buffer communities. The SAI and the SMaI indices were higher in surface soils under coolseason grass than any of the other treatments. These soils samples are well aggregated with SAI = 74% and SMaI = 56% followed by SAI = 55% and SMaI = 37% under existing riparian forest, SAI = 40% and SMaI = 21% under 7-yr switchgrass and SAI = 36% and SMaI = 18% under cropped system. I think the following below links may help you in your analysis:

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com.sa/&httpsredir=1&article=1178&context=nrem_pubs

Thanks

Dear Dr. Elgailani,

Thank you for your response and suggestion. This paper was also suggested to me by my advisor, but I note that the first step is coarse sieving of field-moist soil. Could coarse sieving be performed instead with dried soil (after extraction of microarthropods from the sample)? This is my concern: I cannot perform any sieving before drying the soil samples, since they cannot be disturbed prior to microarthropod extraction.

Thank you,

Kara

Dear Kara,

Soil parameters are still something difficult to obtain, specially aggregates stability.

Aggregates stability depends on the chemical composition and also on the mineral species, granulometry and moisture, and in situ behavior will be dependent on runoff and land slope.

In such condition you presently have I would suggest to perform sieving after extraction and after drying.

It is just a comparative parameter, so if you do the same with all your samples you'll be able to perfectly compare them.

Good luck.

Hello Jorge,

Thank you, this is what I was hoping to hear! I really appreciate the advice.

Cheers,

Kara