Final answer:
The term 'texture' describes soil composed mostly of sand, clay, and silt, which constitutes what is known as loam. Texture impacts the soil's ability to hold water due to the size of its particles and pore spaces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes soil made up mostly of sand, clay, and silt, also known as loam, is texture. Soil texture refers to the size distributions of different particles in the soil. Sand, silt, and clay are the primary particle sizes that constitute soil texture. Loams are soils with no dominant particle size and contain a mixture of sand, silt, and clay, which contributes to desirable soil properties like nutrient retention and moisture capacity. The soil texture affects how much water the soil can hold, as smaller particles like clay have many small pore spaces that hold water, while sands have larger but fewer pore spaces.
The term that accurately describes soil composed mainly of sand, clay, and silt, commonly known as loam, is indeed texture. Soil texture refers to the distribution of particle sizes within the soil. Sand, silt, and clay are the primary components defining soil texture. Loam, a well-balanced soil type, exhibits no dominant particle size and comprises a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. This combination imparts favorable properties to loamy soil, including effective nutrient retention and moisture-holding capacity. The diverse particle sizes influence the soil's water-holding capacity; smaller clay particles possess numerous small pore spaces for water retention, while larger sand particles have fewer, albeit larger, pore spaces. Understanding soil texture is crucial in agriculture and environmental science, as it directly impacts the soil's ability to support plant growth and sustain ecosystems.