Studies on the possible role of cation exchange capacity in the soil preference of mosses

Summary Moss species with a different soil preference with respect to its acidity and carbonate content also differ in their cation exchange capacity (leaf, stem, rhizoid), the acidiphile-calcifuges having lower C.E.C. values than the neutrophile-calcicoles. The higher the C.E.C. value, the more the divalent cations calcium and magnesium tend to be adsorbed as compared to the monovalents sodium and potassium, from an equinormal tetracationic solution. The increase in divalent adsorption is mainly due to calcium. Considering this differential adsorption of calcium and in view of data in literature on membrane characteristics, it appears that among the studied cations calcium is an important factor in the observed soil preference through its presence in the cell wall adsorbed fraction and thus in the membrane environment. The authors are granted a scholarship ‘aspirant-vorser’ of the Belgian ‘Nationaal Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek’.