Which statement differentiates soil texture from soil structure?

• A. Texture controls pore continuity and infiltrative pathways; structure governs pore size distribution.
• B. Texture is the arrangement of soil into aggregates; structure is the relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay.
• C. Texture is the relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay; structure is the arrangement of soil into aggregates or peds; texture controls pore size distribution, while structure controls pore continuity and infiltrative pathways.
• D. Texture controls color and odor; structure controls nutrient availability.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that soil texture and soil structure are about different aspects of the soil’s makeup. Texture describes the relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay—the size distribution of mineral particles. Because particle size sets how big the voids between grains tend to be, texture largely influences the range of pore sizes present in the soil. Structure, by contrast, is about how those particles are arranged into aggregates or peds and how those aggregates stack and connect. That arrangement creates pore continuity and pathways for water to move through the soil; good structure often means clear, interconnected macro-pores that allow infiltration, while poor structure can break those connections.

So the statement that correctly differentiates them says texture is the relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay; structure is the arrangement of soil into aggregates or peds; texture controls pore size distribution, while structure controls pore continuity and infiltrative pathways. The other options mix up these definitions or attribute properties (like color or odor) to texture that aren’t determined by particle size.