Abstract. Effective CEC 0f230 mineral soil samples was estimatedas sum of{Ca-\-Mg) and {AI +H) displaced by N KCI. The mean values as me/100 gof soil were, in the surface samples, 15.9 ± 2.0 in 46 clay soils, 8.9 f 1-3 in 21 silt and loam soils, and 8.3 ± 1.1 in 39 sandy soils. In samples from the deeper layers the corresponding means were 16.3 ± 2.3 in 54 clay soils, 5.6 ± 0.9 in 21 silt and loam soils, and 2.5 dr 0.5 in 49 sandy soils.In surface samples of clay soils the mean effective CEC was about two thirds, in sandy soils of deeper layers about one third, and in all other groups about one half of the corresponding average potential CEC determined by neutral ammonium acetate.In the total material in which clay content ranged from 0 to 95%, organic C from 0.1 to 8.7 %, soil pH from 3.3 to 7.5, and oxalate soluble Al from 1.4 to 47.9 mmol/100 g, the » effective CEC» depended mostly on clay content: the partial correlation coefficient r o.9o***, and the standard partial regression coefficient ft = 0.84. The corresponding coefficients for the relationship between the »effective CEC» and the content of organic C were r = o.ss*** and p = 0.29, soil pH r = o.3s*** and P = 0.16, and oxalate soluble Al r -0.13 and P -0.06.The positive effect of liming on effective CEC, particularly, in coarser textured acid soils high in organic matter was emphasized.The figure for the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of a soil largely depends on the method used for its determination, particularly on the pH of the saturating electrolyte solution (Pratt and Bair 1962, Bhumbla andMcLean 1965). In Finnish more or less acid soils estimation of CEC at pH 7, or even at pH 8.2 as by the Mehlich method, is likely to yield markedly higher values than is the exchange capacity of these soils as they exist in the field. This is the case especially with soils low in clay and high in organic matter, since the CEC of organic matter is almost completely pH-dependent (Helling et al. 1964). It is also likely that in our acid soils aluminium-hydroxy-polymers block part of the exchange sites of organic and inorganic colloids, in this way decreasing the effective CEC of the soil (Keränen 1946, Kaila 1971.