Geostatistical Soil Data Analysis I. Measuring Spatial Variability of Soil Properties with Semivariograms
Boško MILOŠ
Pages: 219-228
Summary
The objective of this study was to review an application of basic geostatistical methods - semivariograms analysis to the description and measurement spatial variability of soil properties. The application of these tools, to evaluate spatial structures of soil properties, were illustrated with soil data of Petrovo polje, covers 1904 ha, located in dalmatinska Zagora.
The values of CaCO3 and humus content from 136 pedons, segmented, each of them, in four equal depts (0-30; 30-60; 60-90 and 90-120 cm), were selected for geostatistical study. Eight semivariograms were calculated for each variable: direction-independent for each depth and direction-dependent for firsth depth (E-W, N-S, NE-SW, NW-SE).
This investigation shown that the analised soil properties are a spatially dependent random functions. The top-soil horizons were anisotropicall structures and showed greater spatial correlation, that is more continuity in the spatial behaviour (longer ranges and closer nugget effect), then those in the sub-soil horizons. The principal structural parameters of soil properties may be a consequence of different geology, topography and hidrography.
The applied geostatical methods, based on the geographical location of individual observations, can offer a solution to the problem of quantifying the spatial variability of soil properties.
The values of CaCO3 and humus content from 136 pedons, segmented, each of them, in four equal depts (0-30; 30-60; 60-90 and 90-120 cm), were selected for geostatistical study. Eight semivariograms were calculated for each variable: direction-independent for each depth and direction-dependent for firsth depth (E-W, N-S, NE-SW, NW-SE).
This investigation shown that the analised soil properties are a spatially dependent random functions. The top-soil horizons were anisotropicall structures and showed greater spatial correlation, that is more continuity in the spatial behaviour (longer ranges and closer nugget effect), then those in the sub-soil horizons. The principal structural parameters of soil properties may be a consequence of different geology, topography and hidrography.
The applied geostatical methods, based on the geographical location of individual observations, can offer a solution to the problem of quantifying the spatial variability of soil properties.
Keywords
soil; geostatistics; semivariograms; spatial structure
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