Assessment of the spatial variability of soil chemical properties along a transect using multifractal analysis

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Assessment of the spatial variability of soil chemical properties along a transect using multifractal analysisAuthor(s)
Date
2015Citation
Cadernos Laboratorio Xeolóxico de Laxe, 2015, 38: 13-26 ISSN:0213-4497
Abstract
[Abstract]The spatial variability of soil properties can be assessed through concepts of scale invariance, fractals
and multifractals. The aim of this study was to characterize the scaling patterns and structural
heterogeneity properties of general soil chemical properties along a short (i.e. 52 m large) transect.
Field measurements were carried out at the experimental farm of CIAM located in Mabegondo,
A Coruña, Spain. The studied transect was marked following land slope, and 66 soil samples were
collected at the 0-20 cm depth every 0.8 m. The soil properties analyzed were: pH (H2O ), organic
carbon content, exchangeable Ca, Mg and K, exchangeable acidity (H + Al), exchangeable bases (SB),
cation exchange capacity (CEC), percent base saturation (V) and extractable P. The soil properties
studied showed various degrees of multifractality. The spatial distribution of pH was characterized
by quasi-monofractal behaviour; CEC, (H+Al) and OM, presented a relatively low degree of
multifractality, and the other soil properties studied showed stronger degrees of multifractality,
being the highest one for Olsen extractable P. In general, the scaling features of the properties studied
implied a multifractal nature, where the low and high density regions scaled differently.
Keywords
Spatia
Variability
Soil chemistry
Nutrients
Multifractal analysis
Variability
Soil chemistry
Nutrients
Multifractal analysis
ISSN
0213-4497