Soil Variability Assessment with Fractal Techniques

Abstract

Understanding soil variability becomes imperative as the management tools become more sophisticated and soil uses become more multifaceted. The importance of spatial and temporal variations in soil properties has long been recognized in soil knowledge and applying the knowledge in soil use. Scientists and practitioners have come to the realization that the significance of soil variability needs to be quantified. The statistics of soil properties have become essential components of soil descriptions. A correct model of variability is necessary to interpret and use results of soil sampling. Several models of the spatial variability have been proposed and are used to characterize soil structure and soil cover. Fractal models have become popular in soil studies because they are designed to mimic and parameterize irregular objects that have similar features at different scales. This similarity is common in soil matrix. This chapter discusses the applicability of fractal models to spatial variations in soil properties.