The role of estimation error in probability density function of soil hydraulic parameters: Pedotop scale

Abstract

For modeling of transport processes and for prognosis of their results, the knowledge of hydrodynamic parameters is required. Soil hydrodynamic parameters are determined in the field by methods based upon certain approximations and the procedure of inverse solution is applied. The estimate of a parameter P includes therefore an error e. Hydrodynamic parameters are variable to a different degree like other soil properties even over the region of one pedotaxon and the knowledge of their probability density function PDF is frequently required. We have used five approximate infiltration equations for the estimation of sorptivity Sand saturated hydraulic conductivity K. Distribution of both parameters was determined with regard to the type of applied infiltration equation. PDF of parameters was not identical when we compared the parameter estimates derived by various infiltration equations. As it follows from this comparative study, the estimation error e deforms PDF of the parameter estimates.