%0 Journal Article
%T Variability of Soil Physical Properties in a Clay-Loam Soil and Its Implication on Soil Management Practices
%A Samuel I. Haruna
%A Nsalambi V. Nkongolo
%J ISRN Soil Science
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/418586
%X We assessed the spatial variability of soil physical properties in a clay-loam soil cropped to corn and soybean. The study was conducted at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Soil samples were taken at four depths: 0每10ˋcm, 10每20, 20每40, and 40每60ˋcm and were oven dried at 105∼C for 72 hours. Bulk density (BDY), volumetric (VWC) and gravimetric (GWC) water contents, volumetric air content (VAC), total pore space (TPS), air-filled (AFPS) and water-filled (WFPS) pore space, the relative gas diffusion coefficient (DIFF), and the pore tortuosity factor (TORT) were calculated. Results showed that, in comparison to depth 1, means for AFPS, Diff, TPS, and VAC decreased in Depth 2. Opposingly, BDY, Tort, VWC, and WFPS increased in depth 2. Semivariogram analysis showed that GWC, VWC, BDY, and TPS in depth 2 fitted to an exponential variogram model. The range of spatial variability ( ) for BDY, TPS, VAC, WFPS, AFPS, DIFF, and TORT was the same (25.77ˋm) in depths 1 and 4, suggesting that these soil properties can be sampled together at the same distance. The analysis also showed the presence of a strong (≒25%) to weak (>75%) spatial dependence for soil physical properties. 1. Introduction Characterizing the spatial variability and distribution of soil properties is important in predicting the rates of ecosystem processes with respect to natural and anthropogenic factors [1] and in understanding how ecosystems and their services work [2]. In agriculture, studies of the effects of land management on soil properties have shown that cultivation generally increases the potential for soil degradation due to the breakdown of soil aggregates and the reduction of soil cohesion, water content and nutrient holding capacity [3, 4]. Cultivation, especially when accompanied by tillage, has been reported to have significant effects on topsoil structure and thus the ability of soil to fulfill essential soil functions and services in relation to root growth, gas and water transport and organic matter turnover [5每7]. Soil properties vary considerably under different crops, tillage type and intensity, fertilizer types and application rates. Consequently, the physical properties of the soil are also affected by many factors that change vertically with depth, laterally across fields and temporally in response to climate and human activity [8]. Since this variability affects plant growth, nutrient dynamics, and other soil processes, knowledge of the spatial variability of soil physical properties is therefore necessary. To study the spatial distribution of soil
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.soil.science/2013/418586/