HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Simpson, T. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Simpson, T. W. Agricola Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Simpson, T. W.

Variance and Scale Influences on Classifying and Interpreting Soil Map Units¹

ABSTRACT

Residual variance including the variance contributed by sampling and laboratory procedures, by soil profiles within circular 7-m diam sites, by sites within delineated soil bodies, and by delineated soil bodies within each of three second-order soil survey map units were evaluated using a nested sampling design. Residual variances were small for base saturation, clay, and free iron and large for pH, quartz in the sand fraction, kaolinite, and gibbsite in the clay fraction, and the oxidic ratio. Naming and interpreting map units using classes based on the dissection of variable with large residual variances will be confounded by the sampling and laboratory procedures. Distributions of variance for the soil properties studied revealed that mutually-exclusive classes were not delineated by these map units. Shortrange variability in field observable soil properties was not mapped because of the constraint of scale. Therefore, users of soil survey information would be better served by procedures for naming and interpreting map units that describe the content and pattern of occurrence of soils rather than relying on classificational units or soil series defined by limits of taxa in Soil Taxonomy to convey map unit content and interpretations.

¹ Contribution of the Dep. of Agronomy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA 24061.

² Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor, respectively.

Received for publication May 19, 1983. Accepted for publication March 20, 1985.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M.H. Stolt, M.H. Genthner, W.L. Daniels, and V.A. Groover Spatial Variability in Palustrine Wetlands Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 1, 2001; 65(2): 527 - 535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P.J. Thomas, J.C. Baker, L.W. Zelazny, and D.R. Hatch Relationship of Map Unit Variability to Shrink-Swell Indicators Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 1, 2000; 64(1): 262 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text]