Fractal Analysis of Soil Water Desorption Data Collected on Disturbed Samples with Water Activity Meters
E. Perfecta,*,
A. B. Kensta,
M. Díaz-Zoritab and
J. H. Grovec
a Dep. of Earth and Planetary Sci., Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1410, USA
b Dep. of Plant Production, Univ. of Buenos Aires, 1417 Buenos Aires, and Nitragin Argentina S.A., Calle 10 y 11, Parque Industrial Pilar, 1629-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
c Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, USA

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Fig. 1. Measured soil water desorption curves and best fits of Eq. [10] for samples yielding maximum and minimum estimates of mass fractal dimension (D). a = a compound parameter including the bulk density and air-entry tension, PD = spring moldboard plowed and disked, NT = no-till with chemical weed control, RSS = residual sum of squares.
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Fig. 2. Predicted gravimetric water contents (w) from best fits of Eq. [10] vs. the measured w values. Standard errors of regression parameters are given in parentheses.
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Fig. 3. Comparison of mean values for (A) the a parameter and (B) the D parameter estimates. Bars denote one standard deviation.
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Fig. 4. Relationships between (A) the a parameter and (B) the D parameter and soil carbon content for the PD (plowed and disked) and NT (no-till) tillage treatments. Standard errors of regression parameters are given in parentheses.
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Copyright © 2004 by the Soil Science Society of America.