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Use of Geostatistics in Designing Sampling Strategies for Soil Survey

Dep. of Soil Science, Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand

B. B. Trangmar^*

N.Z. Soil Bureau, DSIR, Christchurch, New Zealand

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Semivariograms are used to quantitatively assess spatial variability of depth to mottles, depth to gravels, and thickness of loamy sand and/or coarser-textured layers, which are definitive criteria for classification of soils derived from alluvium on the Canterbury Plains near Lincoln College, New Zealand. The three properties vary anisotropically with the anisotropy ratio being highest for depth to mottles (k = 5.84), lowest for thickness of loamy sand and/or coarser-textured layers (k = 1.58), and intermediate for depth to gravels (k = 2.43). Directions of maximum variation for depth to mottles and depth to gravels are NE-SW across an abandoned channel hollow. This pattern is reflected in the soil map of the study area and in the smaller-scale soil map of the adjacent region. Such variation reflects the past regional drainage patterns of channels flowing predominantly in a NW-SE direction. The appropriate field configuration of a sampling scheme for future survey of similar adjacent soils would be rectangular with a sample spacing in the direction of least variation k (anisotropy ratio) times that in the direction of maximum variation. Suitable sample numbers and sampling intervals to achieve desired levels of precision in the direction of maximum variation are determined. These are obtained from graphs showing relationships between kriging standard error, sample spacing and sample number. This geostatistical approach is more efficient than conventional statistical methods in designing sampling strategies: less samples are needed for kriging than for the conventional method to achieve the same level of precision.

Contribution of the Dep. of Soil Science, Lincoln College, New Zealand and N.Z. Soil Bureau, DSIR, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Received for publication September 8, 1988.

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