ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to quantify inherent spatial variability and spatial cross-correlation of the van Genuchten retention parameters and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of surface and subsurface layers in a calcareous Inceptisols (Khuzestan province, Iran) under sugarcane cropping. Measurements were performed on 100-cm3 undisturbed soil cores collected at 94 locations along a 30-m-long transect with horizontal sampling distance intervals of 0.3 and 1 m at soil depths of 0–40 and 40–80 cm, respectively. Spatial variability was investigated using conventional statistics and geostatistical techniques. Coefficient of variation (CV) varied from 8.2% (for shape parameter, n at 40–80 cm depth) to 256.7% (for Ks at 0–40 cm depth). The n parameter and saturated water content, θs, showed a small-scale spatial heterogeneity with a maximum CV of 11.3% for the first depth and 9.2% for the second depth. Most of the hydraulic parameters at both depths showed a spatial structure and convex experimental semivariograms with dominant spherical models with the influence range of 3.2–41 m. In most cases, the extent of spatial correlation scales of cross-semivariograms for pairs of cross-correlated hydraulic variables was found to be different with reference to those relating to the direct semivariograms of correlated variables.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.