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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64561
Title: SENSITIVITY OF A PHYSIOEMPERICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTING MOISTURE RETENTION TO WITHIN SOIL VARIABILITY

Author
item Russell, Walter
item Shouse, Peter
item ARYA, L - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item BURDEN, D - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item SELIM, H - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Quantitative spatial analysis of water and solute transport processes in soils depends on knowledge of two fundamental soil hydrologic properties, the water retention function and the hydraulic conductivity function. The hydraulic conductivity can be estimated from the retention function. Recent research has shown that the soil water retention function is a highly variable soil property. The purpose of our study wa to determine if a physioempirical model for predicting soil water retention can describe the measured within-field variability. Core samples from 286 sites on a silty clay soil were used to measure the retention curve, bulk density, K(sub sat), and particle-size distribution. The measured and modeled retention data were analyzed and comparisons of statistical parameters indicate that the modeled retention functions are less variable than the measured functions.