Integrating basic remote sensing, terrain analysis and geostatistical methods to generate spatially explicate continuous soil attribute maps for Fraser Experimental Forest
Date
2010
Authors
Norman, John Barstow, author
Kelly, Eugene F., advisor
Rhoades, Chuck, Affiliate, committee member
Reich, Robin M., committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Hans Jenny's Factors of Soil Formation, a system of quantitative pedology (1941), concisely summarized and illustrated many of the basic principles of pedology utilized to date (Jenny, 1941). This state factor model became the backbone for soil survey research and production because it proposed that a limited number of environmental factors could largely explain the distribution of soils within and among ecosystems. Advances in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil mineralogy, and soil biology, as well as in the basic sciences have helped increase our fundamental understanding of the spatial distribution of soil. In addition, new tools and new dimensions to the study of soil formation have evolved with the increasing power and utility of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and geostatistical analysis to further quantify the complex spatial relationships of soils and landscapes. These advances have resulted in a new field of study termed pedometrics, which focuses on the application of mathematical and statistical methods for the study of the distribution and evolution of soils. This study implements pedometric principles and methods to develop high resolution and spatially explicate soil attribute maps for Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF) based on simple terrain, remote sensing and geostatistical analyses. The soil attribute models developed for this study provided a continuous representation of soil properties (Total soil depth, A-horizon and O-horizon thickness) at a fine scale (0.001 ha). These spatial models can be used as inputs to hydrological and ecological models to further evaluate the soil's influence on water chemistry and vegetation distributions, and to provide an initial platform for future soil survey activities in FEF. In addition to developing soil attribute surfaces for FEF, I tested the statistical, spatial and cost efficiencies of the Spatially Balances Survey (SBS) design developed to sample soils and inform the geostatistical models for FEF.
Description
Rights Access
Subject
spatial analysis
soil attribute surfaces
geostatistics
Soil management -- Geographic information systems -- Colorado -- Fraser Experimental Forest
Soils -- Geographic information systems -- Colorado -- Fraser Experimental Forest
Soil profiles -- Colorado -- Fraser Experimental Forest
Soils -- Colorado -- Fraser Experimental Forest -- Maps
Soils -- Colorado -- Fraser Experimental Forest -- Remote sensing