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Effects of Soil Morphology on Hydraulic Properties II. Hydraulic Pedotransfer Functions
Author(s) -
Lin H. S.,
McInnes K. J.,
Wilding L. P.,
Hallmark C. T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1999.634955x
Subject(s) - pedotransfer function , hydraulic conductivity , macropore , soil texture , soil science , environmental science , water content , soil structure , soil morphology , soil water , texture (cosmology) , hydraulics , soil classification , geotechnical engineering , geology , computer science , engineering , chemistry , artificial intelligence , mesoporous material , biochemistry , aerospace engineering , image (mathematics) , catalysis
Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) have gained recognition in recent years as an approach to translate simple soil characteristics found in soil surveys into more complicated model input parameters. However, existing pedotransfer functions have not yet incorporated critical soil structural information. This study showed that soil hydraulic properties could be estimated from morphological features determined in situ (including texture, initial moisture state, pedality, macroporosity, and root density) through a morphology quantification system. Comparison between the class and continuous PTFs developed in this study indicated that the use of quantified morphological properties yielded predictive power similar to that of physical properties in estimating hydraulic conductivity at zero potential; water flow rates in macro‐, meso‐, and micropores; and a soil structure and texture parameter α macro The results confirmed that soil structure was crucial in characterizing hydraulic behavior in macropore flow region; whereas texture had major impact on those hydraulic properties controlled by micropores. Depending on the flow domain to be included, estimation of hydraulic properties required the use of different combinations of morphometric indices or physical properties. The PTFs established may be used as starting points for estimating model input parameters.