Soil chemical properties can show a high degree of spatial variability by both inherent soil
forming factors and land use activities. In assessing soil quality on a regional scale, this spatial variability
must be quantified for understanding the ef...
Soil chemical properties can show a high degree of spatial variability by both inherent soil
forming factors and land use activities. In assessing soil quality on a regional scale, this spatial variability
must be quantified for understanding the effects of management practices on soils. For assessing spatial
variability in soil chemical properties, we have analyzed pH, EC, and available P in soils collected from
42 different orchard farms in Chungcheong province, Korea. A high degree of spatial variability was
found from county to county and from field to field in a county. The spatial distribution pattern differed
among the soil properties. However, relatively higher variability was observed in available P than pH and
EC. Due to the high spatial variability, we used a bin averaging method to investigate regional correlations
among the soil properties. Most significant relationships were found between EC and available P
and between EC and pH, respectively, suggesting that the large spatial variability was associated with the
application of inorganic or organic fertilizers