Fractal approach in characterization of spatial pattern of soil properties

Abstract

The objective of the study was to characterize spatial pattern of soil properties (CaCO3, soil organic carbon, P2O5, K2O, and clay content) using fractal concept. Total of 141 top-soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected on 1850 ha in karst polje (Petrovo polje, Croatia) and analyzed for listed soil properties. The semi-variogram method was used to estimate fractal dimension (D) value which was performed from both of isotropic and anisotropic perspective. The D value of soil properties ranged between 1.76 to 1.97, showing a domination of the short-range variations. The SOC and K2O fractal D values 1.79 and 1.76 respectively, exhibited a spatial continuity at the entire analysed range of the scale. The D value for P2O5 (1.97) showed a nearly total absence of the spatial structure at all scales. The CaCO3 and clay content indicated a multifractal behavior mainly attributed to effects of alluviation, differences in geology and its spatial changes and transitions. The results of anisotropic analysis of soil properties pattern have showed strong relations with directions and partial self-similarity over limited ranges of scales defined by scale-break. Finally, our results showed that fractal analysis can be used as a appropriate tool for the characterization of spatial pattern irregularities of soil properties and detection of soil forming factors that cause it.

Keywords

• Fractal dimension
• scale independency
• self-similarity
• semi-variogram