Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution
Soil structure, a critical indicator of soil quality, significantly influences agricultural productivity by impacting on the soil’s capacity to retain and deliver water, nutrients, and salts. Quantitative study of soil structure has always been a challenge because it involves complex spatial-tempora...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/37 |
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| author | Yanhui Jia Yayang Feng Xianchao Zhang Xiulu Sun |
| author_facet | Yanhui Jia Yayang Feng Xianchao Zhang Xiulu Sun |
| author_sort | Yanhui Jia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil structure, a critical indicator of soil quality, significantly influences agricultural productivity by impacting on the soil’s capacity to retain and deliver water, nutrients, and salts. Quantitative study of soil structure has always been a challenge because it involves complex spatial-temporal variability. This study employs multifractal analysis to assess the temporal variation in soil pore distribution, a pivotal factor in soil structure. Field observation data were collected in a sandy loam area of the People’s Victory Canal Irrigation scheme in Henan Province, China. A 200 m × 200 m test plot with five sampling points was used to collect soil samples at three depth layers (10–30 cm, 30–50 cm, and 50–70 cm) for soil water retention curve and particle size composition analysis, with a total of seven sampling events throughout the growing season. The results revealed that while soil particle-size distribution (Particle-SD) showed minor temporal changes, soil pore-size distribution (Pore-SD) experienced significant temporal fluctuations over a cropping season, both following a generalized power law, indicative of multifractal traits. Multifractal parameters of Pore-SD were significantly correlated with soil bulk density, with the strongest correlation in the topsoil layer (10–30 cm). The dynamic changes in soil pore structure suggest potential variations during saturation–unsaturation cycles, which could be crucial for soil water movement simulations using the Richards equation. The study concludes that incorporating time-varying parameters in simulating soil water transport can enhance the accuracy of predictions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c2de9d516fb648b08995fa828e421aa2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-c2de9d516fb648b08995fa828e421aa22025-01-24T13:16:26ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-12-011513710.3390/agronomy15010037Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore DistributionYanhui Jia0Yayang Feng1Xianchao Zhang2Xiulu Sun3Shandong Provincial University Laboratory for Protected Horticulture, Weifang University of Science and Technology, Weifang 262700, ChinaInstitute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, ChinaPower China of Beijing Engineering Corporation Limited, Beijing 100024, ChinaInstitute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, ChinaSoil structure, a critical indicator of soil quality, significantly influences agricultural productivity by impacting on the soil’s capacity to retain and deliver water, nutrients, and salts. Quantitative study of soil structure has always been a challenge because it involves complex spatial-temporal variability. This study employs multifractal analysis to assess the temporal variation in soil pore distribution, a pivotal factor in soil structure. Field observation data were collected in a sandy loam area of the People’s Victory Canal Irrigation scheme in Henan Province, China. A 200 m × 200 m test plot with five sampling points was used to collect soil samples at three depth layers (10–30 cm, 30–50 cm, and 50–70 cm) for soil water retention curve and particle size composition analysis, with a total of seven sampling events throughout the growing season. The results revealed that while soil particle-size distribution (Particle-SD) showed minor temporal changes, soil pore-size distribution (Pore-SD) experienced significant temporal fluctuations over a cropping season, both following a generalized power law, indicative of multifractal traits. Multifractal parameters of Pore-SD were significantly correlated with soil bulk density, with the strongest correlation in the topsoil layer (10–30 cm). The dynamic changes in soil pore structure suggest potential variations during saturation–unsaturation cycles, which could be crucial for soil water movement simulations using the Richards equation. The study concludes that incorporating time-varying parameters in simulating soil water transport can enhance the accuracy of predictions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/37soil structural variabilitysoil porositymultifractal characteristicssoil water movement |
| spellingShingle | Yanhui Jia Yayang Feng Xianchao Zhang Xiulu Sun Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution Agronomy soil structural variability soil porosity multifractal characteristics soil water movement |
| title | Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution |
| title_full | Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution |
| title_fullStr | Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution |
| title_short | Multifractal Analysis of Temporal Variation in Soil Pore Distribution |
| title_sort | multifractal analysis of temporal variation in soil pore distribution |
| topic | soil structural variability soil porosity multifractal characteristics soil water movement |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/37 |
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