Spatial Autocorrelation Of Physical Attributes Of An Oxisol

Abstract

Studies that seek to identify a smaller number of soil attributes that represent others can generate less expenditure of time and financial resources for monitoring cultivated areas. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution and spatial autocorrelation of physical attributes of an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo, Brazilian Soil Classification System). The evaluated attributes consisted of soil density (SD), total porosity (TP), free porosity (FP), field capacity (FC), permanent wilt point (PW), and total water availability (TW). Semivariogram adjustments and semivariance estimates were performed to characterize the structure and magnitude of the spatial dependence of soil attributes. The attributes were distributed on thematic maps and the spatial autocorrelation was estimated by the Moran index, which quantifies the degree of autocorrelation. TP showed a high positive correlation with PWP. Soil TW showed a high positive correlation with SD and a high negative correlation with FP. In turn, FP showed a high negative correlation with SD. The results showed spatial dependence for all attributes, standing out the apparent soil density and permanent wilt point, which were good evaluators of strong spatial dependence