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Manrique, Jones - 1991 - Bulk Density of Soils in Relation To Soil Physical and Chemical Properties
Manrique, Jones - 1991 - Bulk Density of Soils in Relation To Soil Physical and Chemical Properties
Mean
SD
CLAY
n
Mean
SD
SILT
n
Mean
SD
SAND
n
Mean
SD
WC15
n
Mean
SD
At
11204
0.6
1.0
11927
24.7
14.8
11936
42.0
21.5
11732
32.1
24.9
10640
11.3
6.2
D
5540
0.5
0.5
5617
20.2
13.3
5616
31.3
17.6
5484
47.3
23.4
5602
10.2
5.7
E
4277
0.7
1.2
4341
16.4
16.0
4336
32.7
23.9
3537
40.4
29.5
4125
8.8
7.2
I
5472
1.5
2.3
5604
17.1
15.7
5601
40.5
17.6
5477
41.1
23.8
5294
11.7
8.6
M
16146
0.9
1.1
16603
26.3
13.2
16605
43.7
18.6
16279
28.7
23.4
16077
12.7
6.0
O
299
1.1
1.4
289
47.8
21.6
289
22.3
12.0
289
29.9
20.6
276
22.8
7.5
S
2133
2.6
2.9
2187
6.1
5.8
2186
32.5
19.8
1882
55.9
19.2
1900
9.5
8.6
U
5382
0.6
1.2
5687
26.4
16.8
5694
31.7
19.7
5533
40.3
23.9
4870
12.0
7.6
V
1416
0.8
0.7
1441
51.4
12.8
1440
35.3
10.2
1438
13.1
13.4
1249
22.0
6.2
n
Mean
SD
4541
1.5
0.2
2095
1.4
0.2
1289
1.4
0.2
2192
1.3
0.4
5178
1.4
0.2
173
1.2
0.2
595
1.3
0.4
2206
1.5
0.2
711
1.3
0.1
t OC = Organic C content, percent; CLAY = Clay content, percent; SAND =
Sand content, percent; SILT = Silt content, percent; WC15 = Water content
at -1500 kPa soil water potential, percent by weight; A, = bulk density, Mg
nr
3
.
t A = Alfisols, D = Aridisols, E = Entisols, I = Inceptisols, M = Mollisols,
O = Oxisols, S = Spodosols, U = Ultisols, V = Vertisols.
n = number of observations.
478 SOIL SCI. SOC. AM. J., VOL. 55, MARCH-APRIL 1991
Table 3. General regression equations expressing the relationship between bulk density and soil physical and chemical properties.
Model
1
1A
6
1
1A
6
1
1A
6
1A
6
bOf
1.510
1.660
1.740
1.509
1.731
, 1.768
1.520
1.702
1.773
1.675
1.767
CLAY OC WC15
All Soils
-1 -0.113
0.005 -0.023
Horizon A
-0.098
-0.011
Horizon B
-0.153
0.005 -0.022
Horizon C
0.005 -0.024
OC"
2
-0.318
-0.218
-0.327
-0.253
-0.409
-0.280
-0.396
-0.263
R
2
0.36
0.41
0.58
0.50
0.53
0.59
0.38
0.45
0.61
0.20
0.40
S y r f
0.20
0.19
0.16
0.18
0.17
0.16
0.19
0.17
0.14
0.23
0.20
19651
19651
19226
5113
5113
5018
10349
10349
10143
4189
4065
t Intercept.
$ Standard error of estimate.
N umber of observations.
11 Blanks in the table represent either variables not considered in the model (see Table 1) or variables that did not meet the criteria for stepwise inclusion in the
model.
Table 4. Regression equations expressing the relationship between bulk density and soil physical and chemical properties. Soil orders.
Model
1A
4
6
5
6
1A
5
6
1A
6
1A
6
1A
5
6
1
1A
1A
4
6
4
6
bO
1.676
1.704
1.832
1.617
1.692
1.587
1.576
1.639
1.720
1.872
1.574
1.677
1.396
1.393
1.876
1.582
1.861
1.678
1.721
1.749
1.661
1.773
CLAY OC WC15 OC"
2
bXf
Alfisols
-H ^0.271
-0.005 -0.127
0.005 -0.027 -0.224
Aridisols
-0.094 -0.003(CS)
0.005 -0.024 -0.199
Entisols
-0.259
-0.087 -0.002(CS)
0.006 -0.022 -0.169
Inceptisols
-0.403
0.007 0.125 -0.022 -0.596
Mollisols
-0.221
0.005 -0.022 -0.174
Oxisols
-0.185
-0.058 -0.004(SILT)
-0.011 -0.119 -0.361(WC15C"
2
)
Spodosols
-0.131
-0.452
Ultisols
-0.288
-0.005 -0.123
-0.245 -0.0005(WC15
2
)
Vertisols
-0.006 -0.061
-0.049 -0.019
/f
2
0.27
0.39
0.57
0.23
0.40
0.27
0.32
0.45
0.60
0.74
0.26
0.43
0.24
0.30
0.63
0.64
0.76
0.29
0.40
0.53
0.31
0.62
S y st
0.17
0.16
0.13
0.17
0.15
0.17
0.17
0.15
0.23
0.19
0.17
0.15
0.17
0.17
0.12
0.25
0.20
0.19
0.18
0.16
0.12
0.08
4296
4258
4213
2015
2007
1258
1238
1239
2145
2068
4970
4915
173
168
156
571
571
2079
2073
2058
654
654
t Regression coefficient for the variable in parentheses.
t Standard error of estimate.
Number of observations.
H Blanks in the table represent either variables not considered in the model (see Table 1) or variables that did not meet the criteria for stepwise inclusion in the
model.
ation in E^ attributed to OC decreased as soil depth
increased. It is likely that texture or other properties
played a more significant role in controlling D
b
as soil
depth increased where OC was a minor component.
Bulk density was poorly related to either CLAY or
CS in Models 2 to 5 (data not shown). In Model 6,
CLAY, WC15, and the square root of OC accounted
for up to 59, 61, and 40% of the variation in Z)
b
in the
A, B, and C horizons, respectively.
Multiple regression relationships between D
b
and soil
MANRIQUE & JONES: BULK DENSITY OF SOILS 479
Table 5. Regression equations (Models 1A and 6) expressing the relationship between bulk density and soil physical and chemical properties.
Soil suborders.
Suborder
Orthox
Ustox
Aquods
Humods
Orthods
Aquults
Humults
Model bO OC OC"
2
WC15 WC15
2
bXf
6
1A
6
6
1A
1A
6
6
1.429
1.471
1.829
1.850
1.660
1.859
1.753
1.783
1.255
-0.120
-0.402
-0.324
-0.455
-0.295
-0.227
-0.011
-0.004
0.0005
-0.466(WC15C"
2
)
0.003(CLAY)
-0.00001(WC15
3
)
-0.329(WC15C)
-0.00001(WC15
3
)
0.003(CLAY)
0.90
0.66
0.62
0.71
0.77
0.93
0.77
0.49
0.72
Aqualfs
Boralfs
U dalfs
Ustalfs
Xeralfs
Argids
Orthids
Aquents
Fluvents
O rthents
Psamment
Andepts
Aquepts
Ochrepts
Tropepts
Umbrepts
Albolls
Aquolls
Borolls
Udolls
Ustolls
Xerolls
Humox
6
1A
6
6
6
1A
6
6
6
1A
6
6
6
6
1A
6
1A
6
1A
6
1A
6
1A
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
1A
6
1.759
1.767
2.137
1.723
1.708
1.681
2.060
1.673
1.689
1.589
1.615
1.608
1.610
1.705
1.238
1.274
1.757
1.939
1.786
1.942
1.424
1.591
1.475
1.736
1.635
1.796
1.619
1.964
1.635
1.713
1.511
2.076
-H -0.217
-0.337
-0.248
-0.212
-0.163
-0.33
-0.228
-0.121
-0.163
-0.291
-0.241
-0.234
-0.234
-0.234
-0.128
-0.389
-0.241
-0.419
0.165 -0.686
-0.239
-0.204
-0.271
0.074 -0.434
-0.110
-0.140
-0.189
-0.149
-0.091
-0.193
-0.270
-0.017
-0.018
-0.016
-0.024
-0.012
-0.019
-0.029
-0.010
-0.022
-0.016
-0.020
-0.010
-0.013
-0.015
-0.063
-0.0006
-0.0006
-0.0004
-0.0003
-0.0004
-0.0003
-0.002
-0.001
0.002
-0.385(WC15C"
2
)
-0.298(WC15C"
2
)
0.00009(CLAY
2
)
-0.226(WC15C"
2
)
O.OOOSfCLAY
2
)
0.009(CLAY)
0.007(CLAY)
0.0001(CLAY
2
)
O.OOS(CLAY)
-0.395(WC15C"
2
)
-0.009(OC
2
)
0.53
0.48
0.70
0.41
0.60
0.42
0.71
0.42
0.35
0.52
0.65
0.21
0.41
0.26
0.50
0.63
0.51
0.71
0.55
0.65
0.47
0.63
0.58
0.79
0.73
0.59
0.37
0.41
0.43
0.49
0.48
0.13
0.14
0.13
0.14
0.11
0.13
0.14
0.14
0.15
0.12
0.12
0.12
0.16
0.18
0.12
0.19
0.14
0.18
0.14
0.17
0.15
0.16
0,13
0.14
0.11
0.13
0.18
0.13
0.13
0.16
0.18
745
601
586
1717
614
551
543
1190
817
183
182
415
524
115
314
277
338
334
1235
1213
140
127
109
108
67
608
984
873
1431
100
30
0.10
0.11
0.09
0.18
0.19
0.05
0.20
0.16
0.11
30
so
41
57
57
18
493
209
209
Udults
Ustults
Xerults
Torrerts
Uderts
listens
Xererts
6
6
1A
6
6
6
6
6
1.756
1.781
1.567
1.859
1.767
1.099
1.820
1.802
-0.246
-0.128
-0.265
-0.237
-0.095
-0.015
-0.013(OC
2
)
-0.0005
-0.020
-0.024
-0.020 -0.039(OC
2
)
0.074 -0.004 0.00006(WC15
3
)
-0.019
-0.020
0.43
0.40
0.60
0.50
0.73
0.59
0.78
0.64
0.62
0.18
0.15
0.16
0.17
0.13
0.10
0.06
0.08
0.10
157
1538
104
52
52
62
81
391
120
t Regression coefficient of the variable in parentheses,
jStandard error of estimate.
Number of observations.
1 Blanks in the table represent either variables not considered in the model (see Table 1) or variables that did not meet the criteria for stepwise inclusion in the
model.
properties for soil orders are provided in Table 4. Or-
ganic C was the best predictor of D
b
for Inceptisols and
Spodosols (Models 1 and 1 A). The R
2
values for Model
1A for these two soil orders were 0.60 and 0.76, re-
spectively. Organic C, however, did not contribute sig-
nificantly to the prediction of D
b
for the other soil orders
(R
2
<0.30).
For soil orders, D
b
was poorly related to CLAY and
CS in Models 2 and 3 (data not shown). Furthermore,
the inclusion of both CLAY and OC in Model 4 (Table
4) did not improve the prediction of D
b
for all but
Alfisols, Ultisols, and Vertisols. The R
2
values of the
regression equations for these three soil orders, however
were <0.40.
For soil orders, the best predictive model for Z)
b
was
a function of CLAY, OC, WC15, and WC15C (Model
6) (Table 4). The R
2
values of the regression equations
suggest that these four variables accounted for > 53%
and up to 74% of the variation in Z>
b
for Ultisols, Al-
fisols, Vertisols, Oxisols, and Inceptisols.
The prediction of D
b
was greatly improved when the
data were partitioned by soil suborders (Table 5). The
best predictive models for D
b
were from Models 1A
and 6. Unless otherwise stated, only regression equa-
tions for these two models are referred to in the fol-
lowing sections.
When D
b
was regressed against OC (Model 1 A), more
than 42% and up to 77% of the variation in D
b
could
be explained by the regression equations for 13 of the
37 suborders included in Table 5. The slopes of the
regressions equations for Aquods, Ochrepts, and Or-
thods indicated that the square root of each 1 g of OC
480 SOIL SCI. SOC. AM. J., VOL. 55, MARCH-APRIL 1991
per 100 g soil resulted in a decrease in D
b
of 0.402,
0.419, and 0.455 Mg irr
3
, respectively. For the other
10 suborders, the square root of each 1 g of OC per 100
g soil resulted in an average decrease in D
b
of about
0.292 Mg nr
3
. Overall, the slopes of the linear regres-
sions between D
b
and OC were different among subor-
ders although mean OC contents were similar for all
but Inceptisols and Spodosols (Table 2). These results
suggest that the kind of organic matter rather than the
total organic matter was more important in the inter-
action of organic matter with the mineral portion to
determine soil structure.
The main contributors to the R
2
values in the regres-
sion equations for Model 6 were WC15, the square root
of OC, and the quadratic term of WC15. These vari-
ables were inversely related to D
b
. The large magnitude
of the regression coefficients for OC suggests that OC
was the main predictor of D
b
for all suborders of In-
ceptisols and Spodosols. Water content at 1500 kPa,
in turn, was the largest contributor to the prediction of
D
b
for Humox and Uderts. The -1500 kPa water to
clay ratio (WC15C), which is indicative of the presence
of amorphous materials in soils (Soil Survey, Staff,
1975), also largely contributed to the prediction of D
b
for Boralfs, UdoUs, Humox, and Ustox. Bulk density
for these soils decreased in proportion to the square
root of WC15C as this ratio increased.
DISCUSSION
The high R
2
values of the regression equations for
Models 1 and 1A suggest that D
b
can be relatively ac-
curately predicted from OC for Inceptisols and Spo-
dosols. These results were consistent with published
relationships between D
b
and OC for Inceptisols and
Spodosols (Curtis and Post, 1964; Soil Survey Staff,
1975; De Coninck, 1980; Huntington et al. 1989). Bulk
density, however, was poorly predicted from OC or its
square root term for the remaining soil orders although
the R
2
of the equations indicated that OC alone ac-
counted for up to 58% of the variation for 10 of 37
suborders included in Table 5. These results differed
from other studies that have shown that OC or its
square root or logarithm term accounted for more than
40% of the variation in D
b
(Mbagwu et al., 1983; Alex-
ander, 1980; Scott and Wood, 1989).
Several studies have shown that clay and clay plus
silt contents contributed to a large extent to the pre-
diction of D
b
(Van Wambeke, 1974; Jones, 1983; Rawls,
1983; Shaffer, 1988). In this study, however, the R
2
values of the regression equations for Models 2 and 3
(data not shown) suggest that the contributions of
CLAY and CS were marginal at best to the prediction
of A> - We do not have a good explanation for these
poor contributions. But a plausible explanation could
be that most published relationships between soil par-
ticle components and D
b
were obtained using small and
homogeneous data sets, while the predictions of D
b
in
this study included large samples with several hundred
of observations in most cases. The large standard de-
viations of the mean D
b
for soil orders (Table 2) clearly
illustrate the difficulties in obtaining meaningful rela-
tionships between D
b
and soil properties. Nevertheless,
the results of this study show that by adding variables
such as water content at 1500 kPa and the 1500
kPa water to clay ration to regression equations con-
taining clay and OC improved significantly the predic-
tive inferences of D
b
(Model 6).
For discussion purposes, the soils included in this
study were grouped according to the R
2
values of their
corresponding regression equations for Model 6 (Table
4). Three groups were arbitrarily established at the order
category: Group 1 (R
2
<0.50), which included Aridi-
sols, Entisols, and Mollisols, Group 2 (R
2
0.50-0.70),
which included Alfisols, Oxisols, Ultisols, and Verti-
spls, and Group 3 (R
2
> 0.70), which included Incep-
tisols and Spodosols. Groups 1, 2, and 3 comprised 33,
44, and 23% of the data base, respectively. When similar
grouping was undertaken at the suborder category (Ta-
ble 5), 12,14, and 11 suborders were included in Groups
1, 2, and 3, respectively, and comprised 32, 38, and
30% of the data base.
The above results indicate that D
b
can be accurately
predicted (R
2
> 0.70) from soil properties for 30% of
the soils when the data were partitioned by suborders
as compared with 23% when the data were partitioned
by orders. A further examination of the results indicate
that D
b
was poorly predicted from soil properties for
Aridisols, Entisols, and Mollisols. Clay, silt, sand, and
OC contents exhibited large variability within Aridi-
sols, Entisols, and Mollisols (Table 2). Presumably the
poor relationships between D
b
and soil properties for
these orders were due in part to the high spatial vari-
ability in both vertical and horizontal dimensions of
soil properties. The partitioning of data by suborders
proved futile for these soil orders, as A> was poorly
predicted from soil properties for most suborders of
Entisols and Mollisols, and for all Aridisols, illustrating
the extensive heterogeneity of these soils.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that, for six
of the nine soil orders included in this study, the regres-
sion relationships developed constitute useful predic-
tive indices for predicting D
b
from existing soil physical
and chemical data and taxonomic classification.
ROLSTON ET AL.: MICROPENETROMETER FOR MEASU RIN G SOIL STRENGTH 481