Empirically‐derived pedotransfer functions for predicting bulk density in European soils

Abstract

The lack of comprehensive data on the bulk density of soil types at the European scale is a serious limitation for pan-European environmental risk assessment studies. Although many predictive methods have been published, most have limitations for application across Europe. We therefore developed a semi-empirical method of prediction using a large UK dataset and tested it and some other methods against a pan-European dataset. Our method indicated that five separate conceptual groupings of the development dataset were valid. Predictive equations based on multiple regression analysis for each of the five groups explained between 40 and 69% of the measured variation in each one. When used to predict measured bulk density from the European dataset, the equations explained 63% of the measured variation in mineral horizons from soil environments similar to those of the development dataset with a predictive mean percentage error of ±11%. The equation for organic horizons explained 29% of the measured variation in bulk density with a mean percentage error of ±39%. For those horizons from soil environments outside those of the development dataset, prediction of bulk density was relatively poor, even when using soil region-specific PTFs derived from its data. It was concluded that, for these soils, factors other than organic carbon, particle size, horizon depth, mechanical cultivation or parent material have a major influence on bulk density and need further investigation.

Toward a tool aimed to quantify soil compaction risks at a regional scale: Application to Wallonia (Belgium)

“…However, the measured clay contents were higher of 2 to 5 % than the AARDEWERK values, which conducted to different PTFs choice (respectively ALA1 or L, Table 1). The measured BD was in accordance with the value computed with the PTF of Hollis et al (2012). The agreement was good between the hydraulic variables, the difference between the measured and computed values being the highest for the available water at pF 1.8.…”

“…Soil compaction is conveniently defined by the precompression stress (Pc): loading of a soil will cause compaction only if a certain level of stress called 'precompression stress' is exceeded (Dexter, 1988;Lebert and Horn, 1991;Horn et al, 1994). When soil is subjected to stress smaller than Pc, it deforms and recovers elastically along the recompression curve.…”

“…Table 3. Pedotransfer functions for estimation of bulk density (Hollis et al, 2012). TOC is the total organic content, Depth is the depth of the middle of the considered horizon (40 cm …”

“…Therefore, the recent PTFs of Hollis et al (2012) were used ( Table 3). The differentiation between the three types of subsoil horizons was performed taking into account the landuse and the presence of gleyfied horizon.…”

Impact of cadmium levels in fertilisers on cadmium accumulation in soil and uptake by food crops

“…The corresponding change in the soil metal content therefore presents the worst case scenario in view of impact on soil quality. Here we assume a mixing layer of 25 cm (plough layer) and anaverage-bulk density of 1.3 (Hollis et al, 2012) 4. The change in the soil metal content for 100 years is then compared to the current metal content in the soil based on the data in the GEMAS Atlas (Reimann et al, 2014) which at present is the most reliable database for metals in arable soils.…”