In this paper, the authors examined the representative elementary volume, REV, and the range of influence of saturated hydraulic conductivity,
Ks, and bulk density, γ
d, for a field of Andosol in Ibaraki Prefecture. Frequency distributions and semi-variograms of these variables were evaluated for this purpose. Soil sampling was performed as follows. At the nodes of a 1m interval grid, which consisted of 10 rows and 12 columns, soil samples were collected in three different-sized samplers at a depth of 30 cm. Two of these were 2, 356 cm
3 (20 cm in diameter and 7.5 cm in height) and 133 cm
3 (4.78 cm in diameter and 7.5 cm in height) in volume, and were used in the measurement of K
s. The other one was 100cm
3 (5 cm in diameter and 5.1 cm in height) in volume, and was used in the measurement of γ
d. 120 samples were collected in each size. The results are summarized as follows;
1. Measured values of K
s in both sizes were log-normally distributed and no spatial structure was recognized for log-transformed
Ks.
2. Notable differences of the mean and the coefficient of variation, CV, of
Ks in the two sizes were recognized. That is, the mean of the larger size was 25% larger than that of the smaller size, and the CV of the larger size was 50% larger than that of the smaller size. These results led to the hypothesis that there was an inverse relation between the pore diameter larger than 0.5 mm and the number of pores per unit area in the experimental field. The hypothesis was not inconsistent with the measured soil structure.
3. Measured values of γ
d were normally distributed and the CV was about 7%. No spatial structure was recognized for γ
d.
4. From the consideration of these results, the REV of γ
d was estimated less than 100 cm
3 and the range of influence of γ
d was estimated less than 1m. But the REV and the range of influence of
Ks were not clear in this study.
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