Rational Sampling Numbers of Soil pH for Spatial Variation: A Case Study from Yellow River Delta in China

Spatial variation of soil pH is important for the evaluation of environmental quality. A reasonable number of sampling points has an important meaning for accurate quantitative expression on spatial distribution of soil pH and resource savings. Based on the grid distribution point method, 908, 797, 700, 594, 499, 398, 299, 200, 149, 100, 75 and 50 sampling points, which were randomly selected from 908 sampling points, constituted 12 sample sets. Semi-variance structure analysis was carried out for different point sets, and ordinary Kriging was used for spatial prediction and accuracy verification, and the influence of different sampling points on spatial variation of soil pH was discussed. The results show that the pH value in Kenli County (China) was generally between 7.8 and 8.1, and the soil was alkaline. Semi-variance models fitted by different point sets could reflect the spatial structure characteristics of soil pH with accuracy. With a decrease in the number of sampling points, the Sill value of sample set increased, and the spatial autocorrelation gradually weakened. Considering the prediction accuracy, spatial distribution and investigation cost, a number of sampling points greater than or equal to 150 could satisfy the spatial variation expression of soil pH at the county level in the Yellow River Delta. This is equivalent to taking at least 107 sampling points per 1000 km(2). The results in this study are applicable to areas with similar environmental and soil conditions as the Yellow River Delta, and have reference significance for these areas.

Automated summary

Spatial variation of soil pH is important for evaluating environmental quality and saving resources. Analysis of semi-variance structure and spatial prediction based on sampling points provide accurate information on the spatial distribution of soil pH. A minimum of 150 sampling points can effectively represent the spatial variation of soil pH in the county-level area of the Yellow River Delta.