Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 2, 2000
Publication Date: March 2, 2000
Technical Abstract:
Pedotransfer functions express relationships between soil properties from readily available sources, such as soil survey, soil parameters used to predict soil water retention, soil hydraulic conductivity needed for applications such as modeling the flow of water through the soil, and soil assessment. Pedotransfer functions are increasingly being used by non-soil scientists creating a need for better understanding of how pedotransfer functions are developed so they are not misused. This review will identify (1) the soil properties primarily used in pedotransfer functions; (2) importance of the soil properties and how they improve the reliability of the functions; (3) the different levels of soils information that are used in pedotransfer functions; (4) reliability of approaches used to develop the functions; (5) effectiveness of grouping functions according to taxonomic unit, soil moisture regime, soil textural class, and soil structure; and (6) applicability of pedotransfer functions for different uses.
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