ABSTRACT
This research was developed with the purpose to study the spatial variability of the drainable porosity of a holm soil, using descriptive statistical techniques and geostatistics in the analysis of the data. Undisturbed soil samples were collected (average depth of 0.30 m) in a grid of 84 points, with regular spacing of 5.00 m between rows and 3.33 m between columns, within a field plot of 10 x 90 m, for determination of the drainable porosity using a tension table. The statistical analyses showed that the data were adjusted to a normal distribution and presented average variability (CV = 43.8%), as well as weak spatial dependence between the observations (nugget effect > 75%), with range medium of 23 m. To the obtained experimental semivariogram a spherical model was adjusted, whose parameters were used in the kriging process, which allowed the elaboration of a map of isovalues of drainable porosity, whose interpretation is important in the planning of the underground drainage system.
Key words:
underground drainage; drainable porosity; spatial variability