Abstract
Multiple regression models of soil moisture at 15, 61, and 91 cm depths, and for above-ground plant biomass explained 92, 90, 92, and 88 percent of the variability, respectively, through field data collected in 1986. Multiple regression models developed for soil moisture and plant biomass, through data collected in 1985, answered 83, 91, and 82 percent, and 85 percent of the variability, respectively. Field data were collected along a 200 km transect in west-central Oklahoma from May through August 1985 and 1986: four sites were eliminated in 1986 and sampling was changed from weekly to bi-weekly. Air temperature, precipitation levels, soil moisture and plant biomass for 1985 and 1986 were compared through calculation of means and standard deviations for each field site and for each principal variable throughout the sample period. Graphic summaries indicate the difference between the sample weeks and years, and show the relationship between atmospheric conditions and soil and vegetation variation. Transect location, spatial and temporal field sampling characteristics, amount and variability in weekly and yearly precipitation levels and air temperatures, and the strength of the environmental gradient across the sample transect contribute to the level of explanation of the regression models and the differences between the models for each sample year.
Recommended Citation
Walsh, Stephen J.
(1990)
"Comparison of Temporal Differences in Models of Soil Moisture and Plant Biomass Variability in the Southern Great Plains of the United States,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 32:
Iss.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol32/iss1/12