Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
A stepwise multiple regression procedure was developed to predict oven‐dried bulk density from soil properties using the 1997 USDA‐NRCS National Soil Survey Characterization Data. The database includes both subsoil and topsoil samples. An overall regression equation for predicting oven‐dried bulk density from soil properties ( R 2 = 0.45, P 30%) of the variation in bulk density for Udox, Xererts, Ustands, Aquands, and Saprists. Relationships between bulk density with soil volume measured on oven‐dried natural clods and bulk density with soil volume measured at field‐moisture content and one‐third bar were also determined ( R 2 = 0.70 and 0.69, respectively; P < 0.001). Utilizing the regression equations developed in this study, oven‐dried bulk density predictions were obtained for 71% of the 85608 samples in the database without bulk density measurements. While improving on methods of previous analyses, this study illustrates that regression equations are a feasible alternative for bulk‐density estimation.
Heuscher et al. (Sat,) studied this question.