Using SVM for soil water retention modelling

Abstract

1 copia .pdf (a-3) del póster original presentado (2 Figs., 2 Tabls.)This work presents point pedotransfer function models of the soil water retention curve. Developed models allow for estimation of the soil water content based on following soil characteristics: soil granulometric composition, total porosity and bulk density. Soil water content is evaluated for the specified soil water potentials: -0.98 kPa, -3.10 kPa, -9.81 kPa, - 31.02 kPa, -491.66 kPa and -1554.78 kPa. Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology was used for model development. Alternative to previous attempts ν-SVM method was used for models development and results compared with C-SVM based models. In the work two different types of the SVM kernel function was used and results compared: radial basis kernel function with the linear one. Soil properties used as input variables for the PTF models are: sand fraction, clay fraction, total porosity and bulk density. Models approximate value of the soil water content for seven fixed values of the soil water potential.Peer reviewe