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Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Sampling Soils in a Heterogeneous Research Plot

DOI: 10.3791/58519-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Design and implement a clustered soil-sampling strategy for heterogeneous plots
  • ✓ Quantitatively determine minimum sample size needed for accurate spatial characterization
  • ✓ Measure distances and collect soil samples using systematic field protocols
  • ✓ Evaluate sampling accuracy and account for spatial heterogeneity in results
Protocol

The traditional soil-sampling procedure determines the number of soil samples arbitrarily. Here, we provide a simple yet efficient clustered soil-sampling design to demonstrate soil spatial heterogeneity and quantitatively determine the number of soil samples required and the associated sampling accuracy.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~4–6 hours per plot (including distance measurement, sample collection, and analysis)

Steps

1
Establish clustered sampling design in plot

Design a clustered soil-sampling scheme that accounts for spatial heterogeneity across the research plot. This systematic approach determines optimal cluster placement and spacing to capture representative soil variation.

▶ 00:45
2
Measure distances and collect soil samples

Measure distances between sampling locations and collect soil samples from designated points within the plot. Follow systematic field protocols to ensure consistent sample collection and accurate spatial documentation.

▶ 02:05
3
Analyze sampling design and determine sample size

Evaluate the collected data to determine the minimum number of soil samples required for accurate characterization and assess the sampling accuracy achieved with the clustered design.

▶ 05:29
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