Different scale measurements of soil moisture on the ground

This study investigated spatial variability of soil moisture in experimental fields of different size on the Mongolian plateau and in Japan. Data of near surface water contents at different depths and soil physical property parameters were obtained for each field. A complicated distribution of soil moisture was seen irrespective of the size of the field and the measurement interval. Statistical analyses showed no significant correlation between water content and either plant cover or saturated hydraulic conductivity, and that the spatial scale of soil moisture depended on the size of the experimental field and the measurement interval.