Assessment and development of pedotransfer functions to estimate soil saturated hydraulic conductivity in arid soils with application to GIS mapping in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia

A pedotransfer function (PTF) was successfully developed to predict soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in arid soils, with sand and bulk density identified as key influencing factors. The model demonstrated strong statistical performance, achieving a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.581, mean square error of 0.045, and root mean square error of 0.194. This PTF was applied to over 500 soil data points in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia, using GIS spatial interpolation techniques to generate a new Ks value map. The map serves as a practical tool for environmental researchers and engineers, providing an accessible guide for assessing soil hydraulic properties in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

AlSaeedi, A. (2023). Assessment and development of pedotransfer functions to estimate soil saturated hydraulic conductivity in arid soils with application to GIS mapping in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia. Egyptian Journal of Soil Science, 63(4), 0. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejss.2023.227275.1631