[Fractal theory and its application in the analysis of soil spatial variability: a review]

Soil has spatial variability in its attributes. The analysis of soil spatial variability is of significance for soil management. This paper summarized the fractal theory and its application in spatial analysis of soil variability, with the focus on the utilization of moment method in calculating the fractal dimension of soil attributes, the multi-fractal analysis of soil spatial variability, and the scaling up of soil attributes based on multi-fractal parameters. The studies on the application of fractal theory and multi-fractal method in the analysis of soil spatial variability were also reviewed. Fractal theory could be an important tool in quantifying the spatial variability and scaling up of soil attributes.