{"title":"Estimation of soil salinity using satellite-based variables and machine learning methods","authors":"Wanli Wang, Jinguang Sun","doi":"10.1007/s12145-024-01467-4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Soil salinity is one of the significant environmental issues that can reduce crop growth and productivity, ultimately leading to land degradation. Therefore, accurate monitoring and mapping of soil salinity are essential for implementing effective measures to combat increasing salinity. This study aims to estimate the spatial distribution of soil salinity using machine learning methods in Huludao City, located in northeastern China. By meticulously collecting data, soil salinity was measured in 310 soil samples. Subsequently, environmental parameters were calculated using remote sensing data. In the next step, soil salinity was modeled using machine learning methods, including random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN). Additionally, to estimate uncertainty, the lower limit (5%) and upper limit (95%) prediction intervals were used. The results indicated that accurate maps for predicting soil salinity could be obtained using machine learning methods. By comparing the methods employed, it was determined that the RF model is the most accurate approach for estimating soil salinity (RMSE=0.03, AIC=-919, BIS=-891, and R<sup>2</sup>=0.84). Furthermore, the results from the prediction interval coverage probability (PICP) index, utilizing the uncertainty maps, demonstrated the high predictive accuracy of the methods employed in this study. Moreover, it was revealed that the environmental parameters, including NDVI, GNDVI, standh, and BI, are the main controllers of the spatial patterns of soil salinity in the study area. However, there remains a need to explore more precise methods for estimating soil salinity and identifying salinity patterns, as soil salinity has intensified with increased human activities, necessitating more detailed investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49318,"journal":{"name":"Earth Science Informatics","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Earth Science Informatics","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-024-01467-4","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Soil salinity is one of the significant environmental issues that can reduce crop growth and productivity, ultimately leading to land degradation. Therefore, accurate monitoring and mapping of soil salinity are essential for implementing effective measures to combat increasing salinity. This study aims to estimate the spatial distribution of soil salinity using machine learning methods in Huludao City, located in northeastern China. By meticulously collecting data, soil salinity was measured in 310 soil samples. Subsequently, environmental parameters were calculated using remote sensing data. In the next step, soil salinity was modeled using machine learning methods, including random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN). Additionally, to estimate uncertainty, the lower limit (5%) and upper limit (95%) prediction intervals were used. The results indicated that accurate maps for predicting soil salinity could be obtained using machine learning methods. By comparing the methods employed, it was determined that the RF model is the most accurate approach for estimating soil salinity (RMSE=0.03, AIC=-919, BIS=-891, and R2=0.84). Furthermore, the results from the prediction interval coverage probability (PICP) index, utilizing the uncertainty maps, demonstrated the high predictive accuracy of the methods employed in this study. Moreover, it was revealed that the environmental parameters, including NDVI, GNDVI, standh, and BI, are the main controllers of the spatial patterns of soil salinity in the study area. However, there remains a need to explore more precise methods for estimating soil salinity and identifying salinity patterns, as soil salinity has intensified with increased human activities, necessitating more detailed investigations.
期刊介绍:
The Earth Science Informatics [ESIN] journal aims at rapid publication of high-quality, current, cutting-edge, and provocative scientific work in the area of Earth Science Informatics as it relates to Earth systems science and space science. This includes articles on the application of formal and computational methods, computational Earth science, spatial and temporal analyses, and all aspects of computer applications to the acquisition, storage, processing, interchange, and visualization of data and information about the materials, properties, processes, features, and phenomena that occur at all scales and locations in the Earth system’s five components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, cryosphere) and in space (see "About this journal" for more detail). The quarterly journal publishes research, methodology, and software articles, as well as editorials, comments, and book and software reviews. Review articles of relevant findings, topics, and methodologies are also considered.