Prediction of soil properties by using geographically weighted regression at a regional scale

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Tan ◽  
Peng-Tao Guo ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Mao-Fen Li ◽  
Hong-Bin Liu

Detailed information about spatial distribution of soil properties is important in ecological modelling, environmental prediction, precision agriculture, and natural resources management, as well as land-use planning. In the present study, a recently developed method called geographically weighted regression (GWR) is applied to predict spatial distribution of soil properties (pH, soil organic matter, available nitrogen, available potassium) based on topographical indicators, climate factors, and geological stratum at a regional scale. In total, 1914 soil samples collected from a depth of 0–20cm were used to calibrate and validate the models. Performances of the GWR models were compared with the traditional, ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression. The results indicated that the GWR models made significant improvements to model performances over OLS regression, based on F-test, coefficient of determination, and corrected Akaike information criterion. GWR models also improved the reliability of the soil–environment relationships by reducing the spatial autocorrelations in model residuals. Meanwhile, the use of GWR models disclosed that the relationships between soil properties and environmental variables were not invariant over space but exhibited significant spatial non-stationarity. Accordingly, the GWR models remarkably improved the prediction accuracies over the corresponding OLS models. The results demonstrated that GWR could serve as a useful tool for digital soil mapping in areas with complex terrain.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seblewongel Tigabu ◽  
Alemneh Mekuriaw Liyew ◽  
Bisrat Misganaw Geremew

Abstract Background In developing countries, 20,000 under 18 children give birth every day. In Ethiopia, teenage pregnancy is high with Afar and Somalia regions having the largest share. Even though teenage pregnancy has bad maternal and child health consequences, to date there is limited evidence on its spatial distribution and driving factors. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess the spatial distribution and spatial determinates of teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted using 2016 EDHS data. A total weighted sample of 3381 teenagers was included. The spatial clustering of teenage pregnancy was priorly explored by using hotspot analysis and spatial scanning statistics to indicate geographical risk areas of teenage pregnancy. Besides spatial modeling was conducted by applying Ordinary least squares regression and geographically weighted regression to determine factors explaining the geographic variation of teenage pregnancy. Result Based on the findings of exploratory analysis the high-risk areas of teenage pregnancy were observed in the Somali, Afar, Oromia, and Hareri regions. Women with primary education, being in the household with a poorer wealth quintile using none of the contraceptive methods and using traditional contraceptive methods were significant spatial determinates of the spatial variation of teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Conclusion geographic areas where a high proportion of women didn’t use any type of contraceptive methods, use traditional contraceptive methods, and from households with poor wealth quintile had increased risk of teenage pregnancy. Whereas, those areas with a higher proportion of women with secondary education had a decreased risk of teenage pregnancy. The detailed maps of hotspots of teenage pregnancy and its predictors had supreme importance to policymakers for the design and implementation of adolescent targeted programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
Azamat Suleymanov ◽  
Evgeny Abakumov ◽  
Ruslan Suleymanov ◽  
Ilyusya Gabbasova ◽  
Mikhail Komissarov

Topographic features of territory have a significant impact on the spatial distribution of soil properties. This research is focused on digital soil mapping (DSM) of main agrochemical soil properties—values of soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, pH, and thickness of the humus-accumulative (AB) horizon of arable lands in the Trans-Ural steppe zone (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia). The methods of multiple linear regression (MLR) and support vector machine (SVM) were used for the prediction of soil nutrients spatial distribution and variation. We used 17 topographic indices calculated using the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) digital elevation model. Results showed that SVM is the best method in predicting the spatial variation of all soil agrochemical properties with comparison to MLR. According to the coefficient of determination R2, the best predictive models were obtained for content of nitrogen (R2 = 0.74), SOC (R2 = 0.66), and potassium (R2 = 0.62). In our study, elevation, slope, and MMRTF (multiresolution ridge top flatness) index are the most important variables. The developed methodology can be used to study the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and large-scale mapping in similar landscapes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinando Ofria ◽  
Massimo Mucciardi

PurposeThe purpose is to analyze the spatially varying impacts of corruption and public debt as % of GDP (proxies of government failures) on non-performing loans (NPLs) in European countries; comparing two periods: one prior to the crisis of 2007 and another one after that. The authors first modeled the NPLs with an ordinary lest square (OLS) regression and found clear evidence of spatial instability in the distribution of the residuals. As a second step, the authors utilized the geographically weighted regression (GWR) to explore regional variations in the relationship between NPLs and the proxies of “Government failures”.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first modeled the NPL with an OLS regression and found clear evidence of spatial instability in the distribution of the residuals. As a second step, the author utilized the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) (Fotheringham et al., 2002) to explore regional variations in the relationship between NPLs and proxies of “Government failures” (corruption and public debt as % of GDP).FindingsThe results confirm that corruption and public debt as % of GDP, after the crisis of 2007, have affected significantly on NPLs of the EU countries and the following countries neighboring the EU: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Montenegro, and Turkey.Originality/valueIn a spatial prospective, unprecedented in the literature, this research focused on the impact of corruption and public debt as % of GDP on NPLs in European countries. The positive correlation, as expected, between public debt and NPLs highlights that fiscal problems in Eurozone countries have led to an important rise of problem loans. The impact of institutional corruption on NPLs reports that the higher the corruption, the higher is the level of NPLs.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlvin Anemey Tewara ◽  
Liu Yunxia ◽  
Weiqiang Ling ◽  
Binang Helen Barong ◽  
Prisca Ngetemalah Mbah-Fongkimeh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Studies have illustrated the association of malaria cases with environmental factors in Cameroon but limited in addressing how these factors vary in space for timely public health interventions. Thus, we want to find the spatial variability between malaria hotspot cases and environmental predictors using Geographically weighted regression (GWR) spatial modelling technique.Methods: The global Ordinary least squares (OLS) in the modelling spatial relationships tool in ArcGIS 10.3. was used to select candidate explanatory environmental variables for a properly specified GWR model. The local GWR model used the global OLS candidate variables to examine, predict and explore the spatial variability between environmental factors and malaria hotspot cases generated from Getis-Ord Gi* statistical analysis. Results: The OLS candidate environmental variable coefficients were statistically significant (adjusted R2 = 22.3% and p < 0.01) for a properly specified GWR model. The GWR model identified a strong spatial association between malaria cases and rainfall, vegetation index, population density, and drought episodes in most hotspot areas and a weak correlation with aridity and proximity to water with an overall model performance of 0.243 (adjusted R2= 24.3%).Conclusion: The generated GWR maps suggest that for policymakers to eliminate malaria in Cameroon, there should be the creation of malaria outreach programs and further investigations in areas where the environmental variables showed strong spatial associations with malaria hotspot cases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Mateusz Tomal

The proportion of tenants will undoubtedly rise in Poland, where at present, the ownership housing model is very dominant. As a result, the rental housing market in Poland is currently under-researched in comparison with owner-occupancy. In order to narrow this research gap, this study attempts to identify the determinants affecting rental prices in Cracow. The latter were obtained from the internet platform otodom.pl using the web scraping technique. To identify rent determinants, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and spatial econometric methods were used. In particular, traditional spatial autoregressive model (SAR) and spatial autoregressive geographically weighted regression (GWR-SAR) were employed, which made it possible to take into account the spatial heterogeneity of the parameters of determinants and the spatially changing spatial autocorrelation of housing rents. In-depth analysis of rent determinants using the GWR-SAR model exposed the complexity of the rental market in Cracow. Estimates of the above model revealed that many local markets can be identified in Cracow, with different factors shaping housing rents. However, one can identify some determinants that are ubiquitous for almost the entire city. This concerns mainly the variables describing the area of the flat and the age of the building. Moreover, the Monte Carlo test indicated that the spatial autoregressive parameter also changes significantly over space.


Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Hiebert ◽  
Allen

As global consumption and development rates continue to grow, there will be persistent stress placed on public goods, namely environmental amenities. Urban sprawl and development places pressure on forested areas, as they are often displaced or degraded in the name of economic development. This is problematic because environmental amenities are valued by the public, but traditional market analysis typically obscures the value of these goods and services that are not explicitly traded in a market setting. This research examines the non-market value of environmental amenities in Greenville County, SC, by utilizing a hedonic price model of home sale data in 2011. We overlaid home sale data with 2011 National Land Cover Data to estimate the value of a forest view, proximity to a forest, and proximity to agriculture on the value of homes. We then ran two regression models, an ordinary least squares (OLS) and a geographically weighted regression to compare the impact of space on the hedonic model variables. Results show that citizens in Greenville County are willing to pay for environmental amenities, particularly views of a forest and proximity to forested and agricultural areas. However, the impact and directionality of these variables differ greatly across space. These findings suggest the need for an integration of spatial dynamics into environmental valuation estimates to inform conservation policy and intentional city planning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myunggu Jung ◽  
Woorim Ko ◽  
Yeohee Choi ◽  
Youngtae Cho

South Korea has witnessed a remarkable decline in birth rates in the last few decades. Although there has been a large volume of literature exploring the determinants of low fertility in South Korea, studies on spatial variations in fertility are scarce. This study compares the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models to investigate the potential role of the spatially heterogeneous response of the total fertility rate (TFR) to sociodemographic factors. The study finds that the relationships between sociodemographic factors and TFRs in South Korea vary across 252 sub-administrative areas in terms of both magnitude and direction. This study therefore demonstrates the value of using spatial analysis for providing evidence-based local-population policy options in pursuit of a fertility rebound in South Korea.


Author(s):  
Long Ma ◽  
Jilili Abuduwaili ◽  
Wen Liu

A geographically weighted regression and classical linear model were applied to quantitatively reveal the factors influencing the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements of forty-eight surface soils from Bosten Lake basin in Central Asia. At the basin scale, the spatial distribution of the majority of potentially toxic elements, including: cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn), had been significantly influenced by the geochemical characteristics of the soil parent material. However, the arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), and mercury (Hg) have been influenced by the total organic matter in soils. Compared with the results of the classical linear model, the geographically weighted regression can significantly increase the level of simulation at the basin spatial scale. The fitting coefficients of the predicted values and the actual measured values significantly increased from the classical linear model (Hg: r2 = 0.31; Sb: r2 = 0.64; Cd: r2 = 0.81; and As: r2 = 0.68) to the geographically weighted regression (Hg: r2 = 0.56; Sb: r2 = 0.74; Cd: r2 = 0.89; and As: r2 = 0.85). Based on the results of the geographically weighted regression, the average values of the total organic matter for As (28.7%), Cd (39.2%), Hg (46.5%), and Sb (26.6%) were higher than those for the other potentially toxic elements: Cr (0.1%), Co (4.0%), Ni (5.3%), V (0.7%), Cu (18.0%), Pb (7.8%), Tl (14.4%), and Zn (21.4%). There were no significant non-carcinogenic risks to human health, however, the results suggested that the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements had significant differences.


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