The spatial variability of soil characteristics in the Planalto Médio region, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was studied in six areas cultivated with soybean. Semivariance and variance analyses were applied to the data obtained by systematic soil sampling to confirm and detail results obtained by nested analysis of variance, and to estimate the variance of characteristics within soil mapping units and the range of its application for land evaluation. Field work was performed from December, 1989 to March, 1990. The results confirmed that soil characteristics dependent on pedogenetic processes showed spatial interdependence up to 500 m or more, but the variance of characteristics affected by soil management would persist within shorter distances. Furthermore, the results indicated that land qualities such as nutrient availability cannot be extracted only from soil maps and that alternative methods of sampling and evaluation of spatial variability at short distances should be investigated to minimize the negative effect on the quality of soil maps.
systematic sampling; semivariance analysis; soil characterization; land quality