CIELAB COLOR PARAMETERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SOIL CHARACTERISTICS IN MEDITERRANEAN RED SOILS

CIELAB color parameters L, C-ab*, h(ab) and [Delta E-ab*> in aggregat e surface, aggregate core, and crushed soil samples from 19 Mediterran ean red soils were studied, The relationship between these color param eters and other soil characteristics was examined. Color parameters in aggregate samples were significantly different (ANOVA) from those in crushed samples although, according to a factor analysis, the color pa rameters in these two soil sample types were related, This factor anal ysis also showed h(ab), (hue-angle) and L (lightness) in aggregates t o be master variables for two factors, which accounted for 77.2% of th e total variance in color parameters, The pedoenvironmental variables- soil horizon, altitude, slope, vegetation, and soil moisture regime-we re sources of variation (ANOVA) in soil color parameters, Texture, org anic carbon content, cation exb change capacity, and mineralogical com position in fine earth and clay fraction were the analytical character istics correlated most strongly with soil color, CIELAB color paramete rs L and h(ab) (which, as Munsell value and hue, represent the color perception attributes lightness and hue) in soil aggregate samples wer e shown to be very useful for defining and characterizing color in Med iterranean red soils because of their relationship with the soil chara cteristics studied.