Temporal stability is described as the temporal persistence of a spatial pattern and is evaluated through correlation analysis of successive measurement data. In this study, the soil water storage was evaluated along two 76 m transects, each of them sampled at 20 points. The soil is an Oxisol (Yellow Red Latosol) under an 11- year-old citrus orchard, in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil. Soil water content, for the calculation of soil water storage in the layer 0.0-1.10 m, was obtained from weekly neutron probe readings at depths of 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80, 1.0 and 1.10 m. Soil water storage was calculated by Simpson´s method. The mean soil water storage for the three study years showed similar distribution over time. The linear correlation coefficient and Spearman rank correlation were high between year 1 and 2, year 2 and 3, and year 1 and 3, indicating temporal stability and a significant temporal persistence of the spatial pattern observed. A moderate space dependence of 17.10 m was verified for the exponential semivariogram. For the relative difference technique the following points presented stable behavior over time: point 29 for years 1 and 2, and points 16, 29 and 39 for year 3. These points can be used to estimate the mean soil water storage. Point 29 is the most recommendable for both gravimetric and volumetric soil water storage because of the stability in the three studied years.
variability; transect; neutron probe
