Pedomodels Fitting with Fuzzy Least Squares Regression

Pedomodels have become a popular topic in soil science and environmental research. They are predictive functions of certain soil properties based on other easily or cheaply measured properties. The common method for fitting pedomodels is to use classical regression analysis, based on the assumptions of data crispness and deterministic relations among variables. In modeling natural systems such as soil system, in which the above assumptions are not held true, prediction is influential and we must therefore attempt to analyze the behavior and structure of such systems more realistically. In this paper we consider fuzzy least squares regression as a means of fitting pedomodels. The theoretical and practical considerations are illustrated by developing some examples of real pedomodels.