Examining the Driving Factors of SOM Using a Multi-Scale GWR Model Augmented by Geo-Detector and GWPCA Analysis

Abstract

A model incorporating geo-detector analysis and geographically weighted principal component analysis into Multi-scale Geographically Weighted regression (GWPCA-MGWR) was developed to reveal the factors driving spatial variation in soil organic matter (SOM). The regression accuracy and residuals from GWPCA-MGWR were compared to those of the classical Geographically Weighted regression (GWR), Multi-scale Geographically Weighted regression (MGWR), and GWPCA-GWR. Our results revealed that local multi-collinearity on model fitting negatively affects the results to different degrees. Additionally, compared to other models, GWPCA-MGWR provided the lowest MAE (0.001) and little-to-no residual spatial autocorrelation and is the best model for regression for SOM spatial distribution and identification of dominant driving factors. GWPCA-MGWR produced spatial non-stationary SOM that was variably affected by soil nutrient content, soil type, and human activity, and was geomorphic in the second place. In conclusion, the spatial information obtained from GWPCA-MGWR provides a valuable reference for understanding the factors that influence SOM variation.