Causes for the Formation of Waterlogged Land in the Black Soil Region of Northeastern China

Abstract

Waterlogged land characterized by low productivity impact the productivity of the adjacent land and increase soil erosion. Gangzhongwa, one type of waterlogged lands, is widely distributed in Jiusan cultivated lands in Heilongjiang province China. Observation of soil profiles and measurements of soil physical properties were carried to investigate the factors related to the waterlogged land formation. The results showed Gangzhongwa waterlogged land is formed due to three reasons: firstly, the water table of groundwater is shallow and the soil profile texture varies regularly from clay loam layer, and sandy loam layer to aquitard layer; secondly soil infiltration is significantly correlated with sand content and gravel content; and thirdly the subsurface runoff makes the soil profile saturated where the surface clay loam layer is thin but the sandy layer is thick with larger infiltration rates. This study presents some theoretical insights for the Gangzhongwa waterlogged land conservation plan.