Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate the degree of spatial variability and variance structure of salinization parameters using classical and geostatistical method in Songnen Plain of China, which is one of largest saline-sodic areas in the World, and to analyze the relationship between salinization parameters, including soil salinity content (SC), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and pH, and seven environmental factors by Pearson and stepwise regression analysis. The environmental factors were ground elevation, surface ponding time, surface ponding depth, and soil moistures at four layers (0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, 30–60 cm, and 60–100 cm). The results indicated that SC, EC, and SAR showed great variations, whereas pH exhibited low variations. Four salinization parameters showed strongly spatial autocorrelation resulting from the compound impact of structural factors. The empirical semivariograms in the four parameters could be simulated by spherical and exponential models. The spatial distributions of SC, EC, SAR and pH showed similar patterns, with the coexistence of high salinity and sodicity in the areas with high ground elevation. By Pearson analysis, the soil salinization parameters showed a significant positive relationship with ground elevation, but a negative correlation with surface ponding time, surface ponding depth, and soil moistures. Both correlation and stepwise regression analysis showed that ground elevation is the most important environmental factor for spatial variation of soil sanilization. The results from this research can provide some useful information for explaining mechanism of salinization process and utilization of saline-sodic soils in the Western Songnen Plain.
Highlights
Soil salinity and sodicity have become an increasingly acute problem in Songnen Plain in northeastChina, one of three largest saline-sodic areas in the World [1]
A geostatistical approach was applied to the Western Songnen Plain to investigate the spatial distributions of salinization parameters and the relationship between salinization parameters and environmental factors
The calculated coefficients of variation for electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and salinity content (SC) ranged from 72%
Summary
Soil salinity and sodicity have become an increasingly acute problem in Songnen Plain in northeastChina, one of three largest saline-sodic areas in the World [1]. The Western Songnen Plain is experiencing the most severe land desertification in North China. The area of saline-sodic soil in Western Songnen Plain is about 2,573,400 ha, approximately 22.62% of its total area [2], and it is increasing at an annual rate of 13,500 ha [2]. Saline and sodic soils often display high spatial variability in soil salinity and sodicity at a field scale [4,5,6,7,8]. It is possibly caused by soil heterogeneity and temporal and spatial variations of external factors. The non-homogeneity of soil salinity and sodicity is deemed as one of the most striking characteristic of Western Songnen Plain, and makes it difficult for the development and utilization of saline-sodic soil, ecological reconstruction as well as sustainable development [2], so a quantitative description and explanation of soil salinity heterogeneity is very important for site-specific management in Songnen Plain
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