Soil properties that determine the mortality and growth of Haloxylon aphyllum in the Aral region, Kazakhstan

Abstract

Black saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum) is a native tree species tolerant of aridity and salinity. It is planted to alleviate environmental damage due to the formation of the Aralkum desert and improve vegetation of the Aral Sea region. To investigate the environmental factors that determine seedling mortality and growth after rooting, we focused on soil properties and topographic factors in a study plot. We found that a hard clay layer that was low in hydraulic conductivity underlay accumulated sandy sediments at different depths. The soil in low seedling mortality areas was consistently sandy and low in salinity from the surface to a depth of 100 cm. In areas of high seedling mortality (75–100%), soils with a high content of silt and clay, with high salinity were detected within 100 cm depths. This suggests that accumulated sand sediment over a depth of 100 cm is required for root development. Plant height was positively correlated with depth of the hard clay layer. Significant relationships with plant height were also detected in chemical and physical properties at 80–100 cm such as electric conductivity (ECe), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sand ratio. However, these properties had no significant relationship at 0–20 cm or with the relative elevation of the plot, suggesting that the subsequent growth of seedlings depends more on the sub-soil environment than on-surface conditions. The assessment of sub-soil condition is recommended to make site selection for reforestation much more reliable.