The salt accumulation at the shifting aeolian sandy soil surface with high salinity groundwater drip irrigation in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert

Abstract

The EC analysis and water serial sampling was performed in the Tarim Desert Highway shelterbelt to explore the water and salt dynamics of the shallow aeolian sandy soil (0–30cm) under high salinity groundwater drip irrigation. It was found that in one irrigation cycle, the EC of the shallow shifting aeolian sandy soil (0–30cm) increased while the water content decreased. The EC of the surface aeolian sandy soil at the wetting front was far greater than that of the wetting area or the outside of the wetting area. During the irrigation cycle, the EC of the wetting front and the wetting area changed at a significant magnitude, whereas the EC of the outside of the wetting area remained largely steady. The horizontal influence distance of drip irrigation on the salt accumulation at the soil surface was about 100 cm, and the vertical influence depth was 5 cm. The three most abundant ions in the accumulated salt at the aeolian sandy soil surface were Na+, Cl− and SO4 2−. The salt accumulation at the soil surface was influenced by air temperature, wind speed, mineralization of irrigation water, sand burial thickness, soil texture, and litter content.