6th UF Water Institute Symposium Abstract

   
Submitter's Name Xinhu Li
Session Name Poster Session - Wetlands
Poster Number 55
 
Author(s) Xinhu Li,  Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  Gary Feng,  USDA-Agricultural Research Service (Presenting Author)
   
  Comparison of characteristic salt crust soils and no crust soils: implications for the effect of flooding on salinization in hyper-arid floodplains
   
  Soil salt crusts have been shown to restrict wind erosion and influence water and salt movement in soil, and they are therefore of great concern worldwide. However, there is little available information for the comparison of characteristic salt crust soils and soils without a salt crust (located near salt crust soils) in hyper-arid floodplains. The objective of this study was to investigate paired samples from salt crusts and surface soils without a salt crust in the floodplain of the Tarim River in China. The results revealed that the salt crust soils were mainly distributed in shrublands dominated by Tarimax species, which accounted for 73.33%, followed by wetlands, with a shallower groundwater table (<2.4 m). The salt crust thickness showed positive correlations with salt content (R2=0.610) and crust strength (R2=0.639). Compared with soils without a salt crust, the salt crusts exhibited higher clay (p<0.05), silt (p<0.01) and soil organic matter (p<0.01) contents, were located in low-lying areas, and experienced high flood overflow relatively frequently. Therefore, flooding did not decrease the salt content in top soils but may have increased the intensity of salt accumulation and caused salt crust formation in soils with shallower groundwater (e.g., <2.4 m).