Analyzing spatiotemporal characteristics of soil salinity in arid irrigated agro-ecosystems using integrated approaches

• Published in: Geoderma Vol. 356; p. 113935
• Main Authors: Ren, Dongyang, Wei, Boyu, Xu, Xu, Engel, Bernard, Li, Guangyong, Huang, Quanzhong, Xiong, Yunwu, Huang, Guanhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.12.2019
• Subjects: agroecosystems; case studies; common lands; cropland; cropping systems; environmental health; Fragmented fields; geostatistics; groundwater; irrigation; land degradation; microrelief; Multiscale; Natural patches; remote sensing; salt content; Shallow water table; simulation models; Soil salinity; soil salinization; soil sampling; vegetation; water table; watersheds; Yellow River; Yellow River; Natural patches; Shallow water table; Soil salinity; Multiscale; Fragmented fields
• ISSN: 0016-7061; 1872-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.113935

Soil salinization is one of the most common land degradation processes that impacts agricultural production, environmental health, and economic welfare. The first task in managing soil salinity is to understand its spatiotemporal characteristics, causal factors and influences, both over large regions and within individual fields. In this study, a typical irrigated agro-ecosystem located in the upper Yellow River basin, suffering from long-term soil salinization problems, was selected as the case study area. Field sampling experiments and investigations related to soil layer salt content, groundwater, irrigation and ground elevation were carried out at three scales (field scale, canal scale and regional scale) covering both croplands and natural vegetation patches during 2016 and 2017. Spatiotemporal characteristics of soil salinity were analyzed for the three scales based on sampling data, remote sensing, geostatistical analysis and model simulation. Results showed that, at the regional scale, the soil salinity distribution was dominated by topography and groundwater depth; at the canal scale, it was dominated by irrigation and cropping pattern; at the field scale, it was dominated by micro-topography and the uniformity of field irrigation. Scale-dependent soil salinity management strategies should be adopted to maintain agricultural production and the sustainability of natural ecosystems. It can be concluded that using integrated approaches including multi scale soil sampling, model simulation and other modern techniques is an effective way for thorough understanding and management of soil salinity. •Soil sampling, GIS/RS and dynamic model were integrated for salinity analysis.•Salinity characteristics and their causal factors were scale dependent.•The proportion of salt-affected soil increased by 14% during the growing season.•Multiple modern techniques are needed for salt prediction and management.