Soil and water salinization in Ghaleh Ghazi region, Iran

Abstract

Approximately 34% of soils in Asia are influenced by salts. With about 25 million ha of saline and alkaline lands, about 15% of the country, Iran has the most saline lands in Asia after China, India, and Pakistan due to its geographical position, climate and human activities. This research was done due to determine the effective factors on soil and water salinization. At the first the boundaries of this region were characterized using GIS, then landuses were determined for field survey and also soil sampling in nine landuses were done according to both factors of planting pattern and water resources in each unit. The soil profile was prepared and soil samples were obtained from surface depths of (0 - 50 cm) and some factors such as soil texture EC, SAR, pH, CaCO3, Cl and potassium were measured. For study of water resources some samples were obtained from 30 wells and also from upland runoff, then soil and water sample were analyzed and some parameters such as EC, SAR, Cl- and pH were measured. Finally, according to data base, geological map, topography map, landuse map, soil and water measured data and also field studies, soil and water salinization schedule and region status were investigated. The results showed that important factors influencing water salinization in Ghaleh Ghazi region (Iran) are geological formations located in aquifer recharge and climate condition. Important factors of soil salinization in region are irrigation with saline water, improper irrigation method, unsuitable planting method, climate condition and landform.