Historical soil survey paper maps are valuable resources that underpin strategies to support soil protection and promote sustainable land use practices, especially in developing countries where digital soil information is often missing. However, many of the soil maps, in particular those for developing countries, are held in traditional archives that are not easily accessible to potential users...

An 'anomalous' negative flux, in which carbon dioxide (CO2) enters rather than is released from the ground, was studied in a saline/alkaline soil. Soil sterilization disclosed an inorganic process of CO2 dissolution into (during the night) and out of (during the day) the soil solution, driven by variation in soil temperature. Experimental and modeling analysis revealed that pH and soil moisture...

To be successful in tree establishment, an assessment of land suitability would be necessary. The aim of this study was determining the potential habitats of three native tree species (Quercus persica, Pistacia atlantica, Amygdalous scoparia) in Siahkoh region of Ilam County, using Boolean method and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For this regard, the slope, aspect and hypsometric maps o...

Limited data are available on the ectomycorrhizae-induced changes in surface structure and composition of soil colloids, the most active portion in soil matrix, although such data may benefit the understanding of mycorrhizal-aided soil improvements. By using ectomycorrhizae (Gomphidius viscidus) and soil colloids from dark brown forest soil (a good loam) and saline-alkali soil (heavily degraded...

Due to the lack of good quality water for human consumption and industry, in many countries irrigated agriculture is exposed to increasing pressure to expand the use of brackish and even high-saline waters for crop production. The application of lower quality waters requires special management practices, which are not yet fully understood with respect to optimization of plant growth on saline s...

soil salinity is a serious problem in south khouzestan province. this study was conducted in shawoor agricultural research station, north of the city of ahwaz, on silty-clay soil with 8 dsm-1 salinity during 2006 and 2007. a completely randomized block design arranged in split plots with three replications was used. the plots (planting methods) were: broadcasting + disk harrow (p1), broadcastin...

sustainable management of limited land and water resources is urgently needed to meet the increasing demand for food and to protect the environment. land suitability analysis is a prerequisite in assessing and proposing sustainable land use alternatives for an area. soil data are usually available at different levels of detail and stored in various forms, usually soil maps and/or soil observati...

Salinization and secondary salinization often appear after irrigation with saline water. The Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt has been irrigated with saline ground water for more than ten years; however, soil salinity in the shelterbelt has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture and salinity in the shelterbelt s...