Soil Salinity and Ion Contents on Peripheral Wetlands around Ebinur Lake

This study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of salt ions in the soil on the peripheral wetlands around Ebinur Lake in Xinjiang.Quantitative determination of salt ions in the soil was conducted by field sampling and analysis carried out in the laboratory.Statistical analysis and descriptive statistics were applied to characterize the soil salinity and ion content in the area.The results indicated that the soil salinities of all sampling points in the area ranged from 0.06g·kg^-1 to 29.69g·kg^-1,with significant variations among the different locations;the soil variation coefficient increased with increasing ground depth,e.g.,the coefficients were 0.99 and 0.93 in the 0-5cm and 5-20 cm layers of soil,respectively,while in the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers they were both 1.08;Cl^-and K⁺+Na⁺were the main salt ions,and the salts included mostly Na₂SO₄,NaHCO₃ and NaCl in the soil;the ion contents in the soil seemed to correlate to one another,with the highest correlation coefficient between Cland K⁺+Na⁺at 0.997;and there was a significant difference between the median and the mean values on salt contents of all samples.It was concluded that the salt distribution in the soil was uneven,the highest being in the surface layer.The spatial distribution of salts indicated that 0-5cm and 5-20 cm layers had a medium degree of variation,and 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers had a high degree of variation.The salt ion contents decreased with increasing depth of soil,and SO₄^2-and Ca²⁺were the most significant in that respect.