The spatial differentiation of soil salinity at the young saline coastal plain of the Caspian region

Received 13.10.2018, Revised 25.10.2018, Accepted 15.11. 2018The study is focused on the pattern of soil salinity at the young loamy coastal plains of the Caspian Sea in Russia and Iran which were released from water less than 300 years ago. At two key sites of 45×30 m (Russia) and 25×20 m (Iran), the soil sampling with 1 to 5 m grid was performed to the depth of 1 m. The electrical conductivity (1 : 2.5) was measured in soil samples and soil sa-linity maps were compiled. Soils are represented by solonchaks with 2–3% of saltsin the top layer or highly saline soils partly leached in the upper 5–10 cm. The ground water table is shallow (2–2.5 m). The studied sites are different in terms of climate, microtopography, and vegetation cover but spatial differenti-ation of soil salinity is quite similarwhat is evidenced from the similar distribu-tions (mean values and variance) of electrical conductivity in almost all studied depths. The redistribution of salts is mainly observed in the upper 50 cm with the maximal manifestation in the upper 5 cm.