Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (11): 1864-1874.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.11.07

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Physicochemical characteristics and quality assessment of Gobi soils, Hami City, China

ZHANG Jiudan1,2(), ZHANG Aiguo3(), JIN Jingyu1,2,4, LIU Shuaiqi1,2, WU Han1,2, LI Junli1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, Jiangsu, China
    4. Survey and Mapping Achievement Center of Xinjiang, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2024-06-07 Revised:2024-09-04 Online:2024-11-15 Published:2024-11-29
  • Contact: ZHANG Aiguo E-mail:zhangjiudan18@mails.ucas.ac.cn;zhangaiguo@nies.org

Abstract:

Soil quality is essential for vegetation cover and ecological recovery in Gobi zones. In this study, we analyzed 56 typical soil samples from the Hami Gobi to evaluate soil texture, salinity, and nutrient characteristics using eight indices, including soil moisture content, soil bulk density, pH, total salt content, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium. Based on these indices, we constructed a soil quality index (SQI) for a comprehensive soil quality assessment. The results revealed that soil quality in the Hami Gobi region was generally low, characterized by high gravel cover, low moisture content, severe salinization, and nutrient deficiency. The average soil quality in the Yiwu and Barkol regions was slightly higher than in the Yizhou zone, with better soil quality observed in areas where Gobi transitions into other land types. Overall, the SQI ranged from 0.4 to 0.5 across the Hami Gobi region and its subregions, showing a decreasing trend from north to south. This study highlights the urgent need for enhanced environmental protection and sustainable development strategies to copy with the impact of increasing human activities on the ecosystem.

Key words: Gobi, soil nutrients, gravel cover, salinization, soil quality index, Hami City