Soil Quality Improvement with Increasing Reclamation Years in the Yellow River Delta
Shanbao Liu,
Fadong Li,
Qiuying Zhang,
Zhao Li,
Chao Tian,
Yunfeng Qiao,
Kun Du,
Hefa Cheng,
Gang Chen,
Xiaoyan Li
Affiliations
Shanbao Liu
Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Fadong Li
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Qiuying Zhang
Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Zhao Li
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Chao Tian
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yunfeng Qiao
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Kun Du
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Hefa Cheng
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Gang Chen
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Florida A&M University—Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
Xiaoyan Li
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
The saline soils in the Yellow River Delta are primarily affected by seawater intrusion resulting from the intersection of land and sea, which exhibit variations in salinity. The quality of these soils is also influenced by anthropogenic reclamation, including fertilization and irrigation. This study quantitatively evaluated the distinct soil properties and soil quality characteristics of the Yellow River Delta during different reclamation years (i.e., 0a, 1a, 5a, 10a, and 20a) using principal component analysis (PCA) and the Soil Quality Index (SQI). The findings indicated that the soil salt content (SSC) significantly decreased (p 4+-N) notably increased by 8.31 mg/kg during the first five years of reclamation (0a to 5a) and gradually decreased by 2.56 mg/kg in the 20th year (20a). On the other hand, nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) experienced a significant decrease of 2–5 times after reclamation but continued to increase by 8.96 mg/kg with subsequent reclamation years. The available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) exhibited a significant increase of 24.87 mg/kg, 10.11 mg/kg, and 6.76 g/kg, respectively, with increasing reclamation years. However, available potassium (AK) gradually decreased after reclamation and then increased in the 20th year (20a). The values of SQI for different reclamation years were 0.307 for 0a, 0.339 for 1a, 0.320 for 5a, 0.318 for 10a, and 0.327 for 20a, indicating an increasing trend with increasing reclamation years. It was discovered that long-term reclamation significantly reduced soil salinity and improved soil quality, leading to the sustainable development of reclaimed saline soils in the Yellow River Delta.
