Salinity Effects on Soil Structure and Hydraulic Properties: Implications for Pedotransfer Functions in Coastal Areas

Xiao Zhang, Yutao Zuo, Tiejun Wang () and Qiong Han
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Xiao Zhang: Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yutao Zuo: Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Tiejun Wang: Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Qiong Han: Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Understanding the effects of salinity on soil structure and hydraulic properties is critical for addressing environmental challenges in coastal saline and sodic areas. In this study, soil samples were collected from a coastal region in eastern China to investigate how salinity affected the soil structure and hydraulic properties based on lab experiments. A comprehensive soil dataset was also compiled from the experimental results to develop a salinity-based pedotransfer function (PTF-S) tailored to the coastal environment. The results showed that salinity significantly altered the soil aggregate size distribution and hydraulic properties. Higher salinity promoted the formation of larger aggregates (0.25–2 mm), particularly in silty clay soil. Salinity positively correlated with the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ) in sandy loam soil, regardless of the cation type (Na⁺ or Ca 2 ⁺). By comparison, Na + increased the K s of silty clay soil up to a certain threshold, while Ca 2 + enhanced the K s regardless of the soil texture. Increased salinity also reduced the soil water retention of sandy loam soil; however, Na + increased the soil water retention of silty clay soil and Ca 2 + had different effects depending on the suction levels. The newly developed PTF-S model, which included the electrical conductivity (EC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC), showed better predictions for the volumetric water content (R = 0.886 and RMSE = 0.057 cm 3 /cm 3 ) and log K s (R = 0.991 and RMSE = 0.073 mm/h) than the traditional model that excludes the salinity variables EC and CEC (PTF-N) (R = 0.839 and RMSE = 0.066 cm 3 /cm 3 for the volumetric water content, and R = 0.966 and RMSE = 0.140 mm/h for the log K s ). This study highlights the importance of developing salinity-based PTFs for addressing soil salinization challenges.

Keywords: soil salinity; soil structure; pedotransfer function; soil water-retention curve; soil hydraulic properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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