Study on the Scale Effect of Spatial Variation in Soil Salinity Based on Geostatistics: A Case Study of Yingdaya River Irrigation Area

Li Lu, Sheng Li (), Rong Wu and Deyou Shen
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Li Lu: School of Geology and Mining Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Sheng Li: School of Geology and Mining Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Rong Wu: School of Civil Engineering, Wanjiang University of Technology, Ma’anshan 232001, China
Deyou Shen: Xinjiang Railway Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Urumqi 830046, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-19

Abstract: Soil salinization seriously restricts the development of agricultural economies in arid and semi-arid areas. Mastering the spatial variability characteristics of multi-scale soil salt in irrigated areas is of great significance for the improvement and utilization of saline soil and agricultural production. The middle and lower reaches of the Yingdaya River were selected as the study area, and the irrigation area was divided into three scales: the L scale (irrigation area), the M scale (township level) and the S scale (village level). A total of 131 data sets were obtained through field investigations and sampling, and the spatial variability characteristics and scale effects of the soil salt in multi-scale irrigated areas were analyzed using classical statistics, geostatistics and nested model methods. The results showed that the average soil salinities at the L, M and S scales were 1.664%, 0.263% and 0.217%, respectively, and the coefficients of variation were 2.564, 1.312 and 0.866, respectively. The soil salinities at different scales exhibited moderate spatial correlation and anisotropic characteristics, through which, the maximum variation directions for L and M were 113° and 139°, respectively, and the maximum variation direction of the S scale was 86°. The spatial distribution of the soil salinity is affected by the scale effect, but the accuracy of spatial estimations can be effectively improved by using a multi-scale nested model for interpolation. The high-value areas of soil salt in the irrigation areas were distributed in the southeastern regions of the study area, and weakened in small areas around the high-value areas. The influence of each influencing factor on the soil salinization at different scales also differed. Except for the slope, the correlations between other influencing factors and the soil salt content gradually decreased with decreases in the scale. This study provides a concise summary of the spatial variation analysis of soil characteristic variables, and also provides a scientific basis for the formulation and implementation of salinization control programs.

Keywords: salinization; spatial variability; Yingdaya River irrigation area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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