PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #5: Soil Ecology.
Monday, August 6, 2001. Presentation from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Exhibition Hall
Soil properties of Horqin sandy land in Tongliao of Inner Mongolia, China.
CHOI, KYUNG1, KIM, SUK-KWEON1, KIM, CHOONSIG1, BYUN, JAE-KYUNG1, OH, JEONG-SOO1, 1
ABSTRACT- China is one of the most severely affected countries from desertification. Horqin sandy land is located in the northeastern part of China. Historically, this area was open forest and grass lands. However, land desertification is accelerating along with the increase in human activities such as overloaded grazing, cultivation and undue collection of fuel wood since 1970's. Nine sampling plots were chosen and mineral soil samples from three soil depths(0-10, 40-50, 90-100cm) were collected to examine soil properties of Horqin sandy land. The soils were dominated by fixed aeolian sandy soils and drifting aeolian sandy soils (US classification : Torripsamments) with little horizon development due to rapid sedimentation by aeolian sand deposition and/or topsoil losses by wind erosion. Soil texture was sand or loamy sand through soil profile with little variation among depths and the clay content ranged from 4% to 6% in all soil depths. Bulk densities of soils were 1.4-1.6g/cc indicating severely compacted by cultivation. Soil organic matter content generally decreased with increasing depth. The nutrient status was mostly low in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Salinity, electrical conductivity and sodium absorption ratio were aloso very low. The results suggest that poor soil properties are one of major limiting factors for ecological rehabilitation of this sandy soils.
KEY WORDS: desert soil, desertification, sandy land, soil degradation