Spatial Variation of Soil Salinity in the Coastal Reclamation. Area, Eastern China

Reclamation of coastal saline tidal flats has become a common practice for coastal countries faced with a decrease in cultivated land and an increase in population. Because the variability of soil salinity is considerable, understanding the spatial distribution of this salinity and its components is essential for land use planning. This study was conducted in a coastal area in eastern China that has been reclaimed under various land use types at different times. The objective of the work was to assess the effect of the reclamation time and land use types on soil salinity and spatial variation of soil salinity by using conventional statistics and geostatistical techniques. The results indicate that reclamation times and land use types significantly influence soil salinity in coastal areas. Cropland and aquaculture pond have same effect on soil desalinization. Soil desalinization reached a balance after 30 years. According to the average soil salinity at the depth of 0-40 cm and soil salinity spatial stability of soil profile, the study area is divided into eight management zones, which is useful for soil sampling investigation and making decisions on the hind of crops that can be cultivated at the different fields of the study area.