Effect of salinization on soil properties and mechanisms beneficial to microorganisms in salinized soil remediation-a review

Salinized soil is an important reserved arable land resource in China.The management and utilization of salinized soil can safeguard the current size of arable land and a stable grain yield.Salt accumulation will lead to the deterioration of soil properties,destroy soil production potential and damage soil ecological functions,which in turn will threaten global water and soil resources and food security,and affect sustainable socio-economic development.Microorganisms are important components of salinized soil.Microbial remediation is an important research tool in improving salinized soil and is key to realizing sustainable development of agriculture and the ecosystem.Knowledge about the impact of salinization on soil properties and measures using microorganisms in remediation of salinized soil has grown over time.However,the mechanisms governing these impacts and the ecological principles for microbial remediation are scarce.Thus,it is imperative to summarize the effects of salinization on soil physical,chemical,and microbial properties,and then review the related mechanisms of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms in salinized soil remediation via direct and indirect pathways.The stability,persistence,and safety of the microbial remediation effect is also highlighted in this review to further promote the application of microbial remediation in salinized soil.The objective of this review is to provide reference and theoretical support for the improvement and utilization of salinized soil.

Buried straw layer and plastic mulching increase microflora diversity in salinized soil

Salt stress has been increasingly constraining crop productivity in arid lands of the world. In our recent study, salt stress was aleviated and crop productivity was improved remarkably by straw layer burial plus plastic iflm mulching in a saline soil. However, its impact on the microlfora diversity is not wel documented. Field micro-plot experiments were conducted from 2010 to 2011 using four tilage methods： （i） deep tilage with plastic iflm mulching （CK）, （i） straw layer burial at 40 cm （S）, （ii） straw layer burial plus surface soil mulching with straw material （S＋S）, and （iv） plastic iflm mulching plus buried straw layer （P＋S）. Culturable microbes and predominant bacterial communities were studied; based on 16S rDNA, bacterial com-munity structure and abundance were characterized using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） and polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Results showed that P＋S was the most favorable for culturable bacteria, actinomyces and fungi and induced the most diverse genera of bacteria compared to other tilage methods. Soil temperature had signiifcant positive correlations with the number of bacteria, actinomyces and fungi （P〈0.01）. However, soil water was poorly correlated with any of the microbes. Salt content had a signiifcant negative correlation with the number of microbers, especialy for bacteria and fungi （P〈0.01）. DGGE analysis showed that the P＋S exhibited the highest diversity of bacteria with 20 visible bands folowed by S＋S, S and CK. Moreover, P＋S had the highest similarity （68%） of bacterial communities with CK. The major bacterial genera in al soil samples wereFirmicutes,Proteobacteria andActinobacteria. Given the considerable increase in microbial growth, the combined use of straw layer burial and plastic iflm mulching could be a practical option for aleviating salt stress effects on soil microbial community and thereby improving crop production in arid saline soils.

Derivation of salt content in salinized soil from hyperspectral reflectance data: A case study at Minqin Oasis, Northwest China

Soil salinization is a serious ecological and environmental problem because it adversely affects sustainable development worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. It is crucial and urgent that advanced technologies are used to efficiently and accurately assess the status of salinization processes. Case studies to determine the relations between particular types of salinization and their spectral reflectances are essential because of the distinctive characteristics of the reflectance spectra of particular salts. During April 2015 we collected surface soil samples(0–10 cm depth) at 64 field sites in the downstream area of Minqin Oasis in Northwest China, an area that is undergoing serious salinization. We developed a linear model for determination of salt content in soil from hyperspectral data as follows. First, we undertook chemical analysis of the soil samples to determine their soluble salt contents. We then measured the reflectance spectra of the soil samples, which we post-processed using a continuum-removed reflectance algorithm to enhance the absorption features and better discriminate subtle differences in spectral features. We applied a normalized difference salinity index to the continuum-removed hyperspectral data to obtain all possible waveband pairs. Correlation of the indices obtained for all of the waveband pairs with the wavebands corresponding to measured soil salinities showed that two wavebands centred at wavelengths of 1358 and 2382 nm had the highest sensitivity to salinity. We then applied the linear regression modelling to the data from half of the soil samples to develop a soil salinity index for the relationships between wavebands and laboratory measured soluble salt content. We used the hyperspectral data from the remaining samples to validate the model. The salt content in soil from Minqin Oasis were well produced by the model. Our results indicate that wavelengths at 1358 and 2382 nm are the optimal wavebands for monitoring the concentrations of chlorine and sulphate compounds, the predominant salts at Minqin Oasis. Our modelling provides a reference for future case studies on the use of hyperspectral data for predictive quantitative estimation of salt content in soils in arid regions. Further research is warranted on the application of this method to remotely sensed hyperspectral data to investigate its potential use for large-scale mapping of the extent and severity of soil salinity.

Spatial distribution of soil salinization under the influence of human activities in arid areas,China

The Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China belongs to arid desert climate,with significant soil salinization issues.The study selected six rivers in Hotan Prefecture(Pishan,Qaraqash,Yurungqash,Celle,Kriya,and Niya rivers)to explore the spatial distribution of soil salinization in this area and its underlying mechanisms.Sampling was conducted along each river's watershed,from the Gobi in the upper reaches,through the anthropogenic impact area in the middle reaches,to the desert area in the lower reaches.Soil physical-chemical indicators,including total soluble salts,pH,K+,Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+,SO42-,Cl-,CO32-,HCO3-,organic matter,available nitrogen,available phosphorus,and available potassium,were tested,along with the total dissolved solids of surface water and groundwater.The results revealed that the soil water and nutrient contents in anthropogenic impact area were higher than those in Gobi and desert areas,while the pH and total soluble salts were lower than those in Gobi and desert areas.The ions in the soil of the study area were primarily Cl-,SO42-,K+,and Na+,and the ion concentration of soil salt were positively correlated with surface water and groundwater.Overall,the study area exhibited low soil water content,low clay content,infertile soil,and high soil salinization,dominated by weak to moderate chloride-sulfate types.Compared with Gobi and desert areas,the soil in anthropogenic impact area had higher soil water content,lower pH,lower soluble salts,and higher nutrients,indicating that human farming activities help mitigate salinization.These findings have practical implications for guiding the scientific prevention and control of soil salinization in the arid areas and for promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Climate and topography regulate the spatial pattern of soil salinization and its effects on shrub community structure in Northwest China

Soil salinization may affect biodiversity and species composition,leading to changes in the plant community structure.However,few studies have explored the spatial pattern of soil salinization and its effects on shrub community structure at the ecosystem scale.Therefore,we conducted a transect sampling of desert shrublands in Northwest China during the growing season(June–September)in 2021.Soil salinization(both the degree and type),shrub community structure(e.g.,shrub density and height),and biodiversity parameters(e.g.,Simpson diversity,Margalf abundance,Shannon-Wiener diversity,and Pielou evenness indices)were used to assess the effects of soil salinization on shrub community structure.The results showed that the primary degree of soil salinization in the study area was light salinization,with the area proportion of 69.8%.Whereas the main type of soil salinization was characterized as sulfate saline soil,also accounting for 69.8%of the total area.Notably,there was a significant reduction in the degree of soil salinization and a shift in the type of soil salinization from chloride saline soil to sulfate saline soil,with an increase in longitude.Regional mean annual precipitation(MAP),mean annual evapotranspiration(MAE),elevation,and slope significantly contributed to soil salinization and its geochemical differentiation.As soil salinization intensified,shrub community structure displayed increased diversity and evenness,as indicated by the increases in the Simpson diversity,Shannon-Wiener diversity,and Pielou evenness indices.Moreover,the succulent stems and leaves of Chenopodiaceae and Tamaricaceae exhibited clear advantages under these conditions.Furthermore,regional climate and topography,such as MAP,MAE,and elevation,had greater effects on the distribution of shrub plants than soil salinization.These results provide a reference for the origin and pattern of soil salinization in drylands and their effects on the community structure of halophyte shrub species.

Experimental investigation into the salinity effect on the physicomechanical properties of carbonate saline soil

For engineering structures with saline soil as a filling material,such as channel slope,road subgrade,etc.,the rich soluble salt in the soil is an important potential factor affecting their safety performance.This study examines the Atterberg limits,shear strength,and compressibility of carbonate saline soil samples with different NaHCO3 contents in Northeast China.The mechanism underlying the influence of salt content on soil macroscopic properties was investigated based on a volumetric flask test,a mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)test,and a scanning electron microscopic(SEM)test.The results demonstrated that when NaHCO3 contents were lower than the threshold value of 1.5%,the bound water film adsorbed on the surface of clay particles thickened continuously,and correspondingly,the Atterberg limits and plasticity index increased rapidly as the increase of sodium ion content.Meanwhile,the bonding force between particles was weakened,the dispersion of large aggregates was enhanced,and the soil structure became looser.Macroscopically,the compressibility increased and the shear strength(mainly cohesion)decreased by 28.64%.However,when the NaHCO3 content exceeded the threshold value of 1.5%,the salt gradually approached solubility and filled the pores between particles in the form of crystals,resulting in a decrease in soil porosity.The cementation effect generated by salt crystals increased the bonding force between soil particles,leading to a decrease in plasticity index and an improvement in soil mechanical properties.Moreover,this work provides valuable suggestions and theoretical guidance for the scientific utilization of carbonate saline soil in backfill engineering projects.

The effect of seismic action on stability of saline soil subgrade in cold region based on isothermal stratification method

With the change of seasons, the shear strength of saline soil subgrade filler will change with the change of external temperature, which will aggravate the adverse effects of seismic on the subgrade. To explore the influence of seismic action on the stability of saline soil subgrade under the influence of temperature on the strength of saline soil subgrade filler, this paper first carried out saline soil shear tests at different temperatures to obtain the influence of temperature on the shear strength of saline soil. Then, the temperature field of the saline soil subgrade was simulated, and then based on the subgrade isothermal stratification model and FLAC3D, the displacement and acceleration amplification effects of seismic action on the shady slope, sunny slope and subgrade of saline soil subgrade in different months were analyzed. The following conclusions were finally drawn: under the action of seismic, In the process of the change of subgrade temperature of Qarhan-Golmud Expressway between 7.7°C and 27°C, the change of saline soil cohesion is the main factor affecting the stability of subgrade slope, and the maximum and minimum values of subgrade surface settlement appear in September and June of each year,respectively. In August, the differences of settlement between the shady slope and the sunny slope shoulder of the subgrade were the largest, and the acceleration of the shady slope and the sunny slope and the inside of the subgrade changed most significantly in the vertical direction. Special attention should be paid to the seismic early warning in the above key months;In the range from both sides of the shoulder to the centerline of the roadbed,the acceleration amplification effect starts to increase significantly from about 3m from the centerline of the roadbed to the centerline, so it is necessary to pay attention to the seismic design of this range.

Effect of Saline Water on Soil Acidity, Alkalinity and Nutrients Leaching in Sandy Loamy Soil in Rwamagana Bella Flower Farm, Rwanda

The necessity to saline and sodic waters is sometimes used for irrigating agricultural activities under certain circumstances, but it is important to note that the use of these waters comes with specific considerations and limitations. One way to decrease undesirable effects of sodic waters on the physical and chemical properties of soils is to apply organic and chemical amendments within the soil. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of saline water on soil acidity, alkalinity and nutrients leaching in sandy loamy soil at Bella flower farm, in Rwamagana District, Rwanda. The water used was from the Muhazi Lake which is classified as Class I (Saline water quality). Column leaching experiments using treated soils were then conducted under saturated conditions. The soil under experimental was first analyzed for its textural classification, soil properties and is classified as sandy loamy soil. The t-test was taken at 1%, 5% and 10% levels of statistical significance compared to control soil. The results indicated that the application of saline water to soils caused an increase in some soil nutrients like increase of Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sulphur (S), CN ratio and Sodium (Na+) and decreased soil texture, physical and chemical properties and remained soil nutrients. Consequently, the intensive addition of saline water leachates to soil in PVC pipes led to decreased of soil EC through leaching and a raiser Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP). The rate of saline water application affected the increase accumulation of SAR and Na% in the top soil layers. The study indicated that saline water is an inefficient amendment for sandy soil with saline water irrigation. The study recommends further studies with similar topic with saline water irrigation, as it accentuated the alkalinity levels.

Visual Analysis of Remote Sensing Monitoring of Soil Salinization

Soil salinization seriously restricts the development of agricultural production,the sustainable use of land resources,and the stability of the ecological environment.In order to objectively reveal the research status of soil salinization,CiteSpace software was used to conduct data mining and quantitative analysis on research papers on soil salinization from 2008 to 2023 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)and Web of science databases.The data sources were transformed into visual graphs by reproducing clustering statistics from aspects such as publication volume,authors,keywords,and publishing institutions.In addition,this paper also combined the actual needs and cutting-edge hotspots in relevant research in China,and proposed and analyzed the limitations and future development trends of soil salinity monitoring research in China.This has important practical significance for comprehensively grasping the current research status of salinization,further clarifying and sorting out the research ideas of salinization monitoring,enriching the remote sensing monitoring methods of saline soil,and solving the actual problems of soil salinization in China.

Improvements in saline soil and the law of water-salt transport based on salt inhibition using MICP technology

Soil desertification and salinization are the main environmental disasters in arid and semi-arid areas.It is of great significance to study the water-salt migration law of saline soil and propose corresponding water-salt regulation and control measures.Microbial-induced calcite precipitation(MICP)technology was proposed to improve saline soil based on salt inhibition,and the water–salt–heat coupling migration law and salt-frost heave deformation law of saline soil before and after improvement were studied using soil column model tests.XR1#,XR2#(Saline-alkali-tolerant mineralization bacteria isolated from saline soil)and Sporosarcina pasteurii were used in the MICP improvement and the effect of XR1#was the best.Under high-temperature evaporation,the water migration change rate,water loss rate,accumulated evaporation amount,and accumulated salt content of the improved soil columns within a depth range of 0–40 cm were reduced by an average of 53.6%,47.3%,69.5%,and 40%,respectively,compared with the untreated soil column.During low-temperature cooling,the characteristics of water-salt migration changed significantly,and the deformation of salt-frost heave decreased significantly.The water-salt content at the freezing point(−4.5°C)changed from a cliff-like steep drop(untreated saline soil)to a slow decrease at environmental temperature(MICP-treated saline soil),and the amount of water crystallization decreased from 81%to 56.7%at−5°C.At the end of the cooling process,the amount of salt-frost heaving on the surface of the soil columns decreased by an average of 62.7%.Based on the measured data,a numerical simulation was conducted using the HYDRUS-1D model,which had good reliability and accurately simulated and predicted the law of water-salt migration in saline soil under the conditions of microbial solidification and improvement.MICP technology significantly reduced the change rate of water-salt migration and water evaporation in saline soil,hindered salt accumulation,and reduced salt-frost heave deformation,which effectively improved saline soil.The research results provide an important innovation and theoretical basis for the improvement of saline soil.

Amelioration of Salt Stress on Wheat Plants Growth in Coastal Saline Soil by a Phosphate Solubilizing Bacterium Enterobacteria sp. EnHy-401

A pot experiment was conducted to examine the effects of a phosphate solubilizing bacterium（PSB）,Enterobacteria sp.EnHy-401,on the availability of insoluble accumulative phosphorus（P）and growth of wheat（Triticum Ningmai No.13）plants in sterile saline soil.Our results showed that the strain EnHy-401 had the ability to activate the insoluble accumulated phosphorus in saline soil and enhanced nutrient uptake efficiency by wheat plants,then conferred resistance in wheat plants to salt stress and resulted in a significant growth increase.In saline soil inoculated with Enterobacteria sp.EnHy-401,available phosphorus and exchangeable calcium was increased from 6.4 mg/kg and 1 162 mg/kg to 10.3 mg/kg and 1 214 mg/kg,respectively.Wheat seedling grown in soil inoculated with the EnHy-401 strain increased shoot weight by 28.1% and root weight by 14.6% when compared to the control.P,Ca,K and Mg contents in shoots increased 34.4%,36.3%,31.5%,and 6.3% compared to the control,respectively.the fact that the increases in available P,biomass P,and Ca2＋ concentration in saline soil treated with PSB Enterobacter sp.EnHy-401 inocula,and high relativity between the P,Ca,K,and Mg content in wheat tissue and dry matter indicated that PSB Enterobacter sp.EnHy-401 suppressed the adverse effect of salinity stress in plants through nutrient（P and Ca）supply and nutrient（K and Mg）uptake enhancement.The phosphate solubilizing activity of Enterobacteria sp.EnHy-401 and the amelioration of salt stress on wheat plants by the strain varied with the salinity levels and content of organic matter in the saline soil.

Analysis on Reflectance Spectral Characteristics of Typical Saline Soil in Arid Area

The spectral characteristic of geography objects is not only the important content of remote sensing mechanism, but also the important basis for remote sensing application. The reflectance spectral characteristics reflect the physiochemi-cal properties of saline soil. With 3 kinds of typical saline soils in the arid area as the study objects, the reflectance spectrums of soils with different salt contents and soil moistures were measured, and the spectral characteristics of the spectrums were analyzed. The results showed that under dry condition, the reflectance of the three kinds of saline soils presented obvious high-low patterns, while under damp condition, there was no obvious pattern. With continuum removed ,the three kinds of saline soils showed significant difference in reflectance spectral characteristics. There was significant difference in the absorption depth of the two absorption val eys un-der dry and damp conditions, which could be used to identify these 3 saline soils. The result of this research can be used for the parametric inversion and classifica-tion of saline soil retrieval and classification, as wel as for the remote sensing monitoring on saline soil.

Effect of Different K^+/Mg^(2+) Ration Nutrient Solutions on Soil Salinity

Using simulated soil column experiments, the effects of different dosages and ratios of KCI and MgCI2 mixture on salinization nutrient ions in the secondary salinization soil which had 3 years of planting were studied, with the aim to provide the theory basis for the remediation of secondary salinization soil. Results showed that the content of soil K-, Mg2＋, CI- and the total salinity were increased, with the increasing concentrations of nutrient solution, while Na＋, Ca2＋ and HCO3- contents were reduced. Compared with originals oil, soil K＋, Na＋, Ca2＋, Mg2＋, CI- and total soil salinity were decreased, and HCO3- and SO42 were increased. In terms of the variation of soil total charge, the change ranges in 1：1 treatment varied small, but the residual of soil cationic decreased with increasing application of K＋ in the 2：1 treatment. It could be concluded that balanced and low application fertilizer could alleviate the soil saline, decrease the soil nutrition leaching and improve the balance among ions, while excess fertilization could accelerate the imbalance of zwitterions.

Effects of Straw Covering and Different Types of Potassium Fertilizer on Salinity Accumulation in Surface Layer of Tobacco-planted Paddy Soil

[Objective] This study aimed to investigation the effects of straw covering and different types of potassium fertilizer on salinity accumulation in surface layer of tobacco-planted paddy soil in southern China. [Method] Tobacco variety ‘Yunyan87’ was used as the experimental material to investigate the effects of salinity accumulation in surface layer of tobacco-planted paddy soil on the growth and development of flue-cured tobacco using different types of potassium fertilizer and mulching cultivation methods. [Result] The results showed that K＋ , Ca2＋ , SO42and NO3-were the major salt ions in topsoil at different growth stages of flue-cured tobacco, Na ＋ and Mg2＋ contents were also relatively high at vigorous growth stage, indicating that these salt ions were easily accumulated in surface layer of soil; to be specific, the absolute increase of salt ion concentration showed a decreasing order of K＋ SO42- NO3-Ca2＋ Mg2＋ Na＋ Cl-, while the relative increase of salt ion concentration showed a decreasing order of Ca2＋ K＋ Na＋ NO3-SO42-Mg2＋ Cl-. At 60 d posttransplanting, total salt content in topsoil reached the minimum of 359.1 mg/kg in Treatment 2, total salt content in topsoil reached the maximum of 536.1 mg/kg in Treatment 5 （CK）, which was significantly higher than that in other treatments. At 90 d post-transplanting, no significant difference was observed in total salt content among various treatments. At harvesting period, total salt content in topsoil reached the maximum of 3 278.4 mg/kg in Treatment 1, which was significantly higher than that in other treatments. Topsoil pH showed no significant differences among various treatments at three different periods, ranging from 5.39 to 5.59. Straw covering could effectively reduce salt content in topsoil, accelerate vigorous growth of tobacco, shorten vigorous growth period and increase plant height, leaf number and lead area; at vigorous growth stage, root vitality and root volume of tobacco were improved, but the yield and output value were relatively low. Major agronomic traits and yield of tobacco showed no significant difference among various treatments. Output value of tobacco reached the maximum of 24 196.8 yuan/hm2 in Treatment 3, which was significantly higher than that in other treatments. [Conclusion] Appropriate types and proportions of potassium fertilizer and straw covering can effectively reduce the total salt content in tobacco-planted paddy soil and increase the effective supply amount of K＋ , Ca2＋ , SO42-and NO3-, thereby promoting and improving the root vitality of tobacco, which is conducive to the growth and development of tobacco and will eventually enhance the yield, quality and economic benefits of flue-cured tobacco.

Effects of saline irrigation on soil salt accumulation and grain yield in the winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system in the low plain of North China

In the dominant winter wheat （WW）-summer maize （SM） double cropping system in the low plain located in the North China, limited access to fresh water, especially during dry season, constitutes a major obstacle to realize high crop productivity. Using the vast water resources of the saline upper aquifer for irrigation during WW jointing stage, may help to bridge the peak of dry season and relieve the tight water situation in the region. A field experiment was conducted during 2009-2012 to investigate the effects of saline irrigation during WW jointing stage on soil salt accumulation and productivity of WW and SM. The experiment treatments comprised no irrigation （T1）, fresh water irrigation （T2）, slightly saline water irrigation （T3：2.8 dS m-l）, and strongly saline water irrigation （T4：8.2 dS m-1） at WW jointing stage. With regard to WW yields and aggregated annual WW-SM yields, clear benefits of saline water irrigation （T3 ＆ T4） compared to no irrigation （T1）, as well as insignificant yield losses compared to fresh water irrigation （T2） occurred in all three experiment years. However, the increased soil salinity in eady SM season in consequence of saline irrigation exerted a negative effect on SM photosynthesis and final yield in two of three experiment years. To avoid the negative aftereffects of saline irrigation, sufficient fresh water irrigation during SM sowing phase （i.e., increase from 60 to 90 mm） is recommended to guarantee good growth conditions during the sensitive early growing period of SM. The risk of long-term accumulation of salts as a result of saline irrigation during the peak of dry season is considered low, due to deep leaching of salts during regularly occurring wet years, as demonstrated in the 2012 experiment year. Thus, applying saline water irrigation at jointing stage of WW and fresh water at sowing of SM is most promising to realize high yield and fresh irrigation water saving.

Present situation and tendency of saline-alkali soil in west Jilin Province

Taking west Jilin Province as an example, this paper put forward the assessment index of salinization, and based on it, the authors present the distribution characteristics of saline-alkali soil in the 1980s and the 1990s in west Jilin and analyze its physical and chemical properties in detail. The developing tendency of salinization was also inferred by comparing the saline-alkali soil of the 1980s with that of the 1990s. Finally, the natural and human factors leading to salinization are analyzed.

Detecting soil salinity with arid fraction integrated index and salinity index in feature space using Landsat TM imagery

Modeling soil salinity in an arid salt-affected ecosystem is a difficult task when using remote sensing data because of the complicated soil context （vegetation cover, moisture, surface roughness, and organic matter） and the weak spectral features of salinized soil. Therefore, an index such as the salinity index （SI） that only uses soil spectra may not detect soil salinity effectively and quantitatively. The use of vegetation reflectance as an indirect indicator can avoid limitations associated with the direct use of soil reflectance. The normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI）, as the most common vegetation index, was found to be responsive to salinity but may not be available for retrieving sparse vegetation due to its sensitivity to background soil in arid areas. Therefore, the arid fraction integrated index （AFⅡ） was created as supported by the spectral mixture analysis （SMA）, which is more appropriate for analyzing variations in vegetation cover （particularly halophytes） than NDVI in the study area. Using soil and vegetation separately for detecting salinity perhaps is not feasible. Then, we developed a new and operational model, the soil salinity detecting model （SDM） that combines AFⅡ and SI to quantitatively estimate the salt content in the surface soil. SDMs, including SDM1 and SDM2, were constructed through analyzing the spatial characteristics of soils with different salinization degree by integrating AFⅡ and SI using a scatterplot. The SDMs were then compared to the combined spectral response index （COSRI） from field measurements with respect to the soil salt content. The results indicate that the SDM values are highly correlated with soil salinity, in contrast to the performance of COSRI. Strong exponential relationships were observed between soil salinity and SDMs （R2〉0.86, RMSE〈6.86） compared to COSRI （R2=0.71, RMSE=16.21）. These results suggest that the feature space related to biophysical properties combined with AFII and SI can effectively provide information on soil salinity.

Saline soil enzyme activities of four plant communities in Sangong River basin of Xinjiang,China

Soil enzyme activity plays an important role in the conversion of soil organic carbon into inorganic carbon, which is significant for the global carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the soil enzyme activities of two ligninolytic enzymes （peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase） and five non-ligninolytic enzymes （a-l,4-glucosidase （AG）; 13-1,4-gluco- sidase （BG）; N-acetyl-[3-glucosaminidase （NAG）; ~3-D-cellobiosidase （CBH）; and ^-xylosidase （BXYL）） in four plant communities of the Sangong River basin in Fukang, North Xinjiang, China. The four typical plant communities were dominated by Haloxylon ammodendron, Reaumuria soongonica, Salsola passerina, and Tamarix rarmosissima, respec- tively, with saline soils of varied alkalinity. The results showed that the soil peroxidase activity decreased seasonally. The activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes decreased with increasing soil depths, while those of the two ligninolytic enzymes did not show such a trend. In the four plant communities, BG had the highest activity among the five non-ligninolytic enzymes, and the activities of the two ligninolytic enzymes were higher than those of the four non-ligninolytic ones （AG, NAG, CBH, and BXYL）. The community of H. ammodendron displayed the highest activity with respect to the two ligninolytic enzymes in most cases, but no significant differences were found among the four plant communities. The geometric mean of soil enzyme activities of the four plant communities was validated through an inde- pendently performed principal component analysis （PCA）, which indicated that different plant communities had different soil enzyme activities. The correlation analysis showed that soil polyphenol oxidase activity was significantly positively correlated with the activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes. The soil pH value was positively correlated with the ac- tivities of all soil enzymes except peroxidase. Soil microbial carbon content also showed a significant positive correlation （P〈0.01） with the activities of all soil enzymes except polyphenol oxidase. The results suggested that the H. ammoden- dron community has the highest ability to utilize soil organic carbon, and glucoside could be the most extensively utilized non-ligninolytic carbon source in the saline soil of arid areas in Xinjiang.

Effects of soil salinity on rhizosphere soil microbes in transgenic Bt cotton fields

With increased cultivation of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） cotton in the saline alkaline soil of China, assessments of transgenic crop biosafety have focused on the effects of soil salinity on rhizosphere microbes and Bt protein residues. In 2013 and 2014, investigations were conducted on the rhizosphere microbial biomass, soil enzyme activities and Bt protein contents of the soil under transgenic Bt cotton （variety GK19） and its parental non-transgenic cotton （Simian 3） cultivated at various salinity levels （1.15, 6.00 and 11.46 dS m-1）. Under soil salinity stress, trace amounts of Bt proteins were ob- served in the Bt cotton GK19 rhizosphere soil, although the protein content increased with cotton growth and increased soil salinity levels. The populations of slight halophilic bacteria, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, ammonifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria decreased with increased soil salinity in the Bt and non-Bt cotton rhizosphere soil, and the microbial biomass carbon, microbial respiration and soil catalase, urease and alkaline phosphatase activity also decreased. Correlation analyses showed that the increased Bt protein content in the Bt cotton rhizosphere soil may have been caused by the slower decomposition of soil microorganisms, which suggests that salinity was the main factor influencing the relevant activities of the soil microorganisms and indicates that Bt proteins had no clear adverse effects on the soil microorganisms. The results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for risk assessments of genetically modified cotton in saline alkaline soil.

Effect of Friedel's salt on strength enhancement of stabilized chloride saline soil

In the field of soil stabilization, only calcium silicate hydrate(CSH) and ettringite(AFt) as hydration products have been reported to directly contribute to the strength enhancement of the soil. A chloride dredger fill, an artificial chloride saline soil, and a non-saline soil were stabilized by Portland cement(PC) and PC with Ca(OH)_2(CH) with different contents. A series of unconfined compressive strength(UCS) tests of stabilized soil specimen after curing for 7 d and 28 d were carried out, and the hydration products and microstructure of the specimens were observed by X-ray diffractometry(XRD), scanning electronic microscopy(SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis(EDXA). The results showed that the strengths of PC+CH-stabilized chloride saline soils were much higher than those of PC-stabilized soils. A new hydration product of calcium aluminate chloride hydrate, also known as Friedel's salt, appeared in the PC+CH-stabilized chloride saline soils. The solid-phase volume of Friedel's salt expanded during the formation of the hydrate; this volume filled the pores in the stabilized soil. This pore-filling effect was the most important contribution to the significantly enhanced strength of the PC+CH-stabilized chloride saline soils. On the basis of this understanding, a new optimized stabilizer was designed according to the concept that the chloride in saline soil could be utilized as a component of the stabilizer. The strength of the chloride saline soils stabilized by the optimized stabilizer was even further increased compared with that of the PC+CH-stabilized soils.