Saline Soil Formation within a Lacustrine Environment In Mid-Anatolia of Turkey.

Low precipitation and high evapotranspration are the major reasons of salinity in arid and semi arid regions. Factors in saline soil formation of an arid region in Mid-Anatolia of Turkey have been investigated through evaluating and characterizing soil profiles. Twelve soil profiles have been dug and sampled in a 2700 ha natural grassland. The natural drainage of the land had never been formed; therefore water ponds in the soil surface for a long period of time following the rainfall and runoff water from surrounding highlands. Such water can only leave the field either by percolating soil profile or evaporating. In both cases, salts brought by the surface water are left on the surface or somewhere in soil profile. Common feature of soil profiles was existence of a petrocalcic horizon between 60 to 120 cm depth which was probably caused to the accumulation of soluble salts in solum. Electrical conductivity of soils ranged from 0.40 dS/m to 18.38 dS/m, exchangeable sodium percentage ranged from 1.33% to 66.6% and plant available boron ranged from 1.41 mg/kg to 97 mg/kg. The main restrictions for agricultural production in the area are salinity, alkalinity, boron toxicity, impermeable layer and inadequate drainage system. Due to the accumulation of salts in the area, the plant cover is mainly consisted of plants with high saline tolerant.