Abstract
Morphological characteristics of soils on the Loess Plateau are products of its distinctive physical properties and behavior of water and salt in soil profiles. Various types of soils are distributed across the plateau, where rapid environmental changes occur because of long-term artificial contributors to loessial sediments. Soil health in this region has declined, owing to the fragile environment. In a case study of the Luohui Irrigation Scheme, soil morphological characteristics and soil salinization were related to the topographic sequence of the soils. Soil salinization differed within this scheme and subsoil texture was a useful indicator of the state of salt accumulation. This information may help develop guidelines for agricultural soil management that are based on underground water dynamics and soil morphological properties. A proper conservation strategy is necessary to achieve an optimal combination of land use for soils on the Loess Plateau.
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Yamamoto, S., Endo, T. (2014). Soils on the Loess Plateau. In: Tsunekawa, A., Liu, G., Yamanaka, N., Du, S. (eds) Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China. Ecological Research Monographs. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54481-4_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54481-4_3
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