Original Articles
Fadila FEKRACHE
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to evaluate soil properties of Fetzara lake that are very affected by the phenomenon of salinization and to study their variation with depth. The total of 20 soil samples was collected from different plots at 0-30 cm in depth and were analysed in the laboratory. The soil samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical properties viz., organic carbon (C), total Nitrogen (N), cation exchangeable (Na+, Ca+2, Mg+2, K+), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), clay, sand and silt content, using standard laboratory procedures. The electrical conductivity of soil is characterized by a very wide variation (700-3600 µS/cm), the soil salinity has reached its maximum in the north-east and south of the lake. The result shows that the soil of Fetzara basin is predominated by sandy clay type. The pH was neutral to moderately alkaline with low to high in organic carbon and low to medium in CEC. Contents of individual exchangeable cations could be lined up in a following decreasing sequence: Ca+2 > Mg+2 > Na+ > K+.