Clarifying Soil Texture and Salinity Using Local Spatial Statistics (Getis-Ord Gi* and Moran’s I) in Kazakh–Uzbekistan Border Area, Central Asia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to study the spatial characteristics and possible influencing factors of farmland soil texture and salt content in the Syr Darya River Basin. Data on the soil grain size and salt content were collected at 56 sampling sites in the southern part of the Shardara Reservoir and the left bank of the Syr Darya River irrigation area. With the methods of local spatial statistics (Getis-Ord Gi* and Moran’s I), the hotspots of soil salinity and grain size in the study area were revealed, and along with the use of correlation analysis, the possible factors affecting soil salt distribution were discussed. Among the 56 soil sampling sites, sandy loam, loamy loam, and chalky loam accounted for 20%, 50%, and 30%, respectively, and mildly, moderately, and severely saline soils accounted for 80.36%, 14.28%, and 5.36%, respectively. There was statistically significant spatial autocorrelation between sand, silt, and clay content in the soils, but the spatial autocorrelation for salt content was weak. The results show that high and high-cluster areas (hotspots) with statistically significant salt content are mainly distributed in the northwest of the study area and that the hotspot distribution of salt content is mainly affected by topography (altitude), but the effect of soil texture on salt content is not significant. The control of soil salinity should prioritize low-altitude areas, especially in the northwestern region. The results are of great significance for the regulation and control of soil salinity and the sustainable utilization of soil in arid Central Asia.