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Microrelief Influences in a Saline Area of Glacial Lake Agassiz: I. On Salinity and Tree Growth¹

ABSTRACT

Considerable acreage of saline, imperfectly drained land in the northern Red River Valley of North Dakota has a gently undulating microrelief or nearly level topography. In slight to moderate saline lands the ridges are saline and the depressions relatively nonsaline. Salinity was studied in its relationship to microrelief under both shelterbelt and cultivated land use. Salinity in the ridge is composed primarily of magnesium and sodium sulfates. Exchangeable sodium is low and not a problem. Chemical compositions of shallow ground waters and saturation extracts of ambient soil are similar.

Soil salinity of the first foot of soil was less in the shelterbelt than in the adjacent cultivated area. This reduction near the surface within the shelterbelt was accompanied by a salinity increase at the 42- to 60-inch depth. The reduction was attributed to greater moisture absorptive qualities of the established grassed areas and increased water supply from snow accumulation in the belt. Russian olive shrubs did poorly and frequently failed to survive when planted in soil having more than 10 millimhos per cm. estimated electrical conductivity, but they experienced little detrimental effects with 3 millimhos per cm. or less. Salinity of shallow ground water was much higher under ridges than depressions which indicates very limited crossflow.

¹ Contribution from the Northern Plains Branch, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division and the Vegetable and Ornamentals Research Branch, Crops Research Division, both ARS, USDA.

² Soil Scientist, Mandan, N. Dak.; Agricultural Engineer, Grand Forks, N. Dak.; Research Forester, Mandan, N. Dak.; and Agricultural Engineer, now at Akron, Colo., respectively. The authors wish to express appreciation to the U.S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, Calif. for the analyses used in Table 1.

Received for publication June 10, 1963. Accepted for publication October 2, 1963.