Typology characterisation and monitoring of arid soils in an agroecosystem environment: Case of Ziban oasis, Algeria

This study addresses date palm growth and Saharan agriculture’s substantial environmental changes in Ziban agroecosystems (ZAE). Arid climate and vulnerable soils make oasis environments fragile. Most soils are sandy and rich in saline accumulations. This study characterised ZAE dry soils, determined its typology using the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) classification and US soil taxonomy (ST), and assessed their degradation using remote sensing (RS). Fieldwork identified representative oasis based on gypsum, calcareous crusts, and salinity. Ten soil profiles were selected using two topo-sequences, and 27 samples were obtained at 0–30, 30–60, and 60–120 cm. Analyses were carried out on organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (diluted extract 1:5), CaCO3, gypsum, and soil texture. Oasis soils are dominated by gypsum and are all affected by salinity. The rates of OM and CaCO3 are low to moderate. The land use and degraded areas were identified using RS data, field research, and soil analytical results. Soil classification revealed variability in soil diversity. The Typic and Gypsic Haplosalids’ ST soil group (SG) and the WRB Reference Soil Group (RSG) of Gypsic Solonchaks (Hypersalic) and Yermic Gypsic Solonchaks are equivalent. The Typic Haplogypsids and Typic Petrogypsids (ST) correspond to the Gypsisols (WRB). The Typic Torripsamments (ST) are correlated with the Arenosls (WRB). Differentiating degraded areas according to their degree of degradation and specific soil features is made possible by characterising the soils and identifying their typology. Farmers must use the right management strategies for each situation to sustain the oasis agroecosystem.