Using geographic information systems in preparing degradation assessment maps for some physical and chemical traits for soils in Abi Gharq sub-district Babylon Province

Abstract EN

The study area was selected in the Abi Gharq sub-district, located in Babylon province in central Iraq, with an area of 25026.38 hectares, and it is confined between longitudes 32 north and two latitudes 44 east , The 50 samples from a depth of 0-30 cm were obtained by a Drilling rig (Alokr) after determining their coordinates by the global positioning device (GPS).

The samples were preserved and brought to the laboratory to conducted the necessary laboratory measurements on them, and then the laboratory data were entered into an excel file and then called into the GIS program, where soil traits maps were prepared, soil Texture map prepared and some chemical traits, The results showed that the dominion of separated silt and clay, where the silt ranged between 190.89 - 710.0 g kg-1 , and the clay ranged between 172.67- 798.24 g.kg-1 , The results showed that the soil texture of the study area located within the non-degraded soil variety D0, the light degraded soil D1 and the moderately degraded soil D2.

As for the natural draining, the dominance was for the incomplete draining variety and that the soils of the drainage varieties with moderate degradation D2 and severe degradation D3, the results of the chemical properties also showed that the pH reaction degree ranged between 7.0 - 8.2.

As for the electrical conductivity ECe, it was distributed according to the medium degradation variety D2, the severe degradation D3 and the very degradation D4, where their values ranged between 3.07 - 115.89 dSm-1, and the results of the percentage of exchange sodium ESP showed that they were different, and the light degradation varieties D1, moderate degradation D2 and highly degraded D3 occupied the largest area, in When the degree of degradation was very severe, D4 occupied the least space.

As for the organic matter in the soil, the results indicated that the degree of light degradation D1 occupied the largest area of the studied area, followed by the non degraded type D0, then the moderate degradation type D2 and the severe degradation D3, and the variety with the very severe degradation D4 occupied the least area of the studied area.