II. DESERT SOILS
83
The most productive land is in the Indus Plain where sand is not prevalent
except in the Thai region. Salinity restricts crop production in much of
the irrigated soils because of poor drainage and is dominant in the finetextured uncultivated soils. Raheja (1966) describes the sand dunes area
in the southeast and northwest directions of the Thar as having a high
content of lime, low total nitrogen, mostly alkaline (pH of 7.9-8.6) and
low organic matter. Boron is a problem in West and Central Thar, ranging
from 2.6 to 12.2 ppm (Raheja, 1966) in many soils.
G. WEST CENTRAL ASIA—TURKESTAN
The area delineated as the Turkestan Desert has a wealth of available
information on soils, vegetation and climate. Two books (Lobova, 1960)
(Rozanov, 1951) are particularly good. Because of the great complexity
of the soils in the Turkestan Desert, it is not possible to cover the subject
here in any detail. Unfortunately, only a brief insight can be gained.
Within the sierozem zone of the Turkestan Desert area Rozanov (1951)
recognizes the following types.
a. Takyr Soils. These occur in the hottest part of the desert, on old
alluvial valleys, lower proluvial slopes, at the foot of some hills and as
troughs between mounds and ridges of Kara Kum (black sand) and Kyzyl
Kum (red sand). They are very poorly formed, fine-textured soils often
located in slight depressions. There is very little to no vegetation on Takyr
soils. The fauna is composed mostly of desert wood lice and termites. Surfaces may be cracked, paved with cobblestones, crusted, or flat clay. Colors
range from white to a reddish tinge. Salt and sodium accumulations are
common.
b. Desert Serozom. These soils are better developed than the takyrs,
have more vegetation and are extremely variable although they have common morphological features. Salty soils (Salorthids) and sodium soils
(Haplargids), or in Russian terminology, the Solonchakus and Solonetsous
soils, are prevalent. Gypsum-bearing soils (gypsozem) are common as are
Kyr (structural) or "butte" soils.
c. Sierozems. These are typical desert soils and occur in the middle part.
They are well developed, leached of salts in the surface, low in humus
and lime at the surface. They are the more productive soils of the Turkestan Desert and lie on upper river terraces, piedmont plains and foothills
wherever influence of ground water is excluded.
d. Sierozem-Meadow Soils. Where a shallow water table is of good quality and the land is more moist, grasses and shrubs grow well. Humus is
abundant compared with other desert soils and the soil is limy with gli
formations.
83
The most productive land is in the Indus Plain where sand is not prevalent
except in the Thai region. Salinity restricts crop production in much of
the irrigated soils because of poor drainage and is dominant in the finetextured uncultivated soils. Raheja (1966) describes the sand dunes area
in the southeast and northwest directions of the Thar as having a high
content of lime, low total nitrogen, mostly alkaline (pH of 7.9-8.6) and
low organic matter. Boron is a problem in West and Central Thar, ranging
from 2.6 to 12.2 ppm (Raheja, 1966) in many soils.
G. WEST CENTRAL ASIA—TURKESTAN
The area delineated as the Turkestan Desert has a wealth of available
information on soils, vegetation and climate. Two books (Lobova, 1960)
(Rozanov, 1951) are particularly good. Because of the great complexity
of the soils in the Turkestan Desert, it is not possible to cover the subject
here in any detail. Unfortunately, only a brief insight can be gained.
Within the sierozem zone of the Turkestan Desert area Rozanov (1951)
recognizes the following types.
a. Takyr Soils. These occur in the hottest part of the desert, on old
alluvial valleys, lower proluvial slopes, at the foot of some hills and as
troughs between mounds and ridges of Kara Kum (black sand) and Kyzyl
Kum (red sand). They are very poorly formed, fine-textured soils often
located in slight depressions. There is very little to no vegetation on Takyr
soils. The fauna is composed mostly of desert wood lice and termites. Surfaces may be cracked, paved with cobblestones, crusted, or flat clay. Colors
range from white to a reddish tinge. Salt and sodium accumulations are
common.
b. Desert Serozom. These soils are better developed than the takyrs,
have more vegetation and are extremely variable although they have common morphological features. Salty soils (Salorthids) and sodium soils
(Haplargids), or in Russian terminology, the Solonchakus and Solonetsous
soils, are prevalent. Gypsum-bearing soils (gypsozem) are common as are
Kyr (structural) or "butte" soils.
c. Sierozems. These are typical desert soils and occur in the middle part.
They are well developed, leached of salts in the surface, low in humus
and lime at the surface. They are the more productive soils of the Turkestan Desert and lie on upper river terraces, piedmont plains and foothills
wherever influence of ground water is excluded.
d. Sierozem-Meadow Soils. Where a shallow water table is of good quality and the land is more moist, grasses and shrubs grow well. Humus is
abundant compared with other desert soils and the soil is limy with gli
formations.