Impact of water recession and drying on some physical and chemical properties of Abu – Zarak marsh.

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of drying and water ebb on some chemical and physical properties of Abu – Zarak marsh. The results showed that the studied pedons characterized by loam texture domination which take gradual trend , wherever texture coarseness increase with increment of distance from marsh center , higher clay percentage found in pedon No.3 which locate in the center of marsh and that is expected because of sedimentation nature and particle translocation gradually with water ebb front . Soil reaction (pH) ranged between (7.46 – 8.00) that’s indicate the studied soils was alkaline because of high percentage of calcite , the results showed that the soil pedons characterized by high values of electrical conductivity (Ec) which ranged between (31.7-70) , (27.3-52.2) , (25.9-94.7) for pedons 1,2,3 respectively. Calcium carbonate ranged between (17-40%) and higher percent recorded in the surface horizon for pedon 2 and lower percent recorded in its followed horizon. This highness produced by parent material effect as add to drying factor which increase calcification process activity. In the other hand the organic matter content was varied between studied pedon 2 (1.7%) and these percents was low as compared with expected values in marsh soils. The results indicate that the cations concentrations varied according to the distance from marsh center and higher percent found in pedon 1 which was (150 , 570 , 180 , 1478 meq/L) for Ca , Mg , K , Na ions respectively , and higher percent of anions which was (1705 , 220 , 0 , 2.8 meq/L) for Cl , So4 , Co3 , Hco3 respectively. The other results showed that the nitrate ion differ from other ions by higher values recorded in the far pedon from marsh center where is pedon 3 which was 307.5 ppm while in the pedon 1 at the center of marsh was 2.5ppm.