Ecohydrology of productive systems: restoration of saline environments in the western Argentina

LANA, B.; MEGLIOLI, P,; . VILLAGRA, P.E.; ALVAREZ, J,A.; GUIDA-JOHNSON, B.; CONY, M.A.

San Luis

Congreso; I Regional Workshop on Isotope Ecohydrology; 2020

UNSL

The accumulation of soluble salts in soils is one of the main environmental factors that contribute to the loss of the productive capacity of Argentina´s arid ecosystems. Only 5% of the total productive area in Argentina corresponds to irrigated areas (2.1 million ha), and it is estimated that 24% of this area is affected by salinization or sodicity processes. In the Monte region, the irrigates lands affected by secondary salinization ascends to 25%. Forestation with native trees has emerged as an alternative for the environmental and productive recovery of these areas. The challenge to recover and improve the productivity of such degraded areas is complex because it should consider not only the specie salt-tolerance but also the soil and water physicochemical properties that condition the specie survival. We evaluate the salinity tolerance of native trees (Prosopis flexuosa and P. chilensis) to different salinity conditions in order to identify the main variable(s) affecting the survival of the species. Data suggest tolerance to salinity in both species. However P. flexuosa shows some advantages in establishment and higher tolerated salt concentration than P. chilensis. The concentration of salt and its spatial heterogeneity in the soil is a determining factor in the potential for restoration