Some Properties of Dumyat Governorate Soils as Affected by the Distance From the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of the Mediterranean sea on some soil chemical and physical properties of Dumyat Governorate, nineteen soil profiles (1 Km apart)were studied. Soil samples were taken from each profile at four depths, (0-30, 30-60, 60-90 and 90-120 cm). The obtained results can be summarized in:  Very little differences were found between layers of each profile (1-3) in coarse sand. In the fourth and fifth profiles the highest values (24.72 and 18.13 %) of coarse sand were observed in layer c (60-90cm). Coarse sand of profiles 6 to 19 was very little, where it did not exceeds than 2.65 % (means of layers of each profiles).  Fine sand is the predominant component of soil profiles from 1 to 5. The positive correlation were found between fine sand in each layer and the distance from the sea (profile 6-19 data), where the correlation coefficient are 0.70, 0.63, 0.63,and 0.41.  Silt content was increased with increasing the distance up to 22.65 % in profile 5. Silt content of profiles 6-19 are ranged from 20.61% to 48.42% where the highest value for profile 6. The highest value of clay percentage (86.86%) was found in profile 7 at the depth of 60-90 cm.  Soil organic matter content tend to be high in profiles 6-19 , where it is amounted by 0.36 % (layers mean of profile 19) at the farthest point from the sea and 0.46 % at the nearest point from the sea (layers mean of profile 6). In most cases of profiles 6-19 soil organic matter contents were higher in surface layer.  Total carbonates of the heavy textured soils (from 6-19) lie in the normal range of total carbonate of delta soil (1.42% layers mean of profile 11 and 4.42 5 means of profile 14). In most cases the second layers have the highest amount of total carbonate compared with the other layers.  The obtained results of saturation percentage of soils nearest the sea are high (33.5 to 40.2 %) compared with the other soil lie in the same textured class. This due to the dominance of very fine sand and silt in soil particles and to the higher soil salinity level.  Soil pH of layer A and B was increased with increasing the distance from the sea in the two groups of profiles. Where the pH of layers C and D was decrease with increasing distance in the first group of profiles (1-5) then increased with increasing distance in the second group (profile 6-19).  The relation between cation exchange capacity of the studied soils and thier clay content was explained by the following equation y = 0.9984x + 8.7467.  No constant trend was found in exchangeable sodium percentage with increasing the distance from the sea up to 5 km in A, B, and C layer where in layer D the exchangeable sodium percentage was increased with increasing the distance up to 4 km then decreased. This decrease may be due to presence of drain beside.

Phosphorus Status in Some Soils of Damietta Governorate

“…Data in Table (1) show total phosphorus content (mg/kg soil) of the 19 studied profile. Total phosphorus content in the first five profiles, where the texture was sandy and sandy loam (EL-Agrodi et al, 2012), ranged between 502.3 and 1807.8 mg/kg soil which was found in C layer of profile 2 and 3, respectively. Total phosphorus content in profiles 6-19 having the texture of clay and clay loam was between 582.5 and 3760.3 mg/kg soil in layer C of the profile 14 and 15; respectively.…”