Application of remote sensing techniques for the study of soil salinity in semi-arid Uzbekistan

Remote sensing techniques were applied to study saline soils in the semi-arid environment, belonging to the territory of the Dzhizakskaya steppe of Uzbekistan. Aerial photographs (scale 1:2,000) were used in the sample area to investigate the spectral response of various soil groups prevalent in the area. Satellite photographs were used to map saline soils in the investigated area. Multispectral photographs in wave bands green (510-600 nm), red (600-700 nm) and infrared (700-900 nm), taken aboard a Russian satellite, were digitally scanned. The data were used for the classification of saline soils which allow 5 classes of salinity levels with estimated accuracy of about 70 %. The green band has the most information with regard to salinity. Apart from soil moisture variation, the main factors influencing spectral reflectance characteristics of saline soils are humus, carbonates, gypsum and water-soluble salt contents of which the influence of the latter is by far the greatest.