Variation of soil properties over the landforms around Idku lake, Egypt

The main objective of the current work is to investigate the variation of the soil properties along the landforms of the arid zone around Idku Lake, northwest of the Nile Delta. Remote sensing data and Geographical Information System (GIS) were used as the main tools in this study. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Landsat ETM+ image were used for mapping the landforms of the area. Field work has been completed to check the accuracy of the landform units, describe the land surface features and collect soil samples. The recognized landforms comprised; river terraces, river levees, basins, sand sheets, sand dunes, hammocks, clay flats, former lake-bed, fish ponds, sabkhas and swamps. Fifty top-soil samples (0–50 cm) representing the different landforms have been collected and analyzed. The laboratory analyses were linked with their relevant geographical locations, and then the thematic maps of the soil properties were produced using Arc-GIS 9.2 software. The spatial distribution of CaCO3, EC, OM, pH, N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn over the different landforms was discussed in detail. The results indicate that the variation of CaCO3, EC and OM is minimal in the landforms of sand sheets, hammocks, sabkhas, clay flats and former lake-bed. On the other hand the variations of macro and micronutrients are wide-ranging in the landforms of basins river terraces and levees. The interpretation of the spatial distribution could serve as the scientific basis for land use management and the application of variable rate technology in each landform.