Solonetzes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of soil characterized by a high concentration of sodium salts, often leading to poor agricultural conditions and limited plant growth
2. These soils typically exhibit a hard, crusty surface and can be found in arid regions where evaporation exceeds precipitation
3. Known for their limiting effects on agriculture, these soils require careful management and treatment to restore fertility and productivity

Etymology: "Solonetzes" is the plural of "solonetz," a term used in soil science for a particular kind of alkaline soil. The singular comes from Russian "солонец" ("solonec"), meaning "salt marsh," a word that describes the landscape where such soils were first noticed. Russian soil scientists applied the name to the soils themselves, since the salty ground of these marshes was the defining feature that set them apart. The sense of the word has moved from a patch of wet, salty ground to a category of dry soil. The soils it names are rich in sodium, which disperses clay particles and causes the soil to swell when wet and set into a hard, crusty layer when it dries. That crust, found in arid regions where evaporation exceeds rainfall, is what makes these soils recognisable in the field, even though the original Russian term referred to the marsh surface rather than the crust.

Synonyms: solonetz, solonetzic soils, alkaline soils, sodic soils, saline soils