An Ecological Overview of Halophytes and Salt-Affected Soils at El Hito Saline Pond (Central Spain): Baseline Study for Future Conservation–Rehabilitation Measures
Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta | Santos Cirujano-Bracamonte | Eduardo Palencia-Mayordomo | Mario Álvarez-Soto
In an attempt to boost the potential ecological viability of wetlands, this study aimed to discover the relationship between soil salinity and vegetation composition in a quasi-pristine saline pond, “El Hito Lagoon”. This wetland is situated in the largest continuous natural semi-arid steppe land of western Europe (specifically in Castilla La Mancha, Central Spain). Several soil profiles and a series of surface samples (0–10 cm) extracted from a systematic network throughout the saline pond were described, sampled, and analyzed. The most significant results included the detection of elevated levels of soil salinity, with distinctive sub-areas of extreme elevated surface salinity where the pH reading peaked at 9.89 and the electrical conductivity was higher than 40 (dS/m). The very high content of total available P displayed quite an irregular scatter within the soil profile. Specifically, the range oscillated between 8.57 mg/kg and 388.1 mg/kg, several samples having values greater than 100 mg/kg. An aspect that the abundant presence of <i>Salsola soda</i>, a plant frequently found growing in nutrient-rich wetlands, was able to confirm.
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