ABSTRACT
The accumulation of water-soluble salts in a soil is a factor determining its formation and properties resulting in the development of a salt-affected soil. Salinization, which is a major factor in the deterioration of land, leads to a specific kind of degradation. Water-soluble salts, particularly sodium salts and their accumulation in soil profile, rocks and waters, are responsible for the formation of salt-affected soils. Climatic, geological, geomorphological and hydrogeological conditions determine the type and degree of salinization. Salt-affected soils are represented differently in different soil classification systems, and appear on different taxonomical levels. Most salt-affected soils have been developed by natural geological, hydrological and pedological processes and a great part of them have existed for millennia.
