A presente tese de doutorado teve como objetivo estabelecer parâmetros para avaliar a viabilidade do reúso agrícola de águas oleosas da indústria de petróleo, como as águas de produção (AP) de campos de exploração onshore do semiárido nordestino, na irrigação de culturas de girassol destinadas à produção de biodiesel. A AP foi produzida sinteticamente e tratada utilizando-se as técnicas de eletrofloculação (EF) e de osmose inversa (OI). Foram analisados os efeitos da AP não tratada, tratada por EF e por EF combinada com osmose inversa (EF+OI) na germinação, desenvolvimento e produção de biomassa de plântulas de girassol e também nos atributos de um solo característico do semiárido nordestino. Na melhor condição operacional do tratamento da AP por EF (28,6 A m-2 durante 4 min.) foram obtidas eficiências de remoção de óleos e graxas (O&G), demanda química de oxigênio (DQO), cor e turbidez superiores a 95%. O tratamento EF+OI promoveu a remoção do excesso de salinidade e de ferro oriundo da etapa de EF, enquadrando-se esses parâmetros dentro de níveis de referência recomendados para água de irrigação. Níveis de O&G e DQO superiores, respectivamente, a 337 mg L-1 e 1.321 mg O2 L-1 na AP bruta produziram efeitos tóxicos, reduzindo-se o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG) e o percentual de plântulas normais do girassol. Por outro lado, os efluentes tratados por EF e EF+OI produziram efeitos similares no percentual de sementes germinadas, no IVG, no percentual de plântulas normais e na produção de biomassa do girassol. O uso da AP tratada por EF, com ou sem diluição, contribuiu significativamente para o aumento da salinidade e dos teores de sódio do solo, diferentemente da tratada por EF+OI, que produziu efeitos similares ao do controle (água destilada) / This doctoral thesis aimed to provide subsidies to assess the viability of the agricultural reuse of oily water from oil industry, such as oilfield produced water (AP) from onshore exploration fields of northeast brazilian semi-arid, in inedible irrigation such as sunflower crops intended for biodiesel production. AP was produced synthetically and treated using the electroflocculation (EF) and reverse osmosis (OI) techniques. The effects of untreated AP, AP treated by EF and AP treated by EF combined with reverse osmosis (EF+OI) in germination, growth and biomass production of sunflower seedlings and also in the attributes of a characteristic soil of the northeastern brazilian semiarid were analyzed. In the best EF treatment operating condition (28.6 A m-2 during 4 min.) Oil and grease (O&G), chemical oxygen demand (COD), color and turbidity removal efficiencies obtained were higher than 95%. EF+OI treatment promoted the removal of salinity in excess and iron derived from EF step, fitting these parameters within the recommended reference levels for irrigation water. O&G and COD levels higher than, respectively, 337 mg L-1 and 1,321 mgO2 L-1 in raw AP produced toxic effects, reducing the germination speed index (IVG) and the percentage of normal sunflower seedlings. On the other hand, the use of EF+OI and EF treated effluent has produced similar effects on the percentage of germinated seeds, IVG, percentage of normal seedlings and biomass production of sunflower. The use of AP treated by EF, with or without dilution, contributed significantly to the increase in soil salinity and sodium contents. On the other hand, AP treated by EF+OI, has produced similar effects to the control (distilled water)

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / This study investigates ecological process and dynamic of the hypersaline tidal flats (HTF, locally knowns as âapicumâ). The HTF systems are characterized by flat landscape and hypersaline soil conditions that may occour in arid and semiarid regions of the world. Usually HTF can be found inside mangrove forest or as a transitional system between mangrove and dry land ecosystem. These areas are highly important for advances of mangrove forest in case of sea level increase. Besides, HTF have great economic value, as prioritarian areas to install aquaculture or saline ponds. Also it represents security zones for traditional populations, as artisanal fishermen. However, the ecological process which drives the HTFs systems remain poorly knew. The studies presented in this doctoral dissertation aim to fulfill some lacks of knowledge about ecological process that could drive the HTF dynamic. The chapter 1 is a bibliographical review about this system. On chapter 2 were evaluated possibles mechanisms used by plants in order to improve their survival in such stressed environment through the study of rhizosphere soils and comparison with bulk soils. On chapter 3, through an experimental study in the field, the possible effect of two crab species bioturbation on HTFs soils and it possible effects on soil properties were evaluated. The chapter 4 registered the evaluation of ecological interactions among biotic and abiotic fractions of the system using ecological modeling tools. In this sense, a structural ecological model was designed using microrelief elevation, soil properties, two plant species biomass and the covering areas of two crab species. Based on results obtained in these studies, it was possible to conclude that HTFs have a particular ecological dynamic and have close relation with mangrove forests due the nutrients, material and animal population flux shared by them. The plant community of HTFs areas is componed mainly by pioneersâ clonal halophytes species. These species seemed to have different strategies to deal with saline stress, an important limitant factor for their growing and distribution. The seasonal effects were noteworthy mainly in bulk soils. In this sense, it is possible that plant estabilize the environment in their benefit. The crabs were able to affect biogeochemical dynamic in HTF soils. However, the burrouing effects of crab species on soil properties were different and seemed reflect the species habit. Although bioturbation effects were important, the modifications on HTF soil properties were less evident than in mangrove forests. Environmental process related to salinity and nutrients availability are among the main factors to drive crabs distribution and plant growth in HTFs. These processes were dependent of microrelief variation. A combination of abiotic factors (microrelief elevation and soil properties) and positive relations among plant species seems to guide the ecological dynamics in HTFs systems. Conservation strategies of coastal environments areas must include the HTF protection due their importance for coastal environments on climate change scenario and economic importance, but mainly because their unique ecological characteristics. / Esse estudo teve como objetivo geral investigar processos ecolÃgicos e a dinÃmica do apicum. Esses sistemas se caracterizam por serem planÃcies hipersalinas que ocorrem em zonas costeiras de regiÃes Ãridas onde podem ser identificadas dentro de bosques de mangue ou entre o manguezal e ecossistemas de terra seca, como mata seca ou restinga. Os apicuns sÃo Ãreas estratÃgicas para recuo das florestas de mangue em caso de aumento do nÃvel do mar. AlÃm disso, possuem grande importÃncia econÃmica, visto que sÃo Ãreas preferenciais para instalaÃÃo de empreendimentos de aquicultura e salinas e por que representam zonas de seguranÃa para populaÃÃes tradicionais. Entretanto, muito pouco se sabe sobre os processos ecolÃgicos que regulam a dinÃmica do sistema. Os estudos compilados nessa tese visam de algum modo suprir lacunas sobre os processos ecolÃgicos que regem a dinÃmica desse sistema. O capÃtulo 1 traz uma ampla revisÃo bibliogrÃfica sobre esse sistema. No capÃtulo 2 foram avaliados possÃveis mecanismos utilizados pelas plantas para sobreviverem ao ambiente limitante atravÃs do estudo dos solos rizosfÃricos e comparaÃÃo com solos nÃo colonizados por plantas. No capÃtulo 3, atravÃs de um estudo experimental de campo foram avaliados os efeitos da bioturbaÃÃo de duas espÃcies de caranguejos nos solos de apicum e seus possÃveis efeitos sobre as condiÃÃes edÃficas. O capÃtulo 4 aprofunda-se na avaliaÃÃo das interaÃÃes ecolÃgicas que ocorrem entre o solo, microrelevo e a biota do sistema (plantas e animais). Nesse sentido, um modelo ecolÃgico estrutural foi construÃdo utilizando variaÃÃes na elevaÃÃo do relevo, propriedades do solo, biomassa das plantas e Ãrea de cobertura de caranguejos. Com base nos resultados, concluiu-se que o sistema apicum possui dinÃmica ecolÃgica muito prÃpria e possui uma relaÃÃo com os bosques de mangue graÃas ao compartilhamento de fluxos de matÃria, nutrientes e populaÃÃes de animais. A comunidade de plantas do apicum à composta, sobretudo por espÃcies clonais halÃfitas pioneiras e que parecem possuir estratÃgias diferenciadas para lidar com o estresse salino, fator limitante do seu crescimento e distribuiÃÃo. O efeito da sazonalidade à notÃvel, sobretudo nas Ãreas nÃo colonizadas por plantas, indicando que possivelmente as plantas estabilizam o sistema solo em seu beneficio. Diferentes espÃcies de caranguejos sÃo capazes de afetar a dinÃmica biogeoquÃmica do solo. A bioturbaÃÃo do solo pelas espÃcies estudadas provocou diferentes efeitos nas propriedades do solo, os quais parecem estar intimamente ligados as hÃbitos das espÃcies. Entretanto, as seus efeitos nos apicuns, embora importantes, sÃo menos intensos que em Ãreas de manguezais. Processos ambientais ligados à salinidade do solo e à disponibilidade de nutrientes estÃo entre os principais fatores que regem a distribuiÃÃo de caranguejos e crescimento das plantas nos apicuns. Esses processos sÃo intimamente dependentes das variaÃÃes do microrelevo. Uma combinaÃÃo entre fatores abiÃticos (elevaÃÃo do relevo e propiedades do solo) e relaÃÃes positivas entre espÃcies de plantas parecem se os princiapis agentes na dinÃmica ecolÃgica dos apicuns. EstratÃgias de conservaÃÃo de sistemas costeiros devem incluir a proteÃÃo dos apicuns visto seu importante papel ecolÃgico no cenÃrio de mudanÃas climÃticas e importÃncia para economia local, sobretudo por conta suas caracterÃsticas ecolÃgicas Ãnicas.

Submitted by (ana.araujo@ufrpe.br) on 2016-05-20T15:59:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Antonio Lopes Pesoa.pdf: 686455 bytes, checksum: 89c64469a23f829cb322108723a916c9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-20T15:59:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Antonio Lopes Pesoa.pdf: 686455 bytes, checksum: 89c64469a23f829cb322108723a916c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-02-24 / This study analyzed the existing relationship among measurements of soil apparent electrical conductivity in an alluvial valley in the Agreste region of Pernambuco State and its spatial variability in the subsurface. The soil apparent electric conductivity was investigated through an electromagnetic induction EM 38 equipment. The readings have been carried out both in the vertical and horizontal modes. The measurements have been analyzed through the classic descriptive statistics as well as geostatistics and bayesian approach. The statistical analyses had shown that the data of apparent electric conductivity had adjusted to a normal distribution, presenting a high space variability for the horizontal mode and an average space variability for the way of vertical operation. In order to allow the use of the geostatistical methodology, the experimental semivariogram was constructed, and fitted to a theoretical model. Considering the spatial dependence mapping of the salinized areas have been performed. The best theoretical models for the vertical mode and for the horizontal operation were the gaussian model and the exponential model, through the crossed validation and using the Akaike’s Information Criterion .The bayesian approach focused the spatial predictionrelating the method of the maximum likelihood with the functions of prioris distributions for each parameter, considering the uncertainty associated to each one of these distributions. It was verified that the adjusted semivariograms had not presented significant differences in the validation of the geostatistics methodology and in the bayesian approach. / Esta dissertação analisou a relação existente entre medidas de condutividade elétrica aparente de um solo aluvial da região Agreste do Estado de Pernambuco,e a sua variabilidade espacial na camada subsuperficial. A condutividade elétrica aparente do solo foi investigada através de equipamento de indução eletromagnética EM 38. As leituras efetuadas com o EM 38 foram tanto no modo vertical como no modo horizontal. As medidas obtidas em campo foram analisadas através da estatística descritiva clássica, bem como através das metodologias geoestatística e abordagem bayesiana. As análises estatísticas mostraram que os dados de condutividade elétrica aparente se ajustaram a uma distribuição normal a apresentaram uma alta variabilidade espacial para o modo de operação horizontal e uma média variabilidade espacial para o modo de operação vertical. Através da metodologia geoestatística foi construído o semivariograma experimental que, posteriormente, foi ajustado a um modelo teórico. O melhor ajuste de modelo teórico foi obtido, tanto para o modo de operação vertical como para o modo de operação horizontal, para o modelo gaussiano e para o modelo exponencial, efetuada através da validação cruzada edo Critério de Informação de Akaike. A partir da dependência espacial, foi elaborado o mapeamento das áreas salinizadas. A abordagem bayesiana focalizou a predição espacial, relacionando o método da máxima verossimilhança com as funções de distribuições prioris de cada parâmetro, considerando o grau de incerteza associado a cada uma dessas distribuições. Verificou-se que os semivariogramas ajustados não apresentaram diferenças significativas na validação da metodologia geoestatística e na abordagem bayesiana.

Com o monitoramento periódico da solução do solo, pode-se determinar a condutividade elétrica e a concentração de íons específicos, essenciais à nutrição das plantas. Dentre as técnicas de extração da solução do solo, o extrator de cápsula porosa destaca-se pela praticidade em campo, baixo custo, fácil manejo e boa precisão. Com isso objetivou-se estudar os efeitos de diferentes níveis de salinidade do solo sobre as variáveis fenológicas e de produção da berinjela, cultivada em vasos e em ambiente protegido, e averiguar se a manutenção da condutividade elétrica em um determinado nível promove incremento da produção, quando contrastada com o manejo tradicional da fertirrigação. Conduziu-se um estudo em ambiente protegido na área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas da ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, SP. Os tratamentos foram compostos da combinação de dois fatores: 6 níveis de salinidade inicial do solo (S1 = 1,3; S2 = 2,4; S3 = 3,6; S4 = 4,5; S5 = 5,6 e S6 = 6,4 dS m-1) e dois manejos de fertirrigação: com controle da condutividade elétrica da solução do solo (M1), e o tradicional (M2), obedecendo a curva de absorção de nutrientes da cultura anteriormente estabelecida. O delineamento estatístico adotado foi o de blocos casualizados completos, com quatro repetições, ficando os fatores estudados arranjados no esquema fatorial 6 x 2. Os diferentes níveis de salinidade inicial do solo foram obtidos com solos de cultivos anteriores, no qual tinha-se como fonte de variação o nível de condutividade elétrica (CE), ocasionada pela adição de fertilizantes em ambiente protegido. A condutividade elétrica da solução foi medida após o término de cada evento de irrigação, utilizando-se extratores com cápsulas porosas. Os resultados revelaram que os níveis de salinidade do solo provenientes do acúmulo de sais fertilizantes afetou diretamente as variáveis consumo hídrico, produção de frutos, produção de matéria seca, índice de área foliar e o desenvolvimento vegetativo das plantas. O uso dos extratores de solução permitiu auxiliar o manejo da fertirrigação, mantendo os níveis desejados de salinidade da solução do solo ao longo do tempo. Verificou-se que a redução média na produção da cultura da berinjela, em estufa, foi da ordem de 8,65% para o incremento de 1 dS m-1 na salinidade do solo, acima da salinidade limiar, que foi de 1,71 dS m-1. / Periodic monitoring of soil solution allow to determine the electrical conductivity and concentration of specific ions essential to plant nutrition. Among the extraction techniques of soil solution, the porous cup extractors distinguished by their practicality in the field, low cost and good accuracy. This study has to aim to evaluate the effects of different levels of soil salinity on phenological and production of eggplant grown in pots in a greenhouse, and compare whether the control of the electrical conductivity in a certain level promotes increase the yield when compare to the traditional fertigation management . A study was conducted in a greenhouse in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, ESALQ / USP, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The treatments consisted of a combination of two factors: six levels of initial soil salinity (S1 = 1.3, S2 = 2.4, S3 = 3.6, S4 = 4.5, S5 = 5.6 and S6 = 6.4 dS m-1) and two fertigation management: electrical conductivity control of soil solution (M1) and traditional (M2) by following the absorption curve of nutrients from the crop previously established. The statistical design was a randomized complete block with four repetitions, the factors studied arranged in 6 x 2 factorial. The different levels of initial soil salinity were obtained with soils where previous crop had been cropped in a source of variation in the level of electrical conductivity (EC), caused by the addition of fertilizer in a pots. The solution electrical conductivity was measured after each irrigation event, using extractants with ceramic cups. The results showed that levels of soil salinity caused by the accumulation of fertilizer salts affected directly the variables: water use, fruit yield, dry matter production, leaf area index and plant growth. The use of extractors solution allowed to control the fertigation management, and maintain the desired levels of salinity in the soil solution during the evaluated period. It appears that the reduction in eggplant yield in greenhouse was approximately 8.65% for step of 1 dS m-1 in soil salinity, the threshold salinity was 1.71 dS m-1.

Increasing sea levels and anthropogenic disturbances have caused the world’s coastal vegetation to decline 25-50% in the past 50 years. Future sea level rise (SLR) rates are expected to increase, further threatening coastal habitats. In combination with SLR, the Everglades ecosystem has undergone large-scale drainage and restoration changing Florida’s coastal vegetation. Everglades National Park (ENP) has 21 coastal plant species threatened by SLR. My dissertation focuses on three aspects of coastal plant community change related to SLR and dehydration. 1) I assessed the extent and direction coastal communities—three harboring rare plant species—shifted from 1978 to 2011. I created a classified vegetation map and compared it to a 1978 map. I hypothesized coastal communities transitioned from less salt- and inundation-tolerant to more salt- and inundation-tolerant communities. I found communities shifted as hypothesized, suggesting the site became saltier and wetter. Additionally, all three communities harboring rare plants shrunk in size. 2) I evaluated invading halophyte (salt-tolerant) plant influence on soil salinity via a replacement series greenhouse experiment. I used two halophytes and two glycophytes (non-salt-tolerant) to look at soil salinity over time under 26 and 38‰ groundwater. I hypothesized that halophytes increase soil salinity as compared to glycophytes through continued transpiration during dry, highly saline periods. My results supported halophytic influence on soil salinity; however, not from higher transpiration rates. Osmotic or ionic stress likely decreased glycophytic biomass resulting in less overall plant transpiration. 3) I assessed the best plant life-stage to use for on-the-ground plot-based community change monitoring. I tested the effects of increasing salinity (0, 5, 15, 30, and 45‰) on seed germination and seedling establishment of five coastal species, and compared my results to salinity effects on one-year olds and adults of the same species. I hypothesized that seedling establishment was the most vulnerable life-stage to salt stress. The results supported my hypothesis; seedling establishment is the life-stage best monitored for community change. Additionally, I determined the federally endangered plant Chromolaena frustrata’s salinity tolerance. The species was sensitive to salinity >5‰ at all developmental stages suggesting C. frustrata is highly threatened by SLR.

Over the past thirty years, price relativities and technological development have motivated an increase in the area of land allocated to cropping, as opposed to pasture production, throughout the central wheat belt of Western Australia. Nevertheless, reducing the proportion of pasture in these rotations has challenged the future productivity of farming systems in this area. First, the frequent application of selective herbicides for weed control in extended cropping rotations has promoted the development of herbicide resistance in a number of major agricultural weeds. Second, the primary use of annual plants has promoted the development of soil salinisation by allowing a significant proportion of rainfall to recharge saline water tables. The inclusion of perennial pasture phases between extended periods of cropping may mitigate or delay these constraints to production through (a) allowing the use of costeffective forms of non-selective weed control, and (b) through creating a buffer of dry soil that absorbs leakage occurring beneath subsequent crops. This study consequently explores the value of including perennial pasture phases in dryland agricultural systems in the eastern-central wheat belt of Western Australia, accounting for benefits related to herbicide resistance and water table management. A novel computational algorithm for the solution of multiple-phase optimal control problems is developed and used to conduct a conceptual analysis of the value of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pasture for managing annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), the primary weed in wheat belt cropping systems. The competitiveness and fecundity of annual ryegrass provide strong economic incentives to maintain a low weed population, irrespective of herbicide-resistance status. Consequently, the ineffectiveness of selective herbicides primarily reduces the profitability of cropping by motivating the adoption of more costly non-selective forms of weed control. The inclusion of lucerne in land-use rotations is only optimal in the presence of severe herbicide resistance given (a) the low efficiency of alternative weed-management practices available during the pasture phase, relative to selective-herbicide application; (b) the significant cost of establishing this perennial pasture; and (c) the high relative profitability of cereal production in the absence of resistance. The value of lucerne, relative to annual pastures, for weed management is explored in greater detail through the use of compressed annealing to optimise a sophisticated simulation model. The profitability of candidate rotations is also manipulated to account for the long-term production losses accruing to the recharge of saline groundwaters that occurs beneath them. Sequences incorporating lucerne are only more profitable than those that include annual pasture at the standard set of parameter values if (a) annual ryegrass is resistant to all selective herbicides, (b) the water table is so shallow (approximately less than 3.5 m deep) that frequent rotation with perennials is required to avert soil salinisation, or (c) sheep production is highly profitable. The value of perennial pasture is sufficient under these circumstances to overcome its high establishment cost. Consistent with intuition, these benefits are reinforced by lower discount rates and higher rates of leakage occurring beneath annual-based systems. Formulation of an effective communication strategy to report these results to producers is justified given the complexity involved in determining the true magnitude of these intertemporal benefits through alternative means, such as field trials.

Puccinellia (puccinellia ciliata) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) often show ecological zonation in saline landscapes, with puccinellia occurring in less elevated more saline/waterlogged locations, and tall wheatgrass occurring in more elevated less saline/waterlogged locations. The aims of this study were to: (a) characterize the observed ecological zonation at a field site, (b) quantify the effects of variables likely to explain growth differences of the two plants in glasshouse experiments, and (c) identify and compare anatomical and physiological mechanisms that explain these zonation patterns. At an experiment in the field near Kojonup (0522824E, 6244579N), puccinellia was found to colonise the lower more severely salinised and waterlogged zones of the landscape, with tall wheatgrass occupying the higher less affected zones. These differences in zonation were clearly associated with variance in soil salinity and water-table depth. Glasshouse experiments in soil revealed that low pH values, low calcium concentrations and variation in salinity alone did not explain the ecological zonation observed in the field. However, there was a substantial difference in the responses of the two plant species to waterlogging in combination with salinity. Puccinellia grew better under saline waterlogged conditions than tall wheatgrass, which was associated with better regulation of Na+ and K+ under saline/waterlogged conditions than in tall wheatgrass. Under non-saline conditions, waterlogging (hypoxia) decreased shoot weights in puccinellia by 15% and in tall wheatgrass by 20%. Similar growth results were obtained in nutrient solution culture, where waterlogging was simulated by lowering the oxygen in solutions through bubbling with N2 gas. Under saline hypoxic conditions, puccinellia, compared to tall wheatgrass, showed increased growth and maintenance of selectivity of K+ over Na+ across adventitious roots. Solution experiments revealed adaptive traits responsible for conveying better growth and ion maintenance present in puccinellia, but not tall wheatgrass, such as inducement of a barrier to radial oxygen loss in the basal regions of adventitious roots (not previously reported in the literature for puccinellia), formation of root aerenchyma and packing of cortical cells and suberin deposition in hypodermal and endodermal root cell layers. These results should assist in targeting pasture species, and predicting their growth response, in saline and waterlogged landscapes. Further work on examining the genetic material of puccinellia is warranted in order to identify genes that could be transferred into crop plants to convey salt and waterlogging tolerance.

Soil spectroscopy is a promising technique for soil analysis, and has been successfully utilized in the laboratory. When it comes to space, the presence of vegetation significantly affects the performance of imaging spectroscopy or hyperspectral imaging on the retrieval of topsoil properties. The Forced Invariance Approach has been proven able to effectively suppress the vegetation contribution to the mixed image pixel. It takes advantage of scene statistics and requires no specific a priori knowledge of the referenced spectra. However, the approach is still mainly limited to lithological mapping. In this case study, the objective was to test the performance of the Forced Invariance Approach to improve the estimation accuracy of soil salinity for an agricultural area located in the semi-arid region of Northwest China using airborne hyperspectral data. The ground truth data was obtained from an eco-hydrological wireless sensing network. The relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and soil salinity is discussed. The results demonstrate that the Forced Invariance Approach is able to improve the retrieval accuracy of soil salinity at a depth of 10 cm, as indicated by a higher value for the coefficient of determination (R2). Consequently, the vegetation suppression method has the potential to improve quantitative estimation of soil properties with multivariate statistical methods.

Soil spectroscopy is a promising technique for soil analysis, and has been successfully utilized in the laboratory. When it comes to space, the presence of vegetation significantly affects the performance of imaging spectroscopy or hyperspectral imaging on the retrieval of topsoil properties. The Forced Invariance Approach has been proven able to effectively suppress the vegetation contribution to the mixed image pixel. It takes advantage of scene statistics and requires no specific a priori knowledge of the referenced spectra. However, the approach is still mainly limited to lithological mapping. In this case study, the objective was to test the performance of the Forced Invariance Approach to improve the estimation accuracy of soil salinity for an agricultural area located in the semi-arid region of Northwest China using airborne hyperspectral data. The ground truth data was obtained from an eco-hydrological wireless sensing network. The relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and soil salinity is discussed. The results demonstrate that the Forced Invariance Approach is able to improve the retrieval accuracy of soil salinity at a depth of 10 cm, as indicated by a higher value for the coefficient of determination (R2). Consequently, the vegetation suppression method has the potential to improve quantitative estimation of soil properties with multivariate statistical methods.