Belozem saline soils microbiome

soils, characterized by high salinity and pH levels, have been the subject of research in many countries including Bulgaria. This is because 1% of the total land area in Bulgaria is covered by saline soils Penov et al.(2009) which accounts for approximately 55,000 hectares, comprising 35,500 hectares affected by natural salinization and 25,000 hectares influenced by industrial and drainage activities (Hristov, 2021). This is because the overall geographical characteristics of Bulgaria position it within the transit salt-regime zones, which are conducive to the development of salinization (Andreeva & Poushkarov, 2020). In essence, soil salinization can be categorized into two primary types based on the predominant influence of natural processes and anthropogenic factors known as primary salinization and secondary salinization respectively (Zhang et al., 2023). Salinization in Bulgaria is often a result of intensive irrigation, known as secondary salinization Penkov et al.(1985) and historical and ongoing tectonic events like earthquakes known as primary salinity. The factors contributing to soil salinization are varied and can manifest across various climatic conditions (Shahid et al., 2018).