Geochemical element data of different saline soil types in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China

This dataset contains the geochemical composition of 141 surface soil samples (0–5 cm depth) collected from the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China. The samples represent various land-use types categorized by the degree of human intervention, including unused saline–alkali land (with and without vegetation), lightly disturbed riparian zones (reed wetlands and Populus euphratica forests), and intensively modified agricultural land (newly reclaimed and long-term cultivated farmland).
For each of the 141 samples, the dataset provides:
Major oxide concentrations (wt%): SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, CaO, MgO, K₂O, and Na₂O.
Trace element concentrations (mg/kg): S, Cl, P, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, As, Pb, Sb, Rb, Sr, and Ba.
Metadata: Sample IDs, geographical coordinates (latitude/longitude), and land-use classifications.
These data were generated to evaluate how human activities (such as land reclamation, irrigation, and fertilization) have influenced soil salinization and geochemical cycling in arid terminal river basins. This dataset supports the findings of the study "Human activities have reduced soil salinization in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China".