First investigation results on black soil in Northeast China published

China unveiled its first investigation results on black soil in Northeast China on Wednesday, indicating an overall stability of the soil condition and offering crucial support for the protection, planning and sustainable utilization of black soil resources.

The three-year investigation, conducted by the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, revealed that over 85 percent of the black soil area is relatively stable or above across the examined 83 key regions in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces, and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Encompassing 411,700 square kilometers, the surveyed region represents around 40 percent of the nation’s black soil area.

Covering an expanse of 162,500 sq km, the stable black soil area accounts for 39.48 percent of the surveyed region. Characterized by a thick layer of black soil, high organic matter content, excellent black soil properties, and the potential for sustainable cultivation, these areas are mainly located in the central and northern regions of the Songnen Plain, northern Sanjiang Plain, and southwestern Liaohe Plain.

An additional 192,900 sq km area, constituting 46.86 percent of the investigated regions, is categorized as relatively stable black soil area. This area possesses moderate black soil layer thickness, relatively high organic matter content, good black soil properties, and is deemed suitable for long-term utilization with proper protection measures in place.

The remaining area may be afflicted by black soil degradation problems such as soil erosion, desertification and salinization. The result underscored the difficulty in restoring these areas once they have been damaged.

In addition, the investigation mapped out a reserved farmland area spanning 13,600 sq km, offering precise location and fundamental statistics to guide policy decisions aimed at expanding black soil cultivation.