The publication of this Handbook was supported by the Russian Federation

Methods of monitoring. The most widely used parameters of  monitoring (in almost all 
countries) include concentrations of  heavy metals, nitrates, pH, total carbon, particle-size 
distribution and cation exchange capacity. Less used parameters include soil density, aggregate 
composition, porosity, electrical conductivity and chemical composition of  soil solutions. The least 
used parameters include fraction composition of  organic carbon, microbiological parameters, soil 
respiration and enzymes.
The progress of  monitoring studies has been supported by the development of  measuring 
equipment. Many producers of  field and laboratory measurement devices have appeared on the 
market, in particular, Dutch «Eijkelkamp», English «ADC», French «Lambrinus» and German 
«Trum». These producers have recently achieved noteworthy successes in construction, production 
and distribution of  equipment for studying soils, plants, waters, solutions, emissions, processes of  
energy and matter exchange and transformation, etc. [12].

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Chapter 2.Methods of studying, mapping and monitoring saline and alkaline soils 
2.4. Soil salinity monitoring by the use of remote sensing (following 
the example of irrigated territories of Central Asia)