Abstract: Soil salinization land is widely distributed in the dry regions of China. Salinization, as one of the main aspects of soil degradation, has important impact on the sustainable development of agriculture. As one of the countries most seriously threatened by salinization, China needs to pay more attention to the prevention and control of soil salinization. We summarized the technologies and methods of soil salinization monitoring, and analyzed the effects of land use, irrigation, and natural environmental factors on soil salt accumulation and migration processes. In the aspect of prevention and control of soil salinization, we should comprehensively consider the different factors in each irrigation basin and explore the best combination model to improve salinized soil at the balance of environmental protection and economic cost. Furthermore, we should strengthen screening and cultivation of more suitable and efficient salttolerant plants. We proposed the future research directions of salt transport processes at river basin or landscape scale, to provide reference for the prevention and management of soil salinization in arid regions.

Key words: Cropping pastoral ecotone, Loess Plateau, Abandoned farmland, Restoration, Vegetation