Takir (soil)
Takir (Takyr) (Russian: Такыр, originally from Kazakh or another Turkic language) is a type of relief occurring in the deserts of Central Asia, similar to a salt flat in the southwestern United States.
A takyr is usually formed in a shallow depressed area with a heavy clay soil, which is submerged by water after seasonal rains. After the water evaporates, a dried crust with fissures forms on the surface. The crust is primarily formed by filamentous cyanobacteria.
Further reading
- Jayne Belnap, Otto Ludwig Lange. "Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management". Springer, 2001, ISBN 3-540-43757-6. Page 90, Chapter 7.5, "Central Asia Takyr".
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