Enrichment of soil nutrients and salt ions with different salinities under Tamarix chinensis shrubs in the Yellow River Delta

[Display omitted] •Tamarix chinensis exhibited fertile island effect under different salinity.•Soil salinity and location significantly affected enrichment of salt ions.•T. chinensis produced salt basin on Na+ and Cl- but salt island on SO42- and HCO3-.•T. chinensis exhibited a significant overall salinity reduction effect.•Enrichment rates of SOC of T. chinensis were the highest under moderate salinity. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of soil salt ions and soil nutrients at different locations around Tamarix chinensis and with different salinity levels on a coastal beach of the Yellow River Delta. The findings help clarify the effects of T. chinensis growth on the enrichment rates of soil nutrients and salt ions. T. chinensis shrublands with low salinity (0.25%), moderate salinity (0.51%), and high salinity (1.03%) on the coastal beach of the Yellow River Delta were studied. The available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), total organic carbon (SOC), and levels of eight major salt ions were measured and analyzed at different locations around the T. chinensis plants. The results showed that soil salinity significantly affected the contents of soil nutrients and salt ions. Soil salinity, soil location, and their interaction had significant effects on the following contents of soil: AN, AP, SOC, K+, Na+, Cl-, and SO42-(P