Characterization of soils degraded by the agricultural activity and biological changes after reforestation with different species associations of the Atlantic Forest / Caracterização de solos degradados pela atividade agrícola e alterações biológicas após reflorestamentos com diferentes associações de espécies da Mata Atlântica

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2001

RESUMO

This study seeks to: a) characterize the degree of physical and chemical degradation of the soils used in agricultural cultivation for several decades, originally covered by the Atlantic Forest (Seasonal Semideciduous Forest) in Botucatu, SP; b) evaluate the biological changes of these soils along a 16-month post-reforestation with different models of species association of the Atlantic Forest. The experimental areas were located in two properties (Fazenda Lageado and Edgardia) of the Agronomic Sciences College (FCA/UNESP) in Botucatu-SP. The climate in that region is the tropical type with dry winter (Cwa, Köppen class.). The soils of the experimental areas are: clayey Red Nitosol (NV), loamy alic Red-Yellow Argisol (AVA), and sandy alic Red-Yellow Latosol (LVA). Six treatments (randomized block design with three replications) were used: Test; Direct Seeding; Taungya; Consortium; Restoration and finally Forestal Fragments. The physical attributes (texture, density and porosity) were evaluated in layers of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40cm; the chemical attributes (pH, MO, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, H, Al, CTC, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in layers of 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-40cm and the biological attributes (Microbial biomass C, CO2 release and N mineralization) in layers of 0-5 and 5-20cm. The clay content in the degraded soil in NV was 57% higher than that obtained in soil under Forest Fragment (0-10cm layer), 33% higher in AVA, and 77% lower in LVA. This effect in NV and AVA was accredited to the removal of the soil top layers, which are sandier due to the erosion and exposition of the lower layers that are more clayey. In LVA the lowest clay and silt content in the degraded soil was accredited to the loss of these fractions by eluviation or flood suspension. The pH, MO, P and Ca contents in NV and LVA soils were much higher in Forestal iv Fragments regarding those reached in degraded soil areas. The less marking differences were observed in AVA and also detected for the textural composition, thus indicating that this soil is less degraded than the other ones. The CTC of the soils was highly correlated with the clay and MO contents. That highlights the importance of preserving the granulometric composition and elevation of the MO contents in order to restore important physical-chemical soil properties, such as the CTC. In primary forest areas (NV, AVA and LVA Forestal Fragments), the microbial biomass C presents higher values at the top layer and in the summer, a fact accredited to more favorable conditions (MO, pH, moisture, temperature, etc) for the maintenance of the microbial life in the soil. The microbial biomass C and, in a lesser scale, the CO2 release were good indicators of the changes occurred after the reforestation with the different species associations. In the LVA, since the soil of this area is more degraded in relationship to NV and AVA, the high correlation and microbial C/organic C relationship indicate that the microbial biomass is an important reserve compartment of the soil organic C. As to the biological attributes, the differences between the Forestal Fragments and the remaining treatments still exist in the three areas and layers, and the return to the pre-existing attributes is likely to be gradual; moreover, the time of return should undergo influences of the pedoclimatic conditions of the area and of the association of the present species.

ASSUNTO(S)

physical attributes carbon dioxide release microbial biomass chemical attributes manejo florestal degradação do solo nitrogen mineralization degraded ecossystem mata atlantica propriedade fisico-quimico do solo. florestamento restoration ecology

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