Variabilidade de classes de solos, atributos morfológicos e físico-hídricos no rebordo do Planalto Meridional

Abstract

The edge of the Southern Plateau is an area geomorphologically complex and extremely important social and environmental. These areas are under-researched due to its low agricultural potential. In recent decades, these areas have suffered strong anthropic pressure use, developed without adequate knowledge about the spatial distribution and behavior of soils. In this sense, the application of geostatistical mapping contributes to the classes and attributes of the soil, making it an indispensable tool for conservation planning knowledge and use of these areas. The objectives were to identify the correlation between morphological and physical attributes with the saturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration capacity of the soil water between all points and between points of the same class of soil and check the existing spatial dependence for each of the attributes evaluated in a typical area of plateau on the edge of the Southern Plateau. The study was conducted in São Martinho da Serra , the central region of Rio Grande do Sul We used a systematic sampling of 57 sample points with 20 meters distance between them, with evaluation of two soil layers, 0-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 meters, identified high spatial variability of physical water even when analyzed in groups of soil classes. A linear correlation was positive and significant relationship between macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in the surface layer, the layer 0.1-0.2 meters correlation between Ks and macroporosity and total porosity and Ks. The infiltration capacity was correlated only with the attribute fine soil layer 0.1-0.2 meters. The morphological attributes not correlated with the infiltration of water and not with the saturated hydraulic conductivity. The morphological attributes such as depth of the A horizon saprolite layer thickness and depth of contact lytic not correlated with the infiltration of water and even with the saturated hydraulic conductivity. A spatial dependence was identified for Ks, macro and micro, density, porosity, clay and fine soil resistance to penetration (RP) layer 0-0.1 meters and clay, fine earth and RP layer 0.1-0.2 meters. The sampling grid proposal, even in a heterogeneous environment is efficient to identify the spatial dependence of some attributes, for others the nugget effect demonstrated the need for a more detailed grid sampling. The finding of high variability of morphological classes and attributes, physical water soils in areas of the southern edge of the plateau studies require smaller sample loops that allow the investigation of the spatial extent of a greater number of attributes, the geostatistical analysis combined with kriging is a potential tool to analyze the spatial dependence even in areas with high heterogeneity.