Successive applications of pig slurry and pig deep litter may lead to an accumulation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) fractions in the soil profile. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Cu and Zn forms and accumulation in a Sandy Typic Hapludalf soil after long-term application of pig slurry and deep litter. In March 2010, eight years after initiating an experiment in Braço do Norte, Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, on a Sandy Typic Hapludalf soil, soil samples […]

In Brazil, most forest stands have been planted on soils with some degree of physical, chemical or biological degradation. The protection of the trees for the soil, depending on the litter deposition, is a driving force of the restoration process of degraded areas. Since organic matter is related to many of the physical, chemical and biological soil properties, it is characterized as a key factor for the maintenance of the environmental quality of forest systems. The purpose of this study […]

Although widely reported, studies on chemical forms and concentrations of heavy metals in polluted soils and their effects upon ecosystems are still not much emphasized in the tropics. The present study was developed in a waste area of a zinc processing industry owned by the Companhia Mineira de Metais-CMM at Três Marias (MG), Brazil, to evaluate heavy metal quantities and forms in seven representative sites, selected according to differences in form of contamination, pedological aspects, topography and current vegetation status. […]