ABSTRACT Soil taxonomic systems seek to express pedogenic processes in their classes by choosing attributes or differential characteristics to identify classes at different categorical or hierarchical levels. Due to the advancement of knowledge, classification systems are periodically revised and/or expanded, and this may happen based on the evaluation of the database of these attributes or characteristics for a given class. In this context, the analysis of a broad set of Espodossolos (the equivalent of Spodosols or Podzols) from different pedoenvironments […]

Aluminum in complexes with soil organic matter is usually determined by selective extraction techniques. A common extractant for this Al form is sodium pyrophosphate. Due to its lack of selectivity for some soil samples, unbuffered Al extractants, such as CuCl2 and LaCl3, have been recommended. The selectivity of sodium pyrophosphate (Alp) and of unbuffered Cu (AlCu) and La (AlLa) chlorides to extract aluminum bound to soil organic matter (Al-humus) was evaluated in soil samples from 31 pedons (Spodosols and Quartzipsamments) […]

Little is known about the soil diversity of Brazilian highland regions, despite their recent upgrading in view of the ecotouristic potential of some areas. Chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological attributes of ten soil profiles along two transects in the quartzitic domains of the Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were studied in relation to their pedogenesis. At local level, soil formation is more closely associated with litho-structural elements (lithology, faults and fractures), than with topographical variations. The soils are Al-saturated […]