Fragipans and Duripans are frequently found in soils developed from sediments of the Barreiras Formation, in the low coastal plateaus of northeastern Brazil. Previous studies in arid regions have attributed Duripan cohesion to the amorphous silica. However, the Duripans and Fragipans in northeastern Brazil are located in semi-arid and high annual precipitation level zones (1.500 to 2.000 mm year-1). This study, based on a detailed characterization of soils from four depressions with different sizes, aimed to propose an evolution scheme […]

The influence of parent materials, Pre-Cambrian rocks, and colluvial and alluvial sediments derived from them, as well as their topographical position in the soil genesis were studied in a toposequence representative of the Baixada Litorânea Fluminense landscape, at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Six soil profiles, located on the shoulder position (P1 and P2), backslope (P3), footslope (P4 and P5), and foot slope position (P6) were analyzed. The pedogenic processes and soil properties were related to […]

The spatial variability of soil water infiltration rate and A horizon thickness were studied in a Red-Yellow Podzolic soil (Kandudalf) showing erosion signs, located in Vera Cruz, SP. Field measurements were taken in regular 5 meter spacing square grid, resulting in 64 sampling points where the infiltration rate at the A, E and B horizon, and A horizon thickness were determined in coffee, pasture and natural vegetation. Statistical analysis showed high variability in the soil water infiltration rate and in […]

This study presents the use of geostatistical analyses for the design of sampling schemes, focusing specially on the anisotropy impacts on the dimensioning of sample units and image generation techniques. The attribute studied was the superficial clay content, measured during November 1998 in a Typic Hapludox, in Campos Novos Paulista (SP). Spatial variability and anisotropy of clay content were determined by examining the semivariograms, which were fit to theoretical models to obtain its parameters (variogram model type, nugget, sill and […]

The Serra do Brigadeiro State Park is covered by tropical Atlantic rain forest, as part of the Mantiqueira crystaline range. In the upper areas (above 1.600 m), a type of vegetation with singular floristic composition is found, with high endemism and a number of endangered species, here called “Campos de Altitude”. A Lithosol, a Spodosol (Podzol) and a Cambisol, all associated with “Campos de Altitude”, and a Latosol under rain forest, were sampled. These soils showed high Al saturation, low […]

The GIS-IDRISI was used to check land use adequacy from 1997 to 1998, in the initial part of the Rio Pardo basin, in Botucatu/Pardinho (SP), to obtain a suitable land use planning of the area. The classes and subclasses of land capability were determined according to the Land Capability Classification System. The lands of the studied area were classified as: class VIe, lands with erosion susceptibility (90.49%); class Va, flat lands, with no erosion risk, but limited by excess of […]

Little is known about the effect of mafic parent materials on soil genesis in the humid “Zona da Mata”, Minas Gerais, although there are many detailed studies on soils developed from felsic to mesocratic gneiss, notably Latosols and terrace Podzolic soils. To fill this gap, soils in two topolitosequences, comprising A and B or A and C horizons, were sampled and studied. In the first topolitosequence, at Serra de Guiricema, a Red-Yellow Latosol on the top, a Argilluvic Chernosol, a […]

On the landscape of the Eastern Plateau, north of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, there are ferricretes in different elevations. Although these features are relatively frequent over the cretaceous sandstone (Adamantina Formation, Bauru Group), little investigation has been carried out on their genesis. A morphological study at different levels of observation was conducted in order to elucidate the genesis of ferricretes (plinthite and petroplinthite), occurring at the toeslope of a landscape where soils with argillic horizon predominate, at the […]

The formation of soils with argillic horizons was investigated to identify the pedological processes involved in the formation of lamellae and the abrupt textural gradient as well as their implication on the soil physical, chemical and mineralogical attributes. This study was carried out on a sandstone-derived soil toposequence, with profile (P1) occupying the higher part of the landscape (summit), profile (P2) on the backslope, and profile (P3) on the footslope. Soil chemical, mineralogical, micromorphological and particle size distribution analyses were […]

The high risk of agricultural activities demands the adoption of risk-assessment methods based on the integration of climatic and pedologic parameters, thus allowing the establishment of state policies concerning crop insurance. Based on the Brazilian Land Evaluation System, a methodology was drawn to elaborate a pedoclimatic zoning of the lands in the State of Goiás and Federal District for the planting of rainfed rice (Oriza sativa L.) (110 days-cycle). Fertility deficiency was assessed in relation to the sum of bases, […]