The objective of the present study was to make the physical and chemical characterization of soils developed on sediments of the Barreiras group, in southern Bahia, as well as soils formed from rocks of the crystalline basement, which were taken as reference. For this purpose, soil horizon samples from two representative toposequences of the Coastal Plain were selected and analyzed: (1) eutrophic argisolic Red Latosol, latosolic dystrophic Yellow Argisol, duric orthic Ferrocarbic Spodosol; (2) dystrophic abruptic Yellow Argisol, dystrophic typic […]

The genesis of cohesive horizons in some soils is not well known yet and, in many cases, it is conflicting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate physical, chemical and mineralogical mechanisms that cause hardening in soils with cohesive horizons, fragipan and duripan in Brazilian Coastal Plain soils. Soil samples of two toposequences were sampled and the taxonomic classes of the soils were identified as Argisolic Eutrophic Red Latosol, Latosolic Dystrophic Yellow Argisol for the first toposequence, and Abruptic […]

The 13C natural abundance technique was applied to study C dynamics after land-use change from native savanna to Brachiaria, Pinus, and Eucalyptus in differently textured Cerrado Oxisols. But due to differences in the d13C signatures of subsoils under native savanna and under introduced species, C substitution could only be calculated based on results of cultivated soils nearby. It was estimated that after 20 years, Pinus C had replaced only 5 % of the native C in the 0-1.2 m layer, in which substitution […]

Land evaluation is a process that estimates the land use potential based on its properties. A large variety of analytic models can be used in this process. In Brazil, the two most widely used land evaluation systems are the “Sistema de Classificação da Capacidade de Uso da Terra” and “Sistema FAO/Brasileiro de Aptidão Agrícola das Terras”. Although different in several aspects, both require the crossing of countless environmental variables. ALES (Automated Land Evaluation System) is a computer program that allows […]

Soils formed from serpentinized rocks or serpentinites constitute a special group of soils on the earth surface. These rocks present ultramafic characteristics, with more than 70 % mafic minerals (iron and magnesium oxides). The mineralogy of serpentinites is poor in silica and aluminum and very rich in Mg. Only few studies have looked into the morphology, mineralogy, genesis and classification of soils developed on this type of parent material. In the humid-tropical climate of southwestern Minas Gerais state, three representative soil […]

Two Oxisol (Red-Yellow Latosol LBw and Dusky Red Latosol LVdf) toposequences in Paraná State, Brazil, were evaluated regarding the effect of different relief positions and parent material on mineralogical characteristics of the soil clay fraction. The clay fraction was investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetry, and chemical analysis. Total Si, Al and Fe contents were determined after clay sample digestion with a 3:1 mixture of 36% HCl and 68% HNO3 acids. The Fe and Al contents were determined […]

Most soils in semi-arid Northeastern Brazil are considered phosphorus deficient. The great diversity of orders they belong to, however, indicates that they are not similar in relation to the concentrations of their different P forms. The distribution of phosphorus forms in 69 soils of the most common soil orders in the semi-arid region was evaluated in samples from the 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers. Phosphorus was determined by Mehlich-1 and by a sequential fractionation, through extractions with resin, NaHCO3, […]

Soil structure (type, size and development) defines the total soil porosity and macro and microporosity distribution, and is considered to be one of the most important agricultural soil properties. The aim of this work was to study the effect of the clay fraction mineralogy, including the crystallographic mineral characteristics, in the soil physical properties of two Oxisols developed from the basaltic rocks, in different landscape positions (toposequence) in Paraná State, Brazil. With this objective, the soil profile was morphologically described […]

Tuffite-derived magnetic soils in the Alto Paranaíba region, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, have a variable mineralogy and are assumed to contain iron oxides that are isoestructural to spinel, more specifically, (Mg,Ti)-rich magnetite and maghemite. In this study, magnetic portions (saturation magnetization, 34.4 < s/J T-1 kg-1 < 43.7) were separated from sand fractions of pedomaterials of a Brunizem (Chernosol) (samples labeled AP31CR; AP31B and AP31A) and of a leptic Chernosol (AP33CR e AP33A) developed from tuffite were collected near the city of Patos de Minas, […]

The structure, consistence, porosity, clay films, hydraulic conductivity, and water retention of soils with Nitic horizons and soils with both Nitic and Ferralic horizons were studied in-depth with the objective of contributing to the ongoing discussion on problems with the classification of “Nitossolos” (Nitisols) in Brazil. The hydrophysical performance of the studied horizons is intimately related to the soil structure type and grade and to the amount and distinctness of the clay films. Horizons characterized as nitic (“B nítico”) presented […]