ABSTRACT This review presents the basic research and some applications of the gamma-ray attenuation, neutron gauges, and 137Cs fallout techniques for studying soil physical processes and properties. The selected studies aimed to give the readers a general idea of the use of these nuclear techniques carried out by Brazilian researchers in the past decades. It is expected to assist future researchers by identifying knowledge gaps and opportunities for applying the methods presented here. Around 100 studies were selected for this […]

ABSTRACT Soil maps provide a method for graphically communicating what is known about the spatial distribution of soil properties in nature. We proposed an optimized pipeline, named dino-soil toolbox, programmed in the R software for mapping quantitative and categorical properties of legacy soil data. The pipeline, composed of four main modules (data preprocessing, covariates selection, exploratory data analysis and modeling), was tested across a study area of 14,537 km 2 located between the departments of Cesar and Magdalena, Colombia. We […]

ABSTRACT Multitemporal collections of satellite images and their products have recently been explored in digital soil mapping. This study aimed to produce a bare soil image (BSI) for the São Paulo State (Brazil) to perform a pedometric analysis for different geographical levels. First, we assessed the potential of the BSI for predicting the surface (0.00-0.20 m) and subsurface (0.80-1.00 m) clay, iron oxides (Fe 2 O 3 ), aluminum (m%) and bases saturation (V%) contents at the state level, which […]

ABSTRACT: It remains unclear whether temperature and precipitation exert independent control on tropical vegetation and soil C pools. Likewise, it is unknown whether the feedbacks of tropical C pools to climate constraints vary with nutrient availability. These aspects are critical to improving our ability to predict the response of tropical C pools to climate dynamics. This review aimed to assess climate data and the spatial distribution of vegetation and soil C pools across the Brazilian territory to investigate i) whether […]

ABSTRACT Close association of iron mining and ferruginous rupestrian grassland places this ecosystem in a special condition of vulnerability, with a large number of degraded areas requiring restoration. Seedling transplantation and topsoil translocation can be used to recover native vegetation in degraded areas. This study aimed to experimentally test the application of two different topsoil depths (0.20 and 0.40 m) in a degraded area. We assessed the vegetation’s natural recovery and the survival of transplanted native species from rescue operations […]

ABSTRACT Erosion process occurs naturally, shaping the Earth’s surface. Soil loss can cause harmful effects to the environment when intensive anthropic activities occur. Mathematical models have been used as effective and less costly alternatives for identifying sites highly prone to soil loss, especially at the watershed scale. In Brazil, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is one of the most commonly used soil loss prediction models. The RUSLE requires information on soil erodibility, rainfall erosivity, topography, land use and […]

ABSTRACT The concept of attitude toward soil is emerging, with a slim choice of scales available to collect hard data. There is also a dearth of standard scales to acquire precise data on students’ knowledge of soil. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were: (1) to devise appropriate scales to quantify theoretical soil knowledge and attitude toward soil, and (2) to quantify the effect of laboratory studies and fieldwork on students’ theoretical soil knowledge and attitude toward soil. The […]

ABSTRACT Global agricultural production is expected to double by 2050 due to both global population increase and changes in diets as a consequence of growing incomes. This also means more pressure on water resources, as agriculture accounts for 70 % of global water withdrawal and for energy production as the entire food supply chain accounts for about 30 % of total global energy consumption. Although there are ongoing discussions related to the sustainability of food, water, and energy sectors, integrating […]

ABSTRACT Soils in the Depressão Central and Campanha Gaúcha in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, developed from sedimentary rocks are mainly Alfisols (Luvissolos, Planossolos and Plintossolos) and Ultisols (Argissolos) with high textural contrast between A and/or E horizons and clayey B horizons. Red Ultisols dominate in well-drained areas in the summit. But many soils present redoximorphic features on the backslope and footslope, with mottled and/or nodules similar to plinthite due to the oscillating of the water table above the […]

ABSTRACT Molybdenum (Mo) availability is strongly affected by soil pH, which determines the dynamics of electrical charges and the adsorption of molybdate. This study evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) and Mo application on the chemical properties of a Latossolo Amarelo (Oxisol) and in Coffea canephora nutrition and productivity throughout two productive cycles under field conditions. The experiment was conducted from June 2018 to May 2020. The experimental design used was in randomized blocks, in a 2 × 5 factorial […]