APPLICATION OF SOIL PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES TO THE STUDY OF DEGRADED AREAS QUALITY, IN ITAJUBÁ COUNTY/MG

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Fernanda Guimarães Mendes
Eliane Guimarães Pereira Melloni
Rogério Melloni

Abstract

The study evaluate the strategies of rehabilitation of degraded area adopted in the Campus of Universidade Federal de Itajubá (UNIFEI) - MG, physical attributes such as root growth, particle density, Mean Weighed Diameter (DMP) and Mean Geometric Diameter (DMG of aggregates), texture, flocultion index, soil density and total volume of pores were used. Soil samples were collected at the depth of 0-10 and 10-20 cm on areas of two ecosystems: natural, not degraded (N),and degraded one (R), subdivided in three subareas each. Relations between visual attributes of soil quality with the physical attributes were established too. Among degraded areas, those R1 and R2 had presented greater reabilition degree, in function of the biggest values of root growth, DMP and DMG, compared with the R3 area. The biggest aggregates were above 2 mm, independent of the depth, excepting in the R3 area, indicating good conditions for plant development and sustainbility of these systems. The results showed that using physical attributes, as root growth, DMP and DMG it is possible to identify different areas presenting high potential of application in other studies of evaluation of degraded areas under rehabilition. The visual analysis permited the quantification of diferences related to soil and vegetation, with values about 24%, 44% and 66%, respectivelly, for R1, R2 and R3, in relation average values obtained for non degraded areas.

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