Assessment of soil erosion in olive orchards (Olea europaea L.) under cover crops management systems in the tropical region of Brazil

In the tropics, water erosion is one of the most important factors leading to the degradation and deterioration of agricultural land. Olive orchards have a low canopy coverage, especially during the first years after planting, due to the low density of olive trees. Given the fast expansion of olive orchards in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of cover vegetation on soil and water losses under natural rainfall. In addition, it was assessed the crop performance and the vegetation cover index in different management systems in olive orchards. The study was carried out in soil erosion plots, where water and sediment were sampled and measured over two crops season, under the following treatments: in the first season, bare soil with olive cultivation (OBS); olive trees intercropped with spontaneous vegetation (OSV); olive trees intercropped with jack beans (OJB); olive trees intercropped with millet (OM) and, as a control, only bare soil (BS). In the second season, the OM treatment was replaced by olive trees intercropped with sunn hemp (OSH). On bare soils, soil loss was the highest reaching 303.9 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) and where the surface runoff amounted to 484.8 mm yr(-1). However, in the absence of competition for resources with other crops, olive trees performed best under this system. The olive orchards planted in shallow and sloping soils without cover crops showed unsustainable soil loss, crusting, and sealing in the superficial soil layer, which can progress quickly for soil degradation in the future. The efficiency in the reduction of loss in relation to bare soil was 4.11 and 12.93 % for the soil loss and 12.15 and 25.17 % for water loss, respectively, for olive with spontaneous vegetation and olive with jack beans. Cover crops combined with olive trees, and reconciled with the crop performance aspects of cultivation in tropical regions, is of great relevance for improving sustainability, especially regarding the reduction of soil and water losses due to water erosion

Organic matter composition and paleoclimatic changes in tropical mountain peatlands currently under grasslands and forest clusters

Tropical peatlands are important ecosystems for Planet Earth, as they store large amounts of carbon and water. A better understanding of the impact of vegetation type and altitude in content, composition, and rate of accu mulation of organic matter is key for assessing the current role of such environments. This study evaluated fibric and soluble fractions as well as the lignocellulosic and the isotopic compositions of the peat organic matter from four tropical mountain peatlands located at different altitudes of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The peatlands are currently under grasslands and forest clusters. Samples of peat under both vegetation types were collected and analyzed for organic matter fractions, cellulose, and lignin (van Soest method), as well as carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Different depths were chosen for radiocarbon dating of se lected samples. The organic matter of peatlands currently under grasslands and forest clusters presented dif ferences in soluble fractions, lignocellulosic composition, and δ13C values. Multivariate analyses allowed grouping the peatlands by altitude and vegetation type. The chronological succession of grassland and forest clusters in tropical mountain peatlands was influenced by altitude and was related to paleoclimatic changes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relationship between soil organic matter fractions and cover plants in Olive post planting

Abstract Erosion is the main cause of soil degradation, compromising soil productivity and sustainability. As soil organic matter (SOM) is a key indicator of quality, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different olive tree managements on SOM and its soil fractions in soil (Inceptisol) and erosion sediments. Five treatments were installed: bare soil, olive cultivation in bare soil, olive tree intercropped with jack bean, olive tree intercropped with pearl millet, and olive tree cultivated with spontaneous vegetation; a contiguous area of native vegetation was used as reference. Carbon in soil and sediment were determined by wet oxidation with external heating, while the fractionation of SOM was performed based on granulometry. The Carbon Management Index (CMI) was determined by the proportions of SOM fractions. The results indicated that SOM associated with minerals is the most present in soil and sediment erosion, regardless of the adopted management. Results on CMI showed that the systems olive tree intercropped with pearl millet or with spontaneous vegetation are the most favorable to increase the carbon stock in the soil

CHARACTERIZATION OF HEADWATERS PEATS OF THE RIO ARAÇUAÍ, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL

Peatlands are soil environments that accumulate water and organic carbon and function as records of paleo-environmental changes. The variability in the composition of organic matter is reflected in their morphological, physical, and chemical properties. The aim of this study was to characterize these properties in peatlands from the headwaters of the Rio Araçuaí (Araçuaí River) in different stages of preservation. Two cores from peatlands with different vegetation types (moist grassland and semideciduous seasonal forest) from the Rio Preto [Preto River] headwaters (conservation area) and the Córrego Cachoeira dos Borges [Cachoeira dos Borges stream] (disturbed area) were sampled. Both are tributaries of the Rio Araçuaí. Samples were taken from layers of 15 cm, and morphological, physical, and chemical analyses were performed. The 14C age and δ13C values were determined in three samples from each core and the vertical growth and organic carbon accumulation rates were estimated. Dendrograms were constructed for each peatland by hierarchical clustering of similar layers with data from 34 parameters. The headwater peatlands of the Rio Araçuaí have a predominance of organic material in an advanced stage of decomposition and their soils are classified as Typic Haplosaprists. The organic matter in the Histosols of the peatlands of the headwaters of the Rio Araçuaí shows marked differences with respect to its morphological, physical, and chemical composition, as it is influenced by the type of vegetation that colonizes it. The peat from the headwaters of the Córrego Cachoeira dos Borges is in a more advanced stage of degradation than the peat from the Rio Preto, which highlights the urgent need for protection of these ecosystems/soil environments

Soil, water, nutrients and soil organic matter losses by water erosion as a function of soil management in the Posses sub-watershed, Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil

O conhecimento da quantidade e qualidade de material perdido por erosão hídrica em função do manejo do solo constitui uma necessidade básica para a definição de zonas de manejo em áreas de recarga de água. O objetivo desse trabalho foi verificar a influência do manejo do solo sobre a quantidade e qualidade de material perdido por erosão hídrica na sub-bacia hidrográfica das Posses, Extrema-MG. Para isso, foram coletados água e sedimentos erodidos através de parcelas de erosão, instaladas, sob chuva natural, em Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (PVA) nos manejos: solo descoberto, rotação cultural (milho/feijão-de-porco/pousio), pastagens degradada e bem manejada, e reflorestamento implantado em 2013; e em Neossolo Litólico (RL) nos manejos: reflorestamento implantado em 2008, solo descoberto e mata nativa. Nas amostras de sedimentos e de solos (coletadas na profundidade de 0-5 cm) foram determinados os teores de Ca, Mg, K, P, N (NT) e de matéria orgânica do solo (MOS) e com isso, calculada a taxa de enriquecimento de enxurrada. O manejo exerce maior influência nas perdas de solo do que nas perdas de água. Menores perdas foram encontradas no reflorestamento implantado em 2013 (solo), pasto bem manejado (água) e reflorestamentos (nutrientes e matéria orgânica). Há uma tendência de estabilização dessas perdas com o tempo de implantação dos sistemas. A tendência geral das perdas de nutrientes no PVA foi NT > Ca > Mg > K > P; e no RL foi de NT > Ca > K > Mg > P. As taxas de perdas de MOS e NT seguem a ordem: solo descoberto > rotação cultural > pasto degradado > pasto bem manejado > reflorestamento, no PVA; e solo descoberto > mata nativa > reflorestamento, no RL. O reflorestamento e o manejo das pastagens são estratégias conservacionistas que minimizam as perdas por erosão hídrica na sub-bacia das Posses, Extrema-MG. O manejo exerce maior influencia nas perdas de solo e de materiais a ele relacionados do que nas perdas de água. A manutenção da mata nativa sob Argissolo é essencial para a conservação deste pedoambiente, sobretudo, em declives acentuados.Knowledge of the quantity and quality of the material lost by soil erosion due to soil management is a basic need to identify land management zones in catchments. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of soil management on the quantity and quality of soil material lost by erosion in the Posses sub-watershed, Municipality of Extrema, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Water and sediments lost by natural rainfall erosion were sampled from erosion plots located on a Red-Yellow Argisol (PVA) under the following systems: bare soil, subsistence farming (maize/beans/pumpkin/jack-beans/fallow), degraded pasture, well-managed pasture, and reforestation set up in 2013; and in a Litholic Neosol (RL): reforestation set up in 2008, bare soil, and native forest. Ca, Mg, K, P, N and soil organic matter (SOM) contents were determined in sediment and soil samples (at 0-5 cm depth) for the determination of the runoff enrichment ratios. Management influences soil losses more so than water losses. Minor losses were found in reforestation set up in 2013 (soil); in well-managed pasture (water); and in reforestations (nutrients and SOM). These losses tend to stability with time. The general sequence of nutrient losses was N > Ca > Mg > K > P in PVA; and N > Ca > K > Mg > P in RL. Loss rates of SOM and N followed the order: bare soil > subsistence farming > degraded pasture > well-managed pasture > reforestation, in PVA; and bare soil > native forest > reforestation, in RL. Reforestation and well-management pasture are effective conservation strategies in order to lower the erosion process in the Posses sub-watershed. Soil losses, as well as nutrients and organic matter losses were more influenced by soil management than water losses. The safeguarding native forest under Litholic Neosol is essential to the conservation of this pedoenvironment, especially in steep slopes

CHARACTERIZATION OF HEADWATERS PEATS OF THE RIO ARAÇUAÍ, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL

Peatlands are soil environments that accumulate water and organic carbon and function as records of paleo-environmental changes. The variability in the composition of organic matter is reflected in their morphological, physical, and chemical properties. The aim of this study was to characterize these properties in peatlands from the headwaters of the Rio Araçuaí (Araçuaí River) in different stages of preservation. Two cores from peatlands with different vegetation types (moist grassland and semideciduous seasonal forest) from the Rio Preto [Preto River] headwaters (conservation area) and the Córrego Cachoeira dos Borges [Cachoeira dos Borges stream] (disturbed area) were sampled. Both are tributaries of the Rio Araçuaí. Samples were taken from layers of 15 cm, and morphological, physical, and chemical analyses were performed. The 14C age and δ13C values were determined in three samples from each core and the vertical growth and organic carbon accumulation rates were estimated. Dendrograms were constructed for each peatland by hierarchical clustering of similar layers with data from 34 parameters. The headwater peatlands of the Rio Araçuaí have a predominance of organic material in an advanced stage of decomposition and their soils are classified as Typic Haplosaprists. The organic matter in the Histosols of the peatlands of the headwaters of the Rio Araçuaí shows marked differences with respect to its morphological, physical, and chemical composition, as it is influenced by the type of vegetation that colonizes it. The peat from the headwaters of the Córrego Cachoeira dos Borges is in a more advanced stage of degradation than the peat from the Rio Preto, which highlights the urgent need for protection of these ecosystems/soil environments

Erosão hídrica associada a padrões de chuva no extremo Sul da Bahia em pós-plantio de eucalipto

Soil and water losses caused by water erosion represent a risk of environmental damage and loss of soil productivity, with economic, social and environmental consequences. Plant cover is an important ally against water erosion, together with the knowledge of rainfall characteristics. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the soil and water losses and to determine rainfall patterns in two homogeneous eucalyptus plantations; one in Yellow Argisol, located in Teixeira de Freitas, and another in Humiluvic Spodosol, located in Caravelas, both in the Extreme South of the state of Bahia. Erosion plots were installed, and consisted of three treatments: bare soil, eucalyptus, and native forest. Rainfall data was obtained from an automatic gauging station, with 10 minute registration interval for erosivity (erosivity index EI30) and rainfall pattern analyses. Higher soil losses were observed in Yellow Argisol, and the advanced rainfall pattern was predominant. Eucalyptus minimum tillage was efficient in reducing soil and water losses by water erosion.As perdas de solo e de água por erosão hídrica representam risco de dano ambiental e redução da produtividade dos solos, sendo uma das principais formas de degradação com consequências econômicas, sociais e ambientais. A cobertura vegetal é um importante aliado no combate à erosão hídrica, assim como o conhecimento das características da chuva. Deste modo, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as perdas de solo e água e determinar os padrões de chuva em floresta homogênea de eucalipto em Argissolo Amarelo, no município de Teixeira de Freitas, e em Espodossolo Humilúvico, no município de Caravelas, ambas no Extremo Sul da Bahia. Parcelas de perdas de solo foram instaladas envolvendo três tratamentos: solo descoberto, Eucalipto e Mata nativa (área em equilíbrio), em ambas as classes de solo avaliadas. Para a erosividade, obtida pelo índice de erosividade em 30 minutos (EI30), e para os padrões de chuva dos eventos erosivos foram considerados dados pluviométricos obtidos em estação climatológica automatizada, com intervalos de registro de 10 minutos. As maiores perdas de solo foram observadas no Argissolo Amarelo e o padrão de chuva predominante foi o avançado. O cultivo mínimo de eucalipto mostrou-se eficiente na redução das perdas de solo e de água por erosão hídrica

Phosphorus transfer at a small catchment in southeastern Brazil: distributed modelling in different land use scenarios

ABSTRACT Identifying and ranking nutrient loss risk areas are important steps towards integrated catchment management. This study aimed to apply the P index model at the Posses catchment, south of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We applied the P index for the current land use at the Posses catchment and for two hypothetical scenarios: scenario 1, in which P fertilizer was applied to all land uses, except for native forests; and scenario 2, which considered the use of P fertilizer as in scenario 1, and that the Environmental Protection Areas referring to the riparian forests and springs were totally restored. Considering current land use, almost the whole catchment area (91.4%) displayed a low P loss risk. The highest P index was associated to croplands and eucalyptus plantations. Regarding scenario 1, areas under pasture fell into the low (15.1%), medium (45.5%), high (27.1%) and very high (12.3%) P index categories. Environmental Protection Areas on scenario 2 decreased the P loss risk from the scenario 1 in 37.6%. Hence, the model outputs indicate that the reforestation of buffer zones can decrease P loss risk in the case increasing use of P fertilizer. The P index model is a potential support tool to promote judicious use of fertilizers and conservation practices at the Posses catchment