PHYSICAL-HYDRIC ATTRIBUTES IN CERRADO SOIL: A REVIEW

Abstract

IN ORDER TO GENERATE INDICES CAPABLE OF INDICATING THE EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, SOIL QUALITY ASSESSMENT MODELS ARE NEEDED. THE PHYSICAL PARAMETERS, IN TERMS OF ANALYSIS COMPARED TO OTHER METHODS, ARE RELATIVELY EASIER AND THEREFORE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT FOR DETERMINING SOIL QUALITY. THE MOST RELEVANT STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 30 YEARS WERE ANALYZED IN ORDER TO SELECT RESEARCHES WITH THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE REGARDING THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHYSICAL-HYDRIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE CERRADO SOIL AND THE POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS OF THESE UNDER DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. AMONG THE PHYSICAL AND WATER ATTRIBUTES ANALYZED, ONLY THE BULK DENSITY OF THE SOIL AND MICROPOROSITY WERE MODIFIED. FINALLY, ONLY THE L-PD AND ILP MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WERE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT THE GREATEST BENEFITS OF THE PHYSICAL-WATER ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOIL. THE BIGGEST ALTERATIONS IN THE PHYSICAL-HYDRIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOIL OCCURRED IN AN AREA UNDER NO-TILLAGE SYSTEM AND IN AREAS OCCUPIED BY DEGRADED PASTURE. THE TRAMPLING OF ANIMALS IN AREAS OF DEGRADED PASTURE OR IN AN AREA UNDER CULTIVATED PASTURE, AS WELL AS IN AN AREA OF �€‹�€‹NATIVE CERRADO GRAZED, PROMOTED MORE SEVERE ALTERATIONS IN THE PHYSICAL-HYDRIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE 5 TO 10 CM LAYER. NO-TILLAGE AND THE USE OF CULTIVATED PASTURES PROMOTED CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL AND WATER CONDITIONS OF SOIL WHOSE TEXTURE IS SANDY LOAM, THUS INCREASING ITS WATER STORAGE CAPACITY, THUS DIVERGING FROM THE RESULTS OBTAINED BY OTHER AUTHORS.