Atributos físico-hídricos de um argissolo amarelo sob floresta e savana naturais convertidas para pastagem em Roraima

Abstract

The broad soil and ecosystem diversity of the state of Roraima is gradually being replaced by pasture and, depending on the management system adopted, this can be associated with soil physical degradation. Within this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the soil physical attributes of an Argissolo Amarelo (Ultisol) under savanna and forest natural ecosystems, and their conversion into a cattle pasture system. The primary treatments were natural savanna (NS), savanna converted to pasture (CS), natural forest (NF) and forest converted to pasture (CF). The secondary treatments were the soil sampling depths of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm. The following physical properties were evaluated: texture, bulk density (SD) and particle density (PD), resistance to penetration (PR), total porosity (TP), gravimetric moisture (GM), available water capacity (AWC), and soil organic matter (SOM). The SD was greater in both savanna areas, without differences between CS and NS at any depth, associated with the cohesive character of savanna soils. The average PD value was typical of kaolinite soils. PR varied as a function of the areas and the depths; the effect of conversion on this property was observed. TP was greater in NF and less in CS, and TP decreased along with depth. AWC was greater in NF only at the 0-10 cm depth. SOM was greater in the NF and CF areas. The study concluded that conversion of the natural environment into pasture systems caused significant changes in PR, SD, AWC, TP and SOM, with major expressiveness in CF, due to the removal of natural vegetation, leading to the loss of SOM, which is an important conditioner of soil physical and water properties. In CS areas, suppression of the natural vegetation did not lead to the same expressiveness, mainly due to the significantly lower SOM contents.