Characterization of the occurrence of sodium in Pantanal North paleolevee

• Grant number: 12/09899-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Pablo Vidal Torrado
• Grantee: Mariane Chiapini
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Pantanal Mato-gross sense is one of the largest expanses of floodplains in the world, located in the center of South America as part of the Upper Paraguay River Basin. To the north of the plain-occur if the sub-regions of Poconé, Barão de Melgaço, and Cáceres. These areas have a major occurrence of sodic soils in the country, among them the Planossolo Nátrico. Studies of relations soil versus landscape (soil distribution in the different types of geomorphic features) in the sub-region Barão de Melgaço, it was observed that soils with sodium character occur at higher elevations in the landscape, contrary to what is commonly described in the literature, in which the depressed areas and lower are most conducive to the occurrence of such soils. These soils have great importance for animals and plants, with these areas serving as a refuge for animals during the floods, geophagy, and the occurrence of some species, such as Acuri. The presence of character sodic soils is linked to water deficit and textural B horizon, hindering drainage and accumulating sodium in the higher areas. In the oldest in the process of dissection of the landscape is more advanced levels of sodium are smaller, the apparent degradation of textural B horizon (Bt) and consequently more leaching of sodium. This project aims to establish a relationship between the state of conservation of textural B horizons and the occurrence of the character paleolevee with sodium at different stages of dissection of these geomorphic features, as well as morphological, chemical, and physical.(AU)