Sediment dynamics in a microbasin of sugar cane and riparian forest

• Grant number: 14/02233-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2014
• End date: December 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Plínio Barbosa de Camargo
• Grantee: Stephanie Batistim Oswald
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The current worldwide seek for cleaner and renewable energy sources is benefiting the sugarcane Brazilian production. As a consequence of this growth it has soil compaction result of a constant traffic of heavy farm machinery, and may, over time, cause damage to the soil physical properties such as porosity and density, which in turn reduces water infiltration and increased soil erosion. In this context, the main objective of this study consists of quantify the processes of runoff, establishing relationships between transported soil volume during rainfall in the compartments studied, the concentrations of suspended and sedimented solids, agricultural practices and the role played by riparian forests. For this, will be determined the volume, the particle size, and the teor of carbon and nitrogen, 15N and 13C in total suspended and sedimented solids of areas covered by cane, riparian forest and watercourse. Additionally, the intensity of rainfall in the region will be determined. The study will be conducted in the Corumbataí River basin, located in east-central region of the state of São Paulo, which is widely exploited by sugarcane activity. In this basin was selected one microbasin with coverage of sugarcane. This proposal was established aiming to support doctoral project Taciana Figueiredo Gomes, funded by FAPESP (Process No. 2013/15281-5) named "Dynamics of laminate erosion in a microbasin covered by sugar cane". (AU)