Characterization and genesis of surface horizons in technosols from limestone tailings

• Grant number: 19/02548-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Osório Ferreira
• Grantee: Beatriz Marchese Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Technosols are part of a new soil class characterized by technological materials that have undergone major transformations from human activities, i.e., they are anthropic soils originated from industrial or urban waste such as mining waste and buildings. This soil class has been recognized by the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB-FAO) since 2006. The transformation of these technological materials (Technosols) are promoted by both artificial and natural environmental factors. A good indicator in Technosols is the accumulation of organic matter in the upper layers of the soil profile, signaling profile development and primary pedogenetic processes. Although this soil class has great importance given their worldwide presence, few studies on Technosols' pedogenesis processes have been carried out in tropical region. Thus, we aim to study soils containing limestone tailing from open pit mining activities in three areas with divergent plants, located in the county of Saltinho, SP, Brazil. In two of these areas, sugar cane is cultivated, with two and six years of age, respectively; and the third area is cultivated by pasture composed by Brachiaria sp. over 20 years. We seek to analyze the organic C stock in theses Tecnossols taking in consideration the potential for plants to form surface horizons in these soils, as well as to evaluate the pedogenetic and development soil processes in this in tropical regions.