Soil microstructure alterations induced by land use change for sugarcane expansion in Brazil

Autor(es)

Canisares, Lucas Pecci ^[1] ; Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto ^[2] ; Simoes da Silva, Laura Fernanda ^[2] ; Franco, Andre Luiz Custodio ^[3] ; Cooper, Miguel ^[2] ; Mooney, Sacha J. ^[4] ; Pellegrino Cerri, Carlos Eduardo ^[2]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Agron Inst Campinas, BR-13012970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Colorado State Univ, Dept Biol, Sch Global Environm Sustainabil, Ft Collins, CO 80523 - USA

^[4] Univ Nottingham, Sch Biosci, Leicester, Leics - England

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT; v. 36, n. 2, p. 189-199, APR 2020.
• Citações Web of Science: 6

Resumo

Land use change (LUC) alters soil structure and, consequently, the functions and services provided by these soils. Conversion from extensive pasture to sugarcane is one of the largest land transitions in Brazil as a result of the growth of the domestic and global demands of bioenergy. However, the impacts of sugarcane expansion on the soil structure under extensive pasture remains unclear, especially when considering changes at the microscale. We investigated whether LUC for sugarcane cultivation impacted soil microstructure quality. Undisturbed soil samples were taken from two soil layers (0-10 and 10-20 cm) under three contrasting land uses (native vegetation-NV, pasture-PA and sugarcane-SC) in three different locations in the central-southern Brazil. Oriented thin sections (30 mu m) were used for micromorphological analysis. The total area of pores decreased following the LUC in the following order: NV > PA > SC in both soil layers. The area of large complex packing pores (>0.01 mm(2)) also decreased with the LUC sequence: NV>PA>SC. Qualitative and semi-quantitative micromorphological analysis confirmed porosity reduction was driven by the decrease in complex packing pores and that biological features decreased in the same LUC sequence as the quantitative parameters. Therefore, LUC for sugarcane expansion reduced microscale soil porosity, irrespectively of soil type and site-specific conditions, indicating that the adoption of more sustainable management practices is imperative to preserve soil structure and sustain soil functions in Brazilian sugarcane fields. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/50305-8 - A virtual joint centre to deliver enhanced nitrogen use efficiency via an integrated soil-plant systems approach for the UK & Brazil
• Beneficiário: Ciro Antonio Rosolem
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 13/24982-7 - Entendendo o papel da macrobiota edáfica em mediar mudanças na estabilidade estrutural e alocação da matéria orgânica do solo em áreas de expansão da cana-de-açúcar
• Beneficiário: Andre Luiz Custodio Franco
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 12/22510-8 - Macroinvertebrados e os processos de engenharia do solo: controles sobre a estocagem de matéria orgânica do solo em áreas com mudanças no uso da terra
• Beneficiário: Andre Luiz Custodio Franco
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 18/09845-7 - Implicações da expansão e intensificação do cultivo da cana-de-açúcar nos serviços ecossistêmicos do solo
• Beneficiário: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular