Open AccessQuantification of water erosion and characterization of surface sealing in Ultisols in semiarid areas in Brazil
Author(s) -
Joez André de Moraes Rodrigues,
Thaís Emanuelle Monteiro dos Santos,
Edivan Rodrigues de Souza,
Marcelo Metri Corrêa,
Brivaldo Gomes de Almeida,
Irivânia Fidelis da Silva Aguiar
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
dyna
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2346-2183
pISSN - 0012-7353
DOI - 10.15446/dyna.v88n217.91019
Subject(s) - ultisol , surface runoff , infiltration (hvac) , environmental science , erosion , mulch , hydrology (agriculture) , soil loss , soil retrogression and degradation , soil science , soil water , geology , agronomy , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , materials science , ecology , composite material , biology
The lack of cover is one of the main accelerators of soil degradation. Without protection and exposed to rainfall, the soil breaks the particles, causing surface sealing, making infiltration difficult. This study characterizes surface sealing and hydraulic erosion in Ultisols of the Alto Ipanema Basin. Eight erosion plots were established under the treatments: bare soil and soil with Brachiaria decumbens mulch. Three rain events were simulated at 24-hour intervals, with an intensity of 54.63 mmh-1. After each simulation, the surface micromorphology and the amount of soil lost were investigated. The use of mulch reduced runoff by 42% and the loss of soil and the rate of disaggregation was reduced by 70% on average. Infiltration was increased by 242%. Mulch was effective in preserving soil porosity and microstructure for the first simulated rainfall event (0 h), but was not observed in the second (24 h) and third (48 h) rainfall events.