Avaliação da degradação do solo através da dinâmica da matéria orgânica, na micro bacia do Arroio Morungava, Gravataí, RS

Abstract

Soil degradation is one of the main concerns regarding sustainable development, and one of the challenges to be faced on this century. Mankind actions on planning and development of Earth occupation, needs more and more a broader view of population needs, available terrestrial and hydric resources and knowledge over natural processes behavior, to rationally conciliate growing needs with limited resources. The worldwide growing soil degradation due to agricultural exploitation, over the last years awoke a concern with soil quality and agricultural production sustainability. The soil organic matter is a relevant factor for its quality, being energy and Carbone source and an electron donator to most organisms, which only shows how it is important to biota?s functions and promote soil proprieties. The objective of this study is to evaluate the soil degradation at the micro basin of the Morungava stream, using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), through temporal variation analysis of organic matter on superficial horizons, on hydromorphic and argillaceous soils, under cultivation on different usage periods (18 months of cultivation, 10 years of cultivation, 15 years of cultivation and more than 30 years of cultivation), utilizing areas of native forest as reference. In natural conditions argillaceous soils show an increase in organic matter (OM) as it deepens. On the analyzed cultivated soils superficial horizons, was observed a loss of OM due to erosion and superficial oxidation, with low vertical translocation. In this case, the superficial erosion hasten by anthropic influence, causes the B horizon of argillaceous soils to be near the surface, eventually exposed with time. On the hydromorphic soils, there are big initial losses with the removal of native forests, which can be in part caused by hasten oxidation of OM due to environmental changes. To hydromorphic soils with more than 15 years of usage, a inverse behavior is observed, occurring a significant increase of superficial OM, which can be due to the arrive of OM from the adjacent argillaceous soils. So, the alluvial plains, to usage periods greater than 15 years, probably act as OM accumulation zones on the basin. There is a probable process less intense of vertical translocation, which is observed during the first 10 years of hydromorphic soil usage. As for the spatial evaluation of OM loss, its observed with variation from 0 to 239,15 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹ with current soil usage. This way, 54,12% of the area presents OM loss rate between 0 and 0,5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, 42,21% varies from 0,5 to 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, and the remaining 3,67% of the area show OM losses superior to 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹. In a scenery where the environmental legislation (Federal Forest Code ? Law 4.771 of 1965 and State Forest Code ? Law 9.519 of 1992) is followed, with reforesting of Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), referring to acclivity superior to 45° and a 30 meters preservation band from the margins of any watercourse, is observed that 62,17% of the area have a OM loss rate between 0 and 0,5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, 36,86% varies from 0,5 to 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹ and the remaining 0,97% have a OM loss rate superior to 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, peaking 37,28 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹ at some points. In a scenery where the preservation band is only 5 meters from the margin of watercourses, in accordance with the environmental legislation of Santa Catarina state (Art.114 State Law 14.675 from 2009, April 13), its observed an increase in the OM loss Rates. If in the previous scenery the OM losses over 5 t.ha¯¹.ano¯¹, were only 0,97% of total area, applying the Santa Catarina State Law, the OM losses over 5 t.ha¯¹.ano¯¹, are 1,03% of total area. The low OM loss rates (under 0,5 t.ha¯¹.ano¯¹,) on the 30 meters preservation scenery were 62,17% of the area, applying the Santa Catarina state 5 meters preservation scenery it drops to 53,16% of the area. Even if it is a small difference on OM loss rates, these rates testify that the reduction of the preservation bands will incur in harm to the environment. In a scenery where all the preservation band is removed along the watercourses, the OM loss rates varies from 0 to 239,15 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹. In which case 53,16% of the area presents OM loss rates from 0 to 0,5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, 43,02% varies from 0,5 to 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹ and 3,82% of the area show OM losses over 5 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹, peaking 239,15 t.ha¯¹.year¯¹ at some points. Those loss rates are equivalent to those of the current soil usage in this area. This is due to the fact that the micro basin of the Morungava stream presents great extensions of preservation bands along its watercourses totally depleted. The scenery created with no preservation band is similar to the current situation of the area. From the gotten results of the collections of field and data generated in laboratory, one concludes that the micro basin of the Morungava stream is suffering sped up erosive process with elapsing of the years, mainly in zones of bigger declivity, where the argissolos predominate. Already the ground in position fisiográficas with low superficial potential erosion, as the hidromórficos, act as zones of accumulation of sediments and organic matter. An ample variation in the taxes of loss ME with the use of the ground is verified current, with texts raised in the areas with bigger declivity. These texts, scenes in accordance with generated of reforestation, can diminish with the fulfilment of the ambient legislation. Thus it can be affirmed that the EUPS was basic to evaluate the loss of organic matter in the micron basin.