Abstract
ABSTRACT Inadequate and intensive management of soils can promote changes in their chemical attributes and impair the quality of surface and groundwater, especially in hillside areas. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify possible changes in soil and water chemical composition of hillside areas cultivated with horticulture. For this, chemical attributes of three soil depths (0-10, 10-30, and 30-60 cm) were determined in three hillside positions (upper, middle, and lower thirds) of five hillside and adjacent forest areas, as well as water from reservoirs for agricultural use and human consumption. Compared with the forest area, horticultural areas present soil with lower organic matter content and CEC, but higher values of pH, base saturation, and contents of P, Ca, and K. In cultivated areas, CEC decreases from the upper to the lower hillside, without significant changes in other soil fertility parameters. Soil fertility decreases with depth, regardless of soil management and hillside position. Water from reservoirs adjacent to hillside areas with horticulture is more acidic and has a higher nitrate content, especially during rainy periods.
Highlights
Soil and water are essential resources for human life survival, but their intensive and inadequate use has led to environmental degradation (Chartres & Noble, 2015)
Soil position was the only significant factor (P
PH values were higher when compared to forest soils, corroborating the results of Santos et al (2010) and Guareschi et al (2014)
Summary
Soil and water are essential resources for human life survival, but their intensive and inadequate use has led to environmental degradation (Chartres & Noble, 2015). Hillside areas are especially susceptible to degradation, mainly when used for olericulture due to an intensive soil management and use of agricultural inputs in this activity (Lima et al, 2015; 2016). The dynamics and intensity of erosive processes are influenced by landscape form (relief) (Qi et al, 2012) by directing the flows of water and sediments. While erosion is influenced by landscape form, different directions of water flow are responsible for variations of chemical and physical attributes over the hillside (Sanchez et al, 2009). The removal of natural vegetation for agricultural use, especially for crops that require an intensive management, may result in loss of nutrients along the slope, especially when management is inadequate (Faria et al, 2010)
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