Abstract
ABSTRACT The intense anthropization in the lower São Francisco River and surrounding areas can lead to environmental degradation risks and, above all, makes the area more susceptible to soil erosion. This study aimed to identify and correlate the physical and chemical properties able to enhance erosive processes and slope instability in the watercourse margins of the lower São Francisco River, in Sergipe State, Brazil. To this end, disturbed and undisturbed samples of an Entisol-Fluvent soil were collected in the region, specifically in the city of Amparo de São Francisco. Physical (density, porosity, and texture) and chemical (pH, cation exchange capacity, base saturation, micro-, and macronutrients) analyses were performed. All physical properties and organic carbon contents were higher in the surface layers (Ap and AC) compared to the others. Organic carbon, phosphorus, and micronutrients had a negative correlation with soil density, showing higher contents and lower soil densities in the Ap and AC layers. The pedological characteristics of the evaluated soil layers are unable to provide soil resistance to water erosion.
Highlights
Several environmental impacts have been reported in the lower São Francisco River because of successive human interventions (HOLANDA et al, 2020a)
Hydrological regime control causes changes in the rise and stream velocity of watercourses, intensifying and accelerating erosion process (SANTOS et al, 2020a). These changes interfere with the natural dynamics of the river, which may be resumed by adjusting the morphology of its channel (ROCHA et al, 2020)
This is located in the city of Amparo de São Francisco, Sergipe, Brazil, at the geographical coordinates of 36o50’25.335” W and 10o13’34.081” S (Figure 1)
Summary
Several environmental impacts have been reported in the lower São Francisco River because of successive human interventions (HOLANDA et al, 2020a). The major environmental problem faced in this region is the erosion of the watercourse due to a development plan implemented. This has changed the chemical, physical, and biological balance due to the operation of large dams (ARAUJO FILHO et al, 2015; SANTOS et al, 2020b). Hydrological regime control causes changes in the rise and stream velocity of watercourses, intensifying and accelerating erosion process (SANTOS et al, 2020a). Expected, these changes interfere with the natural dynamics of the river, which may be resumed by adjusting the morphology of its channel (ROCHA et al, 2020). Such a situation can be enhanced or not by suppression of riparian vegetation (gallery forest) and constitutes a serious environmental degradation (HOLANDA et al, 2020b), given the exposure of unstable river embankments composed of lowcohesion soils (MACHADO et al, 2018)
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