Soil degradation after the traffic of a military combat vehicle leopard 1a5br

Abstract

Heavy vehicle traffic, especially large military combat vehicles, causes soil compaction, which reduces their physical quality and increases their susceptibility to soil erosion. A large contingent of the Brazilian Army conducts combat vehicle training at the Santa Maria Instruction Field (CISM), which has been caused degradation of the ecosystem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combat vehicle Leopard 1A5BR traffic on soil physical properties in an Abruptic Alisol with military vehicle traffic history. Two types of maneuvers were evaluated: (i) straight traffic with 0, 1 and 3 passes, and (ii) pivoting maneuver with 0, 1 and 2 pivots. Soil morphology, particle size distribution and organic carbon content were analyzed in the 0.00-0.10 and 0.20-0.30 m layers. Bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity, saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, penetration resistance and preconsolidation pressure were evaluated in the 0.00-0.04, 0.10-0.14 and 0.20-0.24 m layers. The preconsolidation pressure of the surface layer indicated that the soil surface layer is susceptible to traffic compaction of Leopard 1A5BR. Only one pass (straight traffic) and one pivoting maneuver were sufficient to increase soil penetration resistance and bulk density and reduce the total porosity and macroporosity in the surface layer (0.00-0.04 m).