Soil quality and implications for water flows in São Gonçalo of Abaixo River (MG)

Abstract

The process of forest restoration in pasture area is factor to increase the retention and infiltration of water in the soil, contributing to the recovery of flow and maintenance of water flows in watersheds.To evaluate the influence of soil quality on water flows in the Chapada - São Gonçalo / MG watershed, undisturbed soil samples were collected from forest remnant fragments, pasture area and forest restoration area; analyzed for physical parameters related to soil water infiltration and saturation. The average of the results obtained for the analyzed samples indicated: i) soil density of 1.01 g / cm³ in forest remnants; 0.99 g / cm³ in pasture and 1.14 g / cm³ in forest recomposition area; ii) 29.38m3 m-3 volumetric humidity in the forest remnants; 48.28 in the pasture and 34.72 in the forest recomposition area; iii) total porosity of 56.95% in the forest areas; 53.69% in pasture and 43.92% in forest restoration area; iv) water saturation volume of 0.48 cm³ / cm³ for forested areas and 0.40 cm³ / cm³ for pasture and recomposition areas. Data indicated superior soil quality in the remnant forest areas; except for moisture, since such areas occupy the steepest portions of the slope, which favors runoff. The results for pasture and forest restoration areas indicated that there was no significant degradation of soil quality exerted by the use and occupation of the area, considering the existence of similar soil quality points to forest areas.