Microanálise e geoquímica em testemunhos de corais como elementos de interpretação dos impactos das forçantes naturais e antrópicas sobre a costa do Brasil

Corais pétreos são formadores de recifes. Por secretarem carbonato de cálcio pela base de seus pólipos, esses corais zooxantelados formam um exoesqueleto, composto geralmente por cristais de aragonita. Os padrões de crescimento coralinos variam desde a escala sazonal a centenária e podem ser caracterizados pela medida da taxa de crescimento, a variabilidade dos isótopos estáveis de oxigênio e carbono e pelas razões elementares Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, U/Ca, Cd/Ca, Ra/Ca (entre outras) em seu esqueleto. Em um contexto global, os recifes cumprem importante papel como sumidouros de carbono atmosférico. Diante das evidências de um oceano mais quente na era moderna, a temperatura da superfície do mar (TSM) tem sido considerada um importante fator de controle da calcificação e crescimento coralino. Geralmente, a calcificação tende a aumentar com a elevação da TSM dentro de uma estreita faixa aceitável para o funcionamento pleno do metabolismo coralino. Neste trabalho, desenvolveu-se uma re-análise das taxas de crescimento de testemunhos de corais amostrados na costa brasileira (Salvador-Ba - Baía de Todos os Santos, Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos-Ba e Armação dos Búzios-RJ) empregando-se uma combinação de bandas de crescimento (alta e baixa densidades) auxiliado pelo método de luminescência e datação por radioisótopos de U e Th. As diferenças nas cronologias para os dois métodos variou de 1 ano para o caso de Abrolhos até 7,4 anos para Búzios (em seções específicas do testemunho). Foram analisadas variações de calcificação no esqueleto coralino e interpretadas à luz das razões Sr/Ca e U/Ca (ambos próxies da TSM), séries climáticas de AMO e PDO, e pH pelágico oceânico. Identificamos uma diminuição na taxa de calcificação do exoesqueleto no tempo estudado na amostra de Salvador de 0,4 g/cm2, e um aumento em Abrolhos de 0,4 g/cm2 e Búzios 0,3 g/cm2, exceto nos anos de 1950 ao final de 1980 e de 1910 ao final de 1930, respectivamente. Uma microtomografia de raio-X foi empregada para determinar micro-estruturas coralinas, sendo os parâmetros mais relevantes a microporosidade e a anisotropia. Para Abrolhos e Búzios, foi identificado um aumento na porosidade total do exoesqueleto, principalmente no começo de 1940 até o fim da década de 1980 e entre 1890 a 1930 respectivamente. Notou-se forte associação entre a redução do padrão de calcificação com o aumento da porosidade. Os testemunhos da espécie Siderastrea stellata coletados em Abrolhos e Búzios mostraram alta associação das razoes Sr/Ca e U/Ca com a taxa de calcificação, caracterizando uma resposta similar a de outros autores para a Grande Barreira na Austrália (DE'ATH et al., 2009) e para a região central do Mar Vermelho (CANTIN et al., 2010). Em relação as razões Ba/Ca, Salvador e Abrolhos evidenciaram variáveis que contribuíram para este aumento como a forçante de produção de petróleo e aumento populacional (economia), e TSM (oceano). Para Búzios, a TSM (oceano), produção de petróleo, aumento populacional e NDVI (economia). Após os anos de 1990, o impacto dos fatores econômicos, além das variáveis oceânicas respondem mais significativamente o aumento da razão Ba/Ca em todos os sítios quase que concomitantemente na costa brasileira.

水分梯度上不同灌木生长对干旱河谷土壤理化和生物学性质的影响

岷江上游干旱河谷区水土流失强烈，地质灾害频繁，生态环境十分脆弱，而土壤条件恶劣（水分不足和养分缺乏）是阻碍该区植被恢复的关键因子，因此研究水分和乡土灌木生长对土壤的影响对该区的生态恢复具有指导意义。本文通过定点模拟实验，选取三种优势豆科灌木为研究对象，分别是白刺花（Sophora davidii）、小马鞍羊蹄甲（Bauhinia faberi var. microphylla）和小雀花（Campylotropics polyantha），设置5 个水分梯度，分别为100%、80%、60%、40%和20%田间持水量（FC），对栽种植物与不种植物下土壤理化性质和酶活性进行测定分析，系统比较和研究了不同水分条件和不同乡土灌木生长对干旱河谷区土壤结构、养分循环、酶活性以及微生物量的影响。主要结果如下：1. 无论生长植物与否，土壤的毛管持水量和毛管孔隙度都随着水分含量的减少而降低，最大持水量、总孔隙度和容重变化不大，相应地，土壤中的非毛管孔隙随含水量的减少而升高。各水分条件下，种植植物的毛管持水量和毛管孔隙度低于无植物生长的土壤，非毛管孔隙度相应地高于无植物土壤。土壤含水量在100%－40% FC 时，三种豆科灌木的毛管持水量和毛管孔隙度存在差异，而20% FC 条件下，三种豆科灌木土壤的物理性质基本相同。2. 水分胁迫影响土壤中养分的矿化和积累，主要表现在降低了水溶性碳和铵态氮的含量，中等程度胁迫时（60% FC）促进了有机碳和硝态氮的富集，对速效钾和有效磷没有明显作用。种植豆科灌木后各水分梯度上都增加了有机碳、铵态氮、速效钾和有效磷的积累。增加程度上三种豆科灌木间有一定差异，对于土壤有机碳总量，种植白刺花和小马鞍羊蹄甲明显高于小雀花，同样的情况还出现在铵态氮和速效钾上，但是对于有效磷，种植小雀花后的增加程度则明显高于白刺花和小马鞍羊蹄甲。种植豆科灌木不仅增加了土壤养分的相对含量，也改变了其在水分梯度上的变化趋势及其变化幅度，这种作用主要体现在碳元素和氮元素上。3. 无植物生长时脲酶活性随水分含量的减少而升高，水分胁迫对磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶的作用不显著，蔗糖酶也保持在相对较高的水平。种植植物后，蔗糖酶、磷酸酶活性与无植物时相比有较大幅度的提高，种植白刺花的脲酶活性也升高，其升高的程度在不同水分含量时不同。种植植物还降低了酶活性在水分梯度上的变幅，使之在水分梯度间的差异显著性降低。脲酶活性在指示土壤性质改变方面是较敏感的指标，其它三种酶在不同植物间的差异不明显。4. 在无植物生长时，中等程度的水分胁迫（60% FC）提高了土壤微生物量碳含量，过高或过低的土壤水分均不利于微生物碳的积累。种植小马鞍羊蹄甲后微生物量碳在水分梯度上的变化趋势与无植物生长时一致，而种植白刺花和小雀花后微生物量碳随着水分含量的减少而降低。不同种类植物的微生物量碳在水分梯度上的变化特征也不同，100% FC 条件下三种植物间没有差异，80%和60% FC 条件下小马鞍羊蹄甲显著高于白刺花和小雀花，40%和20% FC 条件下白刺花和小马鞍羊蹄甲也显著高于小雀花，说明不同种类植物随着干旱胁迫程度的加深微生物量碳的降低幅度不同，在极度干旱时，白刺花和小马鞍羊蹄甲土壤依然保持了较高的微生物活性，而小雀花土壤微生物量则明显下降。The dry valley of the upper reaches of the Minjiang River is seriously degradedmountain ecosystem. It was endangered by extremely soil lost and frequentlygeological disaster. Previous studies showed that short of water and nutrients in soilwas the principal limiting factors of vegetation restoration in this area. The typical soiland three dominant leguminous shrubs Sophora davidii, Bauhinia faberi var.microphylla and Campylotropics polyantha in upper reaches of arid Minjiang Rivervalley were considered as experimental material. Two-month old seedlings of eachspecies were exposed to five water supplies (100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% waterfield capacity (FC)) in a temperature and light-controlled greenhouse. Afterthree-month water treatment, soil physiochemical variables and soil microbialactivities were determined by conventional methods. The main results showed that:1. Soil capillary capacity and capillary porosity decreased along water supplyregimes in all treatments, while saturated water capacity, total porosity and bulkdensity kept in a relatively stable level, as a result, the non-capillary porosity andcapacity increased with decrease of water supply. Compared to non-planted soil, theplant-soil systems had a higher non-capillary porosity and capacity, suggestingappropriate oxygen was present in soil to maintain the living of microorganism. Soilof three type shrub species shared the same capillary capacity and capillary porosityunder 20% FC.2. Water soluble carbon and NH4+-N decreased in response to water stress, whiletotal organic carbon and NO3--N promoted by moderate water stress and inhibited by 100% and 20% FC. Total organic carbon, NH4+-N, rapidly available K and availableP increased after the planting of leguminous shrubs in five water supply regimescompared to non-planted soil. For TOC, NH4+-N and rapidly available K, thepromotion effect was higher in S. davidii and B. faberi var. microphylla than C.polyantha planted soil, while available P displayed the opposite side. The planting ofshrubs also reduced the variance of observed traits along water supply gradients.3. Drought stress increased urease activity in non-planted soil, while insignificantdifferences were observed in phosphatase and catalase activity among five watersupply regimes. The planting of leguminous shrubs facilitated the β-glucosidase andphosphatase activity compared to the non-planted soil. It also reduced the variance ofenzyme activity along water supply gradients. Urease was more sensitive to waterstress than other three enzymes.4. Soil water content significantly affected microbial biomass carbon andCmic:Corg. S. davidii and B. faberi var. microphylla showed more drought toleranceability than C. polyantha, attributing not only to their relatively smaller variance ofmicrobial biomass carbon along soil water supply gradients, but also to the highlevel of microbial activity under severe water stress. S. davidii and B. faberi var.microphylla benefited reproduction of soil microorganism at 60%-80% FC, whilesevere drought limited it due to the competition of water and nutrients between plantand soil microorganism.

Effects of prescribed fire on surface soil in a Pinus pinaster plantation, northern Portugal

In order to decrease the risk of severe wildfire, prescribed fire has recently been adopted in Portugal and elsewhere in the Mediterranean as a major tool for reducing the fuel load instead of manual or mechanical removal of vegetation. There has been some research into its impact on soils in shrublands and grasslands, but to date little research has been conducted in forested areas in the region. As a result, the impact of prescribed fire on the physico-chemical soil characteristics of forest soils has been assumed to be minimal, but this has not been demonstrated. In this study, we present the results of a monitoring campaign of a detailed pre- and post-prescribed fire assessment of soil properties in a long-unburnt P. pinaster plantation, NW Portugal. The soil characteristics examined were pH, total porosity, bulk density, moisture content, organic matter content and litter/ash quantity. The results show that there was no significant impact on the measured soil properties, the only effect being confined to minor changes in the upper 1 cm of soil. We conclude that provided the fire is carried out according to strict guidelines in P. pinaster forest, a minimal impact on soil properties can be expected.

Effects of prescribed fire on surface soil in a Pinus pinaster plantation, northern Portugal

In order to decrease the risk of severe wildfire, prescribed fire has recently been adopted in Portugal and elsewhere in the Mediterranean as a major tool for reducing the fuel load instead of manual or mechanical removal of vegetation. There has been some research into its impact on soils in shrublands and grasslands, but to date little research has been conducted in forested areas in the region. As a result, the impact of prescribed fire on the physico-chemical soil characteristics of forest soils has been assumed to be minimal, but this has not been demonstrated. In this study, we present the results of a monitoring campaign of a detailed pre- and post-prescribed fire assessment of soil properties in a long-unburnt P. pinaster plantation, NW Portugal. The soil characteristics examined were pH, total porosity, bulk density, moisture content, organic matter content and litter/ash quantity. The results show that there was no significant impact on the measured soil properties, the only effect being confined to minor changes in the upper 1 cm of soil. We conclude that provided the fire is carried out according to strict guidelines in P. pinaster forest, a minimal impact on soil properties can be expected.

Solute movement through intact columns of cryoturbated Upper Chalk

Cryoturbated Upper Chalk is a dichotomous porous medium wherein the intra-fragment porosity provides water storage and the inter-fragment porosity provides potential pathways for relatively rapid flow near saturation. Chloride tracer movement through 43 cm long and 45 cm diameter undisturbed chalk columns was studied at water application rates of 0.3, 1.0, and 1.5 cm h(-1). Microscale heterogeneity in effluent was recorded using a grid collection system consisting of 98 funnel-shaped cells each 3.5 cm in diameter. The total porosity of the columns was 0.47 +/- 0.02 m(3) m(-3), approximately 13% of pores were >15 mu m diameter, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity was 12.66 +/- 1.31 m day(-1). Although the column remained unsaturated during the leaching even at all application rates, proportionate flow through macropores increased as the application rate decreased. The number of dry cells (with 0 ml of effluent) increased as application rate decreased. Half of the leachate was collected from 15, 19 and 22 cells at 0.3, 1.0, 1.5 cm h(-1) application rates respectively. Similar breakthrough curves (BTCs) were obtained at all three application rates when plotted as a function of cumulative drainage, but they were distinctly different when plotted as a function of time. The BTCs indicate that the columns have similar drainage requirement irrespective of application rates, as the rise to the maxima (C/C-o) is almost similar. However, the time required to achieve that leaching requirement varies with application rates, and residence time was less in the case of a higher application rate. A two-region convection-dispersion model was used to describe the BTCs and fitted well (r(2) = 0.97-0-99). There was a linear relationship between dispersion coefficient and pore water velocity (correlation coefficient r = 0.95). The results demonstrate the microscale heterogeneity of hydrodynamic properties in the Upper Chalk. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The impact of fallowing and green manuring on soil conditions and the growth of sugarcane

There are currently concerns within some sugar industries that long-term monoculture has led to soil degradation and consequent yield decline. An investigation was conducted in Swaziland to assess the effects of fallowing and green manuring practices, over a seven-month period, on sugarcane yields and the physical properties of a poorly draining clay soil. In the subsequent first sugarcane crop after planting, yields were improved from 129 t ha(-1) under continuous sugarcane to 141-144 t ha(-1) after fallowing and green manuring, but there were no significant responses in the first and second ratoon crops. Also, in the first crop after planting, root length index increased from 3.5 km m(-2) under continuous sugarcane to 5.2-6.8 km m(-2) after fallowing, and improved rooting was still evident in the first ratoon crop where there had been soil drying during the fallow period. Soil bulk density, total porosity and water-holding capacity were not affected by the fallowing practices. However, air-filled porosity increased from 11% under continuous sugarcane to 16% after fallowing, and steady state ponded infiltration rates were increased from 0.61 mm h(-1) to 1.34 mm h(-1), but these improvements were no longer evident after a year back under sugarcane. Levels of soil organic matter were reduced in all cases, probably as a result of the tillage operations involved. In the plant crop, root length was well correlated with air-filled porosity, indicating the importance of improving belowground air supply for crop production on poorly draining clay soils.

Predicting the resistance of fired clay bricks to salt attack

The salt attack of Fired Clay Bricks (FCBs) causes surface damage that is aesthetically displeasing and eventually leads to structural damage. Methods for determining the resistances of FCBs to salt weathering have mainly tried to simulate the process by using accelerating aging tests. Most research in this area has concentrated on the types of salt that can cause damage and the damage that occurs during accelerated aging tests. This approach has lead to the use of accelerated aging tests as standard methods for determining resistance. Recently, it has been acknowledged that are not the most reliable way to determine salt attack resistance for all FCBs in all environments. Few researchers have examined FCBs with the aim of determining which material and mechanical properties make a FCB resistant to salt attack. The aim of this study was to identify the properties that were significant to the resistance of FCBs to salt attack. In doing so, this study aids in the development of a better test method to assess the resistance of FCBs to salt attack. The current Australian Standard accelerated aging test was used to measure the resistance of eight FCBs to salt attack using sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. The results of these tests were compared to the water absorption properties and the total porosity of FCBs. An empirical relationship was developed between the twenty-four-hour water absorption value and the number of cycles to failure from sodium sulfate tests. The volume of sodium chloride solution was found to be proportional to the total porosity of FCBs in this study. A phenomenological discussion of results led to a new mechanism being presented to explain the derivation of stress during salt crystallisation of anhydrous and hydratable salts. The mechanical properties of FCBs were measured using compression tests. FCBs were analysed as cellular materials to find that the elastic modules of FCBs was equivalent for extruded FCBs that had been fired a similar temperatures and time. Two samples were found to have significantly different elastic moduli of the solid microstructure. One of these samples was a pressed brick that was stiffer due to the extra bond that is obtained during sintering a closely packed structure. The other sample was an extruded brick that had more firing temperature and time compared with the other samples in this study. A non-destructive method was used to measure the indentation hardness and indentation stress-strain properties of FCBs. The indentation hardness of FCBs was found to be proportional to the uniaxial compression strength. In addition, the indentation hardness had a better linear correlation to the total porosity of FCBs except for those samples that had different elastic moduli of the solid microstructure. Fractography of exfoliated particles during salt cycle tests and compression tests showed there was a similar pattern of fracture during each failure. The results indicate there were inherent properties of a FCB that determines the size and shape of fractured particles during salt attack. The microstructural variables that determined the fracture properties of FCBs were shown to be important variables to include in future models that attempt to estimate the resistance of FCBs to salt attack.

Controle da porosidade em fases vítreas formadas pela ação de fundentes em cerâmicas gresificadas

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar os fenômenos que controlam a porosidade em corpos cerâmicos com fases vítreas, formadas pela ação de fundentes, e associá-los com sua microestrutura final. Foram selecionados os fundentes albita, feldspato alcalino, wollastonita e espodumênio, representativos daqueles comercializados no setor cerâmico, a partir de critérios como teor e tipo de álcali, e teor em SiO2 e Al2O3 na composição química. Estes fundentes foram formulados com cada uma das seguintes matérias-primas e combinações destas: quartzo, caulim e talco. As composições foram formuladas com o objetivo de obter-se uma gama de diferentes microestruturas, variando porosidade, e a presença de fases vítreas ou cristalinas. Os corpos cerâmicos foram obtidos em fornos elétricos, tipo mufla, variando-se a temperatura entre 1140 e 1260°C, conforme a formulação investigada. Foram determinadas as propriedades dos corpos cerâmicos, como porosidade aparente, absorção de água e retração linear. Os resultados obtidos foram associados com sua microestrutura e formulação. Para tanto, fez-se uso de microscopia eletrônica de varredura e difratometria de raios-X. Em especial, a porosidade foi avaliada quanto sua distribuição, morfologia e tamanho, e sua influência na definição da microestrutura final, e relação com propriedades dos corpos cerâmicos investigados. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que o comportamento dos fundentes em massas cerâmicas define decisivamente a formação da porosidade em função da composição química do fundente e da combinação desta com a dos outros constituintes da massa cerâmica. O espodumênio forma fase vítrea reagindo basicamente com o quartzo em baixas temperaturas, retendo a porosidade principalmente junto às trincas de contração do mesmo. A albita propicia na expansão da porosidade e interconexão da mesma. O feldspato alcalino forma um líquido de maior viscosidade mantendo a menor porosidade e de maneira mais isolada. A wollastonita reage de modo diferenciado dos demais no que diz respeito à sílica presente, reagindo melhor na presença do alumínio e do magnésio.

Desenvolvimento de membranas porosas de alumina para fins de tratamento de efluente industrial têxtil

Textile production has been considered as an activity of high environmental impact due to the generation of large volumes of waste water with high load of organic compounds and strongly colored effluents, toxic and difficult biodegradability. This thesis deals with obtaining porous alumina ceramic membranes for filtration of textile effluent in the removal of contaminants, mainly color and turbidity. Two types of alumina with different particle sizes as a basis for the preparation of formulation for mass production of ceramic samples and membranes. The technological properties of the samples were evaluated after using sintering conditions: 1,350ºC-2H, 1,450ºC-30M, 1,450ºC-2H, 1,475ºC-30M and 1,475ºC-2H. The sintered samples were characterized by XRD, XRF, AG, TG, DSC, DL, AA, MEA, RL, MRF-3P, SEM and Intrusion Porosimetry by Mercury. After the characterization, a standard membrane was selected with their respective sintering condition for the filterability tests. The effluent was provided by a local Textile Industry and characterized at the entry and exit of the treatment plant. A statistical analysis was used to study the effluent using the following parameters: pH, temperature, EC, SS, SD, oil and grease, turbidity, COD, DO, total phosphorus, chlorides, phenols, metals and fecal coliform. The filtered effluent was evaluated by using the same parameters. These results demonstrate that the feasibility of the use of porous alumina ceramic membranes for removing contaminants from textile effluent with improved average pore size of 0.4 micrometre (distribution range varying from 0,025 to 2.0 micrometre), with total porosity of 29.66%, and average percentages of color removal efficiency of 89.02%, 92.49% of SS, turbidity of 94.55%, metals 2.70% (manganese) to 71.52% (iron) according to each metal and COD removal of 72.80%

Spatial variability of physical attributes of an alfisol under different hillslope curvatures

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Relação entre alguns atributos físicos e a produção de grãos de soja e arroz de sequeiro em latossolos

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar atributos físicos e a correlação com a produção de grãos de soja e arroz de sequeiro em três níveis de compactação e dois conteúdos de água no solo (água retida na tensão de 0,05 e 0,01MPa), com três repetições. Foram utilizadas amostras de Latossolo Vermelho, textura média (LVd) e, Latossolo Vermelho, textura argilosa (LVef), coletadas na profundidade de 0-20cm e compactadas em camadas de 3cm, em vasos de 9,82L. Foram avaliados a porosidade total, macro e microporosidade, densidade do solo, resistência à penetração e a produção de grãos de soja e arroz de sequeiro. Os atributos físicos apresentaram correlações altas e significativas entre si, nos dois solos e conteúdos de água. As maiores correlações dos atributos físicos com a produção de grãos de soja e arroz foram obtidas no LVd e no conteúdo de água retida na tensão de 0,05MPa, condição em que ocorreu maior redução da produção de grãos com o aumento da compactação. As correlações foram positivas da macroporosidade e porosidade total e negativas da microporosidade, densidade do solo e resistência à penetração com a produção de grãos de soja e arroz.

Efeito prolongado de sistemas de preparo do solo com e sem cultivo de soqueira de cana crua em algumas propriedades físicas do solo

Este trabalho foi conduzido em Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico, sob cultivo de cana crua, com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito prolongado de sistemas de preparo do solo, com e sem cultivo da soqueira, e épocas de amostragem sobre algumas propriedades físicas do solo. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, em esquema de parcelas subsubdivididas, sendo os tratamentos principais quatro sistemas de preparo do solo: (i) controle da soqueira com duas gradagens, subsolagem e mais uma gradagem de nivelamento; (ii) controle da soqueira com herbicida e uma subsolagem; (iii) controle da soqueira com herbicida; (iv) controle da soqueira com herbicida, aração com arado de aivecas e uma gradagem de nivelamento. Os tratamentos secundários foram: com cultivo e sem cultivo da soqueira. Os tratamentos ternários foram as épocas de avaliação: dois dias antes e após a quarta colheita da cultura. A porosidade total, macroporosidade, microporosidade e densidade do solo foram avaliadas, além do perfilhamento e da produtividade da cultura. Após quatro sucessivas colheitas de cana crua, houve redução da macroporosidade com aumento da microporosidade nas camadas abaixo de 10 cm e aumento da densidade do solo entre 20 e 50 cm. A densidade do solo não foi alterada de modo consistente em função de todos os tratamentos testados. O cultivo da soqueira favoreceu o aumento da macroporosidade com decréscimo na microporosidade, e o efeito inverso foi observado após a colheita. Os sistemas de preparo do solo e de cultivo da soqueira não afetaram o perfilhamento e a produtividade da cultura.

Atributos físicos de um latossolo cultivado com cana-de-açúcar após aplicações de lodo de esgoto e vinhaça

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar se a aplicação anual de lodo de esgoto e vinhaça, resíduos empregados com a finalidade exclusiva de fornecer a quantidade necessária de N e K para cana-de-açúcar, causaria alteração em alguns atributos físicos de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico argiloso, após as colheitas do 3º e 4º cortes da cultura. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram: (i) dose de lodo de esgoto para suprir 100% do N exigido pela cultura; (ii) dose de lodo de esgoto para suprir 200% do N exigido; (iii) dose de vinhaça para suprir 100% do K exigido; (iv) dose de vinhaça para suprir 200% do K exigido; (v) combinação dos tratamentos (i) e (iii); (vi) combinação dos tratamentos (ii) e (iv); (vii) testemunha (adubação mineral recomendada). Os somatórios das doses dos resíduos foram de 39 e 51 t ha-1 de lodo de esgoto e de 870 e 1.174 m³ ha-1 de vinhaça até o 3º e 4º cortes, respectivamente. Nas camadas de 0-10; 10-20; 20-30; 30-40 e 40-50 cm de profundidade, após as colheitas do 3º e 4º cortes da cultura, foram determinados: teor de matéria orgânica, porosidade total, macroporosidade, microporosidade, densidade do solo, densidade de partícula, resistência do solo à penetração e teor de água gravimétrico. Aplicações de lodo de esgoto e vinhaça não causaram modificação nos atributos físicos, resultado associado à falta de efeito dos resíduos na matéria orgânica do solo.

Physical quality of an Oxisol cultivated with maize submited to cover crops in the pre-cropping period

The intensive use of land alters the distribution of the pore size which imparts consequences on the soil physical quality. The Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR) allows for the visualization of the effects of management systems upon either the improvement or the degradation of the soil physical quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical quality of a Red Latosol (Oxisol) submited to cover crops in the period prior to the maize crop in a no-tillage and conventional tillage system, using porosity, soil bulk density and the LLWR as attributes. The treatments were: conventional tillage (CT) and a no-tillage system with the following cover crops: sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) (NS), pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) (NP) and lablab (Dolichos lablab L.) (NL). The experimental design was randomized blocks in subdivided plots with six replications, with the plots being constituted by the treatments and the subplots by the layers analyzed. The no-tillage systems showed higher total porosity and soil organic matter at the 0-0.5 m layer for the CT. The CT did not differ from the NL or NS in relation to macroporosity. The NP showed the greater porosity, while CT and NS presented lower soil bulk density. No <= 10 % airing porosity was found for the treatments evaluated, and value for water content where soil aeration is critical (theta(PA)) was found above estimated water content at field capacity (theta(FC)) for all densities. Critical soil bulk density was of 1.36 and 1.43 Mg m(-3) for NP and CT, respectively. The LLWR in the no-tillage systems was limited in the upper part by the theta(FC), and in the bottom part, by the water content from which soil resistance to penetration is limiting (theta(PR)). By means of LLWR it was observed that the soil presented good physical quality.

Physical attributes of kaolinitic and oxidic oxisols resulting from different usage systems

A mineralogia da fração argila e os sistemas de uso exercem fundamental importância na estrutura do solo. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar atributos físicos de um Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico, caulinítico (LVd), e, de um Latossolo Vermelho Eutroférrico, oxídico (LVef), sob diferentes sistemas de uso, localizados no município de Jaboticabal (SP), Brasil. Os sistemas de uso foram: cana-de-açúcar; algodão e mata. Foram avaliadas a densidade do solo, porosidade total, macro e microporosidade, nas profundidades de 0,0-0,1, 0,1-0,2, 0,2-0,3, 0,3-0,4 m. O Latossolo caulinítico (LVd) apresentou maior densidade do solo e menor porosidade total, macro e microporosidade. O uso aumentou a densidade do solo na profundidade de 0,0-0,3 m, com efeitos maiores no Latossolo caulinítico, principalmente na profundidade de 0,1-0,2 m na área cultivada com cana-de-açúcar.