Exploring the Soil Structure Analysis of a Subtropical Watershed by Introducing a Blanket Physico‐Hydraulic Health Index

Bibliographic Data

ID21649791
AuthorsAngelo Garcia Costa (0009-0005-6824-8373, Soil and Water Conservation and Management Graduate Program, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) Capão do Leão Brazil, corresponding author), Mauricio Fornalski Soares (0000-0002-3263-3553, Department of Phytotechnics Rural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) Santa Maria Brazil), Marília Alves Brito Pinto (0000-0002-7771-025X, Agronomy Graduate Program State University of Southwest Bahia Vitória da Conquita Brazil), Miguel David Fuentes-Guevara (0000-0002-8735-8499, Agronomy Graduate Program Araucária Fundation – Unicentro, Cedeteg Campus Guarapuava Brazil), Rômulo Félix Nunes (0000-0002-9423-8831, Soil and Water Conservation and Management Graduate Program, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) Capão do Leão Brazil), Douglas Rodrigo Kaiser (0000-0002-2809-1835, Campus Cerro Largo Federal University of Fronteira Sul (UFFS) Cerro Largo Brazil), Robson André Armindo (0000-0003-4675-8872, Department of Physics (DFI) Institute of Natural Sciences (ICN), Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) Lavras MG Brazil, corresponding author), Luís Carlos Timm (0000-0003-2916-8125, Department of Rural Engineering/Eliseu Maciel Agronomy College Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) Capão do Leão Brazil)
Year2024
Publication date2024-10-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Degradation and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1085-3278 • E-ISSN: 1099-145X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ldr.5326
OpenAlexW4403848855
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited59

Multiple disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected to assess the soil structure health in support of water use and management in a subtropical watershed, which is composed of shallow Entisols, near to Canguçu, RS state—Brazil. Various physico‐hydraulic properties related to soil structure, such as bulk density, total, micro and macroporosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, soil water retention curve (SWRC), and the ranges of plant available water (PAWC) and drainable porosity (DP) were measured to be analyzed. The hydraulic‐energy indices of soil aeration and water retention were determined by integrating the areas under SWRC. Combining these properties with the contents of sand and clay, a unique blanket soil physico‐hydraulic health index (BSPHI) was formulated and applied to investigate the impact of land use and management on the soils of the Ellert Creek Watershed (ECW), thereby supporting soil physical health analysis and, consequently, the analysis of water and human health. The favorable outcomes found in the ECW soils under annual crops indicated good root aeration in the surface layer due to the balance between DP and PAWC. The BSPHI results showed that only about 19% of the areas exhibited unhealthy physical health. The soil structure in pasture areas of ECW was not significantly impacted by the extensive cattle grazing, whereas lands under native forest served as a control for the natural soil quality status. The BSPHI successfully captured small changes in soil structure, regardless of land use and management, highlighting its potential as a promising tool for evaluating soil health by assessing the soil physical quality

Archaeology · Biology · Blanket · Geography · Geotechnical engineering · Subtropics · Watershed · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Environmental Science · Soil and Unsaturated Flow · Soil erosion and sediment transport · Soil Management and Crop Yield · Ecology · Geology

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