ATRIBUTOS FÍSICOS DO SOLO DE ÁREAS AGRÍCOLAS ATINGIDAS PELO PROCESSO DE DESERTIFICAÇÃO DO NÚCLEO DO SERIDÓ (RN)

Abstract

Desertification is the process of land degradation in dry semi-arid and sub-humid dry areas. Various soil quality indicators, which can be used, related to the types of soil degradation. These indicators are properties and physical, chemical and biological, that can be used to monitor changes in soil (FAO, 2003). Therefore assess soil quality through agricultural areas of soil physical attributes affected by desertification process at the core of Seridó, state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). The work was carried out in space called Desertification Core Seridó; municipality of Parelhas, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte RN. Were collected in the main soil order identified in the region, Chromic Luvisols, at 0-10 and 10-20 cm deep. Regarding the physical determinations in the three areas the results obtained showed that they behaved similarly, higher sand content for silt and clay. The amount of clay in the area under native vegetation was higher than the cultivated area in the depth 0-10 cm. As the clay dispersed in water was higher in areas of native vegetation in the 0-10 cm and underlying acreage showed higher levels than other areas. Dry macroaggregates were higher in relation to degraded and native vegetation. Regarding the determination of the chemical attributes soil organic matter were higher in the cultivated area followed by the under native vegetation. The Ca and Mg values tended to be higher in areas under native vegetation and cultivated. P values were high in the cultivated area and lower in the other, as compared to K levels the cultivated areas and native vegetation had values between 70.1 and 120 mg dm-3 thus both classified as high, since the area degraded showed different behavior from other areas with K levels above 120 mg dm-3 is classified as very high at 0-10, and 10-20 cm in the underlying layer, was classified as high.