Dissertations and Theses

Summary

The objective of this work was to relate the geomorphic surfaces in a region of Jaboticabal (SP) with the mineralogy, chemistry and physics of latosols in them, as well as the spatial variability of these attributes, with the purpose of establishing more homogeneous areas, management, planning and transfer of information, as well as subsidizing information for soil genesis. Three geomorphic surfaces were identified and characterized, the soils under them were sampled in detail and their physical, chemical and mineralogical attributes were analyzed, as well as their variability through descriptive and geostatistical statistics. The results of this study showed that: (1) the ratio of the latosols under the surface III, younger of all, are more oxidic, whereas the latosols of the older surface I are more kaolinitic, it is a consequence of regional sandstone- basalt; (2) the more stable environment under the I, favored the formation of kaolinite and hematite with a higher degree of crystallinity, lower width at half height (AML) and higher average crystal diameter (DMC) when compared to the same soils under surface III, the youngest and least stable; (3) the soil attributes most coincident with those predetermined limits of the geomorphic surfaces in the field were in descending order: terrain inclination, sulfur attack iron (Fes), light / heavy mineral ratios and silt / clay, density of particles and kaolinite / (kaolinite + gibbsite); (4) the soils under surface III have a greater spatial variability of their attributes when compared to the soils under surface I, evidencing that very weathered soils (Latosols) when under more recent and erosional geomorphic surfaces are mineralogically less homogeneous than on older and more (usually flatter) surfaces; and (5) the differentiated spatial dependence, represented by the range values ​​(a) in the soils under the three geomorphic surfaces, for most of the soil attributes studied, indicates sample schemes and different experimental plot designs on geomorphic surfaces I, II and III.