The geoenvironments of the Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais were characterized and mapped to provide sound, sustainable ecological management of the area. Soil samples were collected and analyzed, with emphasis on chemical and physical attributes. Photo-analyses were carried out on ortophotographs and plani-altimetric maps, compled with extensive soil survey in the field. Eight geo-environments were identified: (1) The podzol slopes and plains, (2) the ridges with ravines, (3) escarpments, (4) concave gullies, (5) lowstand "Candeia" forest, (6) tall forest on schist, (7) upslope flat tops and (8) pediments with open vegetation. In each geoenvironment, the vegetation is closely associated with soil depth and soil moisture regime. The geoenvironments under forest, both on schists and quartzites, are subjected to lower water deficit compared with the others. This is either due to physical properties such as higher moisture or less evapotranspiration or with ombrophilous environments. This latter characteristic is typical of the concave deep gullies. In forest geoenvironments, P and K concentrations were generally higher than in the open grass geoenvironments. The low-stand "Candeia" forest is closely related to its very low nutrient status and less dense forest cover. "Campo de Altitude" (high altitude grasslands) is favoured by both high topographical position and exposure to cold winds, contrasting with the "campo rupestre" (rupiculous field grasslands). The former occurs in deeper soils, whereas the latter is associated with shallow soils and rock outcrops.
Landscape ecology; geoenvironments; Ibitipoca State Park; Atlantic rainforest; soil-vegetation relationship
