Influence of the relief and erosion in the space variability of an oxissol in Jaboticabal, state of São Paulo, Brazil

The aim of this work was to evaluate the relations between landforms and soil erosion of an Oxissol with geostatistical techniques in Jaboticabal (SP), Brazil, in two landform models: concave and linear. Soil samples were collected from both landforms at a depth of 0-20 cm, in a regular 50 x 50 m mesh of seven transects, at totally 412 grid points within an area of 93 ha. Physical and chemical properties were determined at each point and used to estimate the soil erodibility by indirect methods and, consequently, the erosion potential. Descriptive statistics and geostatistics were applied to the physical and chemical values of soil erodibility and erosion potential in order to compute mean, semivariograms and kriging interpolation. Soil properties as well erosion potential demonstrated greater spatial variability in the concave landform, while erodibility presented a lower spatial variability in this form. Therefore, we conclude that erosion did not affect the spatial variability of soil attributes when the same landform is considered.

form of landscape; soil-landscape relationship; natural potential of erosion; erodibility