Spatial distribution of top soil water content in an experimental catchment of Southeast Brazil

Abstract

Soil water content is essential to understand the hydrological cycle. It controls the surface runoff generation, water infiltration, soil evaporation and plant transpiration. This work aims to analyze the spatial distribution of top soil water content and to characterize the spatial mean and standard deviation of top soil water content over time in an experimental catchment located in the Mantiqueira Range region, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Measurements of top soil water content were carried out every 15 days, between May/2007 and May/2008. Using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) equipment, 69 points were sampled in the top 0.2 m of the soil profile. Geostatistical procedures were applied in all steps of the study. First, the spatial continuity was evaluated, and the experimental semi-variogram was modeled. For the development of top soil water content maps over time a co-kriging procedure was used having the slope as a secondary variable. Rainfall regime controlled the top soil water content during the wet season. Land use was also another fundamental local factor. The spatial standard deviation had low values under dry conditions, and high values under wet conditions. Thus, more variability occurs under wet conditions. Key words: Mantiqueira Range, soil water content mapping, soil hydrology, geostatistical techniques

Micromorphology and Pedogenesis of Mountainous Inceptisols in the Mantiqueira Range (Mg)

“…The Lavrinha Creek watershed (Figure 1) is an experimental area in which many hydrologic, climatic and soil investigations have been carried out since 2004 (Mello et al, 2011). It is located in the southeastern part of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, within the Mantiqueira Range physiographical region.…”

Spatial variability of soil physical and hydraulic properties in the southern Brazil small watershed

“…Therefore, the comprehension of the attribute of soil behavior becomes relevant to help in the natural resources conservation, sustainable uses in watersheds and in the improvement of management practices of agriculture, as their effects on the environment (Cambardella et al, 1994;Pinto et al, 2016). According to Mello et al (2011), the greatest concern in the studies in basin scale is in the comprehension on the environmental balance and the impact of the use and management of the soil in the process of runoff and erosion.…”

Variabilidade Espacial Da Umidade Do Solo Em Plantio Irrigado No Semiárido Pernambucano

“…Seus padrões espaciais são controlados por vários fatores, como topografia, propriedades do solo, tipo de vegetação, radiação solar, gestão e precipitação (Hébrard et al, 2006, Korres et al, 2010, Rodriguez-Iturbe et al, 2006, Rosenbaum et al, 2012, Svetlitchnyi et al, 2003. Mello et al (2011) e Western et al (2004 Hébrard et al (2006), no período seco, quando a evapotranspiração excede continuamente a precipitação, as condições de demanda atmosférica são dominantes do padrão espacial do conteúdo de água no solo, sendo esse padrão reflexo das diferenças de uso e das classes de solo, tendo aparência mais aleatória.…”