Hydropedology

Abstract

Pedology consists of a sub-area of Soil Science that studies the soil and its origin as well as its inter-relationship with the landscape. Hydrology is the science that studies the water in nature in its different mediums (atmosphere, soil and rock), using the watershed as a reference for analysis of the water dynamics and also its interaction with the landscape. The relationship between these two branches of knowledge has been the object of debate and analysis in recent years, contributing to the creation of a multidisciplinary science, which seeks to integrate the respective fields of research. As such, for Hydrology, Pedology has been fundamental for enabling a foundation for the processes associated to the generation of runoff and groundwater recharge, especially concerning the micro-morphological analysis of the soil and the horizons which may impede the water flow, and their relationships with the soil structure. For Pedology, Hydrology can be fundamental to the understanding of the soil formation processes in the different landscapes, in the context of materials deposition as well as the shaping of the relief, as consequence of the soil-climatedrainage interaction, and its importance for pedogenesis. Therefore, the understanding and the deepening of the pedologic analyses, on a microscale and in toposequence in a specific landscape, and its insertion in the theories of Hydrology will allow the development of more realistic, physically based hydrological models and less parameterization dependence, this now being one of the most important challenges for the hydrologist.Index terms: Hydrology, pedology, soil hydrology, geomorfology. RESUMOA Pedologia consiste de uma subárea da Ciência do Solo que estuda o solo e sua origem bem como sua relação com a paisagem. A Hidrologia é a ciência que estuda a água na natureza nos seus diferentes meios (atmosfera, solo e rocha), utilizando a bacia hidrográfica como referência para análise da dinâmica da água e sua interação com a paisagem. A relação entre esses dois ramos do conhecimento tem sido objeto de debate e análise nos anos recentes, contribuindo para a criação de uma ciência multidisciplinar, a qual busca interagir os respectivos campos de pesquisa. Assim, para a Hidrologia, a Pedologia tem sido fundamental por possibilitar um embasamento sobre os processos associados à geração do escoamento e recarga subterrânea, especialmente no tocante à análise micromorfológica do solo e aos horizontes ou camadas subsuperficiais de impedimento ao fluxo de água e suas relações com a estrutura do solo. Para a Pedologia, a Hidrologia pode ser fundamental no entendimento dos processos de formação dos solos, nas diferentes paisagens, tanto no contexto de deposição de material quanto da conformação do relevo, fruto da interação solo-climaescoamento, e sua importância para a pedogênese. Assim, o entendimento e o aprofundamento das análises pedológicas, em microescala e em topossequência, numa determinada paisagem, e sua inserção nos fundamentos e teorias da Hidrologia permi...

Land-use effect on hydropedology in a mountainous region of Southeastern Brazil

“…This behavior can be associated with the characteristics of Atlantic Forest in mountainous region, like the MRR, which has a thick litter layer, low soil bulk density, high organic carbon content and greater biological activities when compared to pasture, whose physiographic characteristics do not favor water infiltration (Menezes et al, 2009). The presence of native forests in an advanced stage of development provides better conditions for the development and maintenance of gravitational pores with higher SDP, and formation of preferential flows throughout the soil profile (Bonell et al, 2010;Curi, 2012;Pinto et al, 2015b). Therefore, even the partial deforestation can bring substantial changes in patterns of hydrological response of the headwater catchments (Wiekenkamp et al, 2016).…”

“…The effects on hydrology of native forest and reforestation of degraded lands in the humid tropics have implications for local and regional ecological services, but such issues have been relatively less studied when compared to the impacts of forest conversion to pasture and cropped sites Curi, 2012;Ávila, 2013;Pinto et al, 2016). Since these impacts need to be better understood, the knowledge of the relationship between pedology and hydrology (hydropedology) is an important tool for the field of soil and water conservation.…”

“…Hydropedology is the interweavement of Soil Science and Hydrology and its application is quite wide within the various branches of knowledge of both sciences Curi, 2012), subsidizing the interface between the hydrosphere and the pedosphere (Lin, 2010;Lin, 2012). This field of investigation has great importance for the understanding the critical zone (zone that goes from the canopy to the base of the aquifer) wherein occurs the main processes associated with the hydrological cycle, the vegetative cover and their relationships with the atmosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere and the lithosphere (Lin, 2010;Curi, 2012).…”

“…This field of investigation has great importance for the understanding the critical zone (zone that goes from the canopy to the base of the aquifer) wherein occurs the main processes associated with the hydrological cycle, the vegetative cover and their relationships with the atmosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere and the lithosphere (Lin, 2010;Curi, 2012). Therefore, hydropedology has fundamental importance for understanding the processes of groundwater recharge in environments like the Upper Montane Cloud Forest in the Mantiqueira Range, because the soil in this area is an essential element in regulating water cycle functioning, and storage and transmission of water into the saturated zone of the watershed (Pinto et al, 2015a).…”

“…Base flow (Db) was studied throughout the hydrological years of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, considered as a hydrological year was the period between September of a year to August of the subsequent year as the region is strongly characterized by a rainy summer and a dry winter (Mello et al, 2012). Its characterization was made based on the separation from streamflows (overland flow and base flow).…”