Physical and chemical attributes of soils of Paraguay River margins

Abstract

This work aimed to analyze chemical and physical attributes of soil of the Paraguay River margins. Four profiles of soil of the margins were selected: passage of Julião (profiles 1 and 2), Chimbuva farm (profile 3) and Barra of Cabaçal (profile 4). Samples for chemical and physical analyses were collected from each of the layers in the margins analyzed. The profiles of the margins presented heights ranging from 0.90 to 1.45 m. Only the visible parts of the layers were delimited, excluding the submerged portions. All profiles have Fluvic character, indicative of possible sediment deposition over time due to the flooding cycles during the rainy season. There was a dominance of orange colors in the top superficial layers and gray colors in the layers toward the river level. The organic matter content of soil layers analyzed are low, not exceeding 1 g kg-1, with the highest levels observed in the upper layers of the profiles analyzed. The high contents of aluminum and the saturation of this element may be associated with river dynamics, which contributes to the leaching of the soil bases. The particle size characteristics observed in addition to the low levels of organic matter provide little stability to the banks, facilitating the occurrence of erosion in the margins.