Abstract

COSENTINO, Diego J; CONTI, Marta E  and  GIUFFRE, Lidia. Forty years of soil degradation in vertic argiudolls in Entre Ríos province, Argentina. Cienc. suelo [online]. 2007, vol.25, n.2, pp.133-138. ISSN 1850-2067.

In the last decade the land use in Entre Ríos Province (Argentina) has suffered a very important increase characterized by an intensive and continuous agriculture in a regionwith high watererosion susceptibility. Fortypercent of province surface sufferswater erosion in different degrees. This study was undertaken to assess the extent and nature of degradation in some physicaland chemical properties of vertic Argiudolls through the comparison of a pristine situation and three situations with increasingyears of land use after deforestation. Organic carbon (OC), light carbon (LC), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), labile organic phosphorus (P_lo), structural stability (DMWD), size aggregate distribution in the A horizonwere determined. After 40 years from deforestation the OC, LC, P_lo, decreased 26, 72 and 17% respectively meanwhile EC and pH had minor variations. The structural stability declined with time and there was a significant correlation between organic carbon and DMWD (r = - 0.985; P < 0.02; n = 4). Sixty two percentof the A-horizon was lost and as a consequence, 75.5% in carbon sequestration. A mean annual erosion rate of 60 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1 after 40 years was estimated.

Keywords : Erosion; Vertic soils; Aggregate stability; Deforestation.

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