Spatial analysis of parameters of soil fertility in an ecotone under different uses and management

Abstract

In regions of ecotone soil chemical properties show a wide variation, resulting from the interplay between the factors of formation, vegetation cover and use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability of chemical attributes of a Entisol transition zone between the Savannah and Amazonian biome in different forms of land use and management (forest, scrub, bare soil, crop, pasture and savanna) in the region of Araguaína city (TO). Samples were ground in an irregular mesh in an area of 26.08 ha, the depth of 0 to 20 cm to determine the levels of organic matter, P, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and pH, sum of bases, CEC_{pH 7}, CEC_e, V%, m%. The soil chemical properties were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comparison of average by Tukey test at 5% significance to the study and geostatistical kriging. The ranges of spatial dependence of the chemical organic matter, Al³⁺, K⁺, Mg⁺, and SB CEC_e soil were higher than the others (pH, P, Ca²⁺, CEC_{pH 7}, V%, m%), indicating that these are more discontinuity in the spatial distribution in Entisol three forms of agricultural use and vegetation cover three of the transition Savannah-Amazon. Thus, management strategies of correction and mineral fertilizers in an ecotone can be fitted according to the representations of studies and geostatistical kriging interpolation in homogeneous areas.