Performance models of infiltration within the sub-basin of the river Marcela, on the upper Rio Grande-MG

Abstract

Management of natural resources have been affected by the economical character of present environmental laws applied in Brazil. Use of such resources, especially at agriculture, livestock and forest, has challenged managers in their task to maximize yield less devastating to environment. Various are the impacts brought by human activities and an important one is soil erosion. At this research, water infiltration in soils were evaluated by empirical methods and theoretical approaches, by simulating precipitation with different intensities at experimental plots. Plot 1 was installed at a dark red latosol (LVd) with pasture; plot 2 at same soil but covered with native pasture; plot 3 at distrofic cambisoil (Cd) with native pasture but significantly devastated. Plot 4 was in a red yellow latosol with devastated pasture and plot 5, at same soil, covered with devastated forest. Through infiltration behavior analysis, it could be observed that all models fitted well the observed values of infiltration. When initial infiltration was analyzed separately, distrofic red latosol was different. Soil saturation time was close to graphic origin for all precipitation events.