Assessment of the changes in physical and chemical properties of an udic argiustoll due to degradation processes

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to determine the degree of modification induced by farming activities, mainly tillage effects, in Udic Argiustolls developed from loess redeposited. Soil variables of surface and subsurface horizons were compared between cultivated and pristine (reference system) soils, such as particle and bulk densities, total porosity, granulometric composition, pH 1:2.5, organic carbon and cationic exchange capacity. In the cultivated soils, physical and chemical variables of the surface horizon had a differential behavior in relation to the reference system; this condition was not observed for the subsurface horizon where the edaphic properties presented, in general, the same tendency. Organic carbon was the main indicator of the degradation processes. The result of this study provide a regression equation to estimate a soil Degradation Index (DI) which express the soils modification degree due to an alteration in their natural ecological balance.