Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Nathan Nelson / Phosphorus and sediment runoff are the primary cause of eutrophication in Cheney Lake, the primary water source for Wichita, Kansas. Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as no-till farming practices and nutrient management can be implemented to reduce phosphorus runoff on high-risk agricultural fields. Past efforts have established BMP use in this watershed, although the effectiveness of these efforts has not been evaluated. The goals of this project were to identify any existing water quality trends in the Cheney Lake watershed, estimate the current distribution of erosion in the watershed, and evaluate the placement of BMPs with regards to field-scale erosion risk. Parametric, multi-linear regression and non-parametric, seasonal Mann-Kendall analyses were used to identify trends in the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Phosphorus (TP) of grab samples from the North Fork Ninnescah River. A Geographic Information System (GIS) model based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used to estimate watershed-scale erosion, prioritize agricultural land for BMP placement, and evaluate existing placement of BMPs within the Cheney Lake watershed. No detectible trends were identified in the water quality data due to stream variability, frequency of sampling, or absence of actual improvement in water quality. Additional sampling must be done to detect any trends in the future. BMPs were implemented on 13% of prioritized field area, and 11% of non-prioritized field area. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields were placed on 14% of prioritized field area, and 5% of non-prioritized field area. No-till practices were implemented on 13% of prioritized field area, and 18% of non-prioritized field area. The top 20% eroding fields were identified given current conditions, and account for approximately 56% of the watershed-wide erosion. The GIS method has demonstrated utility in evaluating past erosion control measures for the watershed and in informing future decisions concerning BMP placement.

The diploma thesis deals with an assessment of cadastral territory, which is going through a complex land consolidation. For these purposes, the cadastral area Záborná, that is located in the Vysočina Region, was selected. The main objective of this work is to compare the current state of the territory, in terms of erosion, with the area where the erosion control measures were proposed. Erosion will be calculated using by Wischmeier-Smith's universal soil loss equation. In this cadastral area, it will be necessary to assess in terms of climate, geology and hydrology.

No Brasil, a expansão das áreas agrícolas é o fator mais impactante da agricultura sobre os recursos naturais. Com a crescente ocupação do Cerrado pela agricultura, uma série de problemas ambientais decorrentes do desmatamento como a erosão e a compactação do solo estão surgindo causando transformações radicais na paisagem natural pela retirada de quase toda sua vegetação nativa. O sistema de plantio convencional (SPC) tem sido considerado uma forma de manejo inadequado pelas suas conseqüências freqüentemente irremediáveis de compactação e perdas de solo, ao passo que o sistema de plantio direto (SPD) possibilita a manutenção das condições do solo mais próximas ao ambiente natural, reduzindo assim as taxas de erosão hídrica. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a eficiência da mata ripária na retenção dos sedimentos originados por três sistemas de preparo de solo através da técnica da análise da redistribuição do fallout do 137Cs, da Equação Universal de Perdas de solo (EUPS) e de alguns parâmetros físicos e químicos indicadores das condições estruturais do solo, em Goiatuba e Jandaia-GO. Nas três áreas estudadas, com auxilio de um trado tipo caneca, foram tomados perfis de solo em três camadas de 20 cm (0-20, 20-40 e 40-60 cm) em pontos distintos localizados ao longo de transeções lineares no sentido do declive até a mata ciliar localizada a jusante das áreas de estudo. Nas matas ciliares de cada área de estudo foram abertas trincheiras e amostras de solo coletadas para avaliação da atividade de 137Cs e dos parâmetros físicos e químicos dos solos. As amostras de solo coletadas nas transeções e trincheiras (TFSA) foram analisadas quanto à atividade de 137Cs em um detector de raios gama (GEM-20180P, EG&ORTEC) acoplado a um analisador multicanal. Na comparação das médias usou-se o teste de Tukey ao nível de 5% de significância. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que os três sistemas de manejo do solo apresentaram elevadas taxas de erosão e deposição de sedimentos e as matas ciliares à jusante das áreas sob SPC, SPD e pastagem, receberam grandes quantidades de sedimentos. Entre essas, somente a mata ciliar da área de SPC foi capaz de reter os sedimentos com eficiência. As características distintas dos três locais de estudo sugerem que a eficiência da mata ciliar na retenção dos sedimentos gerados na área agrícola e na pastagem, dependente do comprimento e da declividade das vertentes e da largura da mata ciliar. Quanto aos parâmetros físicos avaliados, observou-se que a pastagem e o SPD são os sistemas de manejo de solo que apresentaram melhores condições de preservação do solo em relação ao SPC. Os sistemas de manejo do solo provocaram alterações nos parâmetros físicos e químicos, comparados com a mata ciliar, destacando-se a menor resistência à penetração sob SPC e maior no SPD e pastagem; diminuição na agregação dos solos sob SPC e SPD e aumento sob pastagem e decréscimo nos teores de matéria orgânica e cálcio sob todos os sistemas de manejo / In Brazil, the expansion of agricultural areas causes several problems on natural resources. With the increasing occupation of the Cerrado region by agriculture, a series of environmental problems like deforestation, soil erosion and soil compaction are appearing and causing radical transformations in the natural landscape due to removing almost all native vegetation. The conventional tillage system (CTS) is considered an inadequate form of soil management for its frequently irremediable consequences of soil compaction and soil erosion, and the no till system (NTS) makes the maintenance of the soil conditions possible, leving them close to the natural environment, thus reducing rates of soil erosion. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of riparian forests in the retention of sediments originated for three different tillage systems, through the fallout 137Cs redistribution technique, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and some physical and chemical parameters that indicate the structural conditions of the soils of Goiatuba and Jandaia-GO. In the three areas, soil profiles were collected in three layers of 20 cm (0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm) at distinct points located along linear transects in the direction of the maximum slope until the riparian forest. In the riparian forest of each area, trenches were opened and soil was sampled to evaluate the activity of 137Cs and the physical and chemical parameters of soil. Detection of the activity of 137Cs was made with a gamma ray detector model (GEM-20180P, EG& ORTEC) connected to a multichannel analyzer. The comparison of averages was made using the Tukey test at 5% level of significance. The results indicated that, the three soil tillage systems presented high rates of soil erosion and deposition of sediments and the riparian forest of the areas under CTS, NTS and pasture, located downstream received great amounts of sediments, and that only the riparian forest of CTS was capable to trap the sediments with efficiency. The distinct characteristics of the three studied areas suggest that the efficiency of the riparian forest to retain the sediments generated in the agricultural and pasture areas, depends on the length and the slope of the transects, and of the width of riparian forest. Through the physical and chemical parameters it was observed that the pasture and the NTS were the soil tillage systems that presented the best conditions of soil preservation in relation to the CTS. The tree soil tillage systems caused alterations in the physical and chemical parameters, compared with the riparian forest, mainly by a lower resistance to penetration under CTS and a greater resistance in the NTS and pasture systems; reduction in soil aggregation under CTS and NTS and an increase under pasture, and decrease of organic matter and calcium under all tillage systems

The purpose of this study was to investigate how increasing erosion, caused by increasing precipitation due to climate change, could have an effect on groundwater. Four maps were created using ArcGIS 10.4.1 (ArcMap). The maps include information from climate scenario RCP 8.5 referring to a baseline period from 1961 to 1990, flowage by natural casual factors like water storage or shifting rainfalls, and the geographical representation showing diversity of soil types within Umeå municipality. Each map was analyzed with the risk classification method referred to as - Methods for Inventories of Contaminated Site (MIFO). The study was limited to sites with objects of risk class 1 and 2. The results of the study showed that changes in climate can have a direct impact on precipitation in Västerbotten (Umeå municipality). With increased precipitation the risk of flooding increases in watercourses, which in this study refers to Umeälven. The result showed a high variability of soil erosion in areas near Umeälven where groundwater storage for water supplies were found. Three objects with preliminary class 2 were identified in this area. Other studies have shown that increasing rainfall may, affect soil stability and cause increased soil erosion, and therefore increase the mobility of metals in the soil. The conclusion of this study is that increased precipitation due to a changing climate could cause an increase soil erosion and landslides. This could increase mobility and erosion of soil contaminated with heavy metals and potentially contaminate important areas downstream Umeälven.

Submitted by Eunice Novais (enovais@uepg.br) on 2017-08-28T17:38:35Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) ADALBERTO FERREIRA JUNIOR.pdf: 3035421 bytes, checksum: 0be8535cf83c7219e305899db4b4af38 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-28T17:38:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) ADALBERTO FERREIRA JUNIOR.pdf: 3035421 bytes, checksum: 0be8535cf83c7219e305899db4b4af38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nos últimos anos tem-se ampliado as discussões em torno da eficiência do sistema de plantio direto na conservação do solo e da água, principalmente em áreas com longos períodos de uso contínuo. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi testar se a erodibilidade do solo aumenta em sistema de plantio direto manejado por longos períodos de tempo. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido em quatro áreas agrícolas cultivadas sob sistema de plantio direto com diferentes tempos de manejo (6; 17; 24 e 38 anos) e uma área de floresta (controle) localizadas na região Centro-Sul do Paraná, microrregião de Guarapuava. A avaliação da erodibilidade dos solos foi realizada sob chuva simulada em laboratório utilizando amostras indeformadas de solo, cada amostra foi submetida a duas simulações de chuva, uma com solo em umidade de campo e outra com solo saturado. Durantes as simulações foram coletados a água e os sedimentos transportados pelo efeito salpico e pelo escoamento superficial e subsuperficial. A determinação do percentual de agregados da massa total de solo e de macroagregados foi realizada por via úmida. Para isto, foram coletadas amostras em cinco pontos (escolhidos aleatoriamente) no topo do solo (0,0-0,1 m) em cada área. A estabilidade de agregados foi determinada através do diâmetro médio ponderado, diâmetro médio geométrico e índice de estabilidade de agregados. As áreas apresentaram baixo coeficiente de escoamento superficial. O escoamento superficial não apresentou diferença significativa entre as áreas de Floresta, Plantio direto com 6 anos, Plantio direto com 17 anos e plantio direto com 24 anos de manejo, na simulação em umidade de campo. Com o solo saturado não houve diferença significativa entre as áreas, mas com tendência de aumento do escoamento com o tempo de manejo. Inversamente ao escoamento superficial, o escoamento subsuperficial (infiltração) apresentou redução com o tempo de manejo. A perda total de solo apresentou elevação de acordo com o tempo de manejo em ambas as repetições. A área Plantio direto com 38 anos de manejo foi a única a demonstrar diferença em relação às demais áreas manejadas e a floresta. Da perda de solo total mais de 80% foi representada pelo salpico em todas as parcelas e repetições, a perda por escoamento superficial foi inferior a 5%. Os indicadores de agregação da massa total de solo não apresentaram diferença significativa entre as diferentes áreas avaliadas. Quando se avalia o índice de estabilidade de agregados por classe de macroagregado, observa-se que as classes de 4-8 mm e 2-4 mm são os que sofrem maior efeito e melhor representam a degradação do SPD após longo período de manejo. Os macroagregados apresentaram redução do carbono orgânico relacionado com o tempo de manejo. observou-se correlação do índice de estabilidade de macroagregados com as perdas de solo em pelo menos uma das simulações (umidade de campo e/ou umidade saturada), principalmente nas classes com tamanho superior a 2 mm. Mesmo o sistema de plantio direto sendo considerado um sistema conservacionista, e apresentando vantagens em relação a outros sistemas de manejo, este apresenta degradação das propriedades físicas após longo período de manejo (>24 anos), evidenciado pela redução da estabilidade de macroagregados e do teor de carbono orgânico, assim como aumento das taxas de perda de solo. / In recent years, it to discussions the efficiency of the no tillage system in soil and water conservation has been expanded, especially in areas with long periods of continuous use. In this way, the objective of this work was to test if the soil erodibility increases in no-till of long-term. This work was developed in four agricultural areas under no-tillage system with different management times (6; 17; 24 and 38 years) and forest area located in the Centro-Sul region of Paraná, Guarapuava microregion. The soil erodibility was performed with laboratory rainfall simulations using undisturbed soil samples, and each sample was submitted to two rain simulations, one in soil moisture field capacity and the other in saturated soil. During the simulation, the water and the sediments transported by the splash effect and the surface and subsurface flow were collected. The stability of aggregates of the total soil mass and macroaggregates was performed by wet method. For this, samples were collected at five points (randomly chosen) at the top of the soil (0.0-0.1 m) in each area. The stability of aggregates was determined through the weighted average diameter, geometric mean diameter and aggregate stability index. The areas presented low coefficient of surface runoff. The runoff showed no significant difference between the areas of forest, no-tillage 6 years, no-tillage 17 years and no-tillage 24 years, in simulation with field moisture. With the saturated soil there was no significant difference between the areas, but with tendency to increase the runoff with the management time. Conversely to the surface runoff, the subsurface flow (infiltration) presented reduction with the management time. The soil loss presented elevation according to the management time in both repetitions. The no-tillage 38 years area was the only one to show difference in relation to the other managed areas and the forest. Of the soil loss, over 80% was represented by the splash in all plots and repetitions, the loss by surface runoff was less than 5%. The aggregation indicators of the total soil mass did not present a significant difference between the different evaluated areas. When evaluating the aggregate stability index by class of macroaggregate, it is observed that the class of 4-8 mm and 2-4 mm are the ones that suffer the greatest effect and better represent the degradation of the no-tillage after a long period of management. The macroaggregates presented reduction of organic carbon related to the time of management. It was observed a correlation of stability index of macroaggregates with the soil losses in at least one of the simulations (field moisture and / or saturated moisture), especially in class with a size greater than 2 mm. Even the no-tillage system being considered a conservationist system, and presenting advantages over other management systems, it presents degradation of the physical properties after a long period of management (> 24 years), evidenced by the reduction of the stability of macroaggregates and the content of organic carbon, as well as increased rates of soil loss.

Accelerated soil erosion and the subsequent decline in soil depth has negative environmental, and consequently financial, impacts that have implications across all land cover classifications and scales of land management. Ironically, although attempts to quantify soil erosion nationally have illustrated that soil erosion can occur in the UK, understanding whether or not the UK has a soil erosion problem still remains a question to be answered. Accurately quantifying rates of soil erosion requires capturing both the volumetric nature of the visible, fluvial pathways and the subtle nature of the less-visible, diffuse pathways, across varying spatial and temporal scales. Accordingly, as we move towards a national-scale understanding of soil erosion in the UK, this thesis aims to explore some of the multiple techniques available for developing an understanding of soil erosion in the UK. The thesis first explored the information content of existing UK-based soil erosion studies, ascertaining the extent to which these existing data and methodological approaches can be used to develop an empirically derived understanding of soil erosion in the UK. The second research chapter then assessed which of two proximal sensing technologies, Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Structure-from-Motion Multi-view Stereo (SfM-MVS), is best suited to a cost-effective, replicable and robust assessment of soil erosion within a laboratory environment. The final research chapter built on these findings, using both Rare Earth Oxide tracers and SfM-MVS to elucidate retrospective information about sediment sources under changing soil erosion conditions, also within a laboratory environment Given the biased nature of the soil erosion story presented within the existing soil erosion research in the UK, it is impossible to ascertain if the frequency and magnitude of soil erosion events in the UK are problematic. However, this study has also identified that without ‘true’ observations of soil loss i.e. collection of sediment leaving known plot areas, proxies, such as the novel techniques presented in the experimental work herein and the methods used in the existing landscape scale assessments of soil erosion as included in the database chapter, are not capable of providing a complete assessment of soil erosion rates. However, this work has indicated that despite this limitation, each technique can present valuable information on the complex and spatially variable nature of soil erosion and associated processes, across different observational environments and scales.

L’évolution historique des types et techniques de production agricole a causé celle de l’organisation paysagère, via les parcellaires notamment. Les bordures de parcelles créent des discontinuités dans les processus d’érosion-dépôt de sol. L’objectif est ici de comprendre l’effet du parcellaire et de son évolution sur la distribution actuelle des sols et la morphologie des versants. Un versant cultivé (16 ha) dans le SW du Bassin Parisien a été étudié. La distribution spatiale de figures morphologiques linéaires et de l’épaisseur des sols a été analysée. Les deux types de figures identifiés correspondent à des épaississements de sols (dépôts) induits par des bordures de parcelles, pérennes depuis plusieurs siècles pour les premières, et disparues en 1967 (remembrement) pour les secondes. Ces épaississements ont été cartographiés grâce à une analyse statistique (CART) de la morphologie du versant. L’étude de traceurs granulométriques et minéralogiques (SEDI) a permis d’identifier les processus d’érosion-dépôt impliqués. La solifluxion périglaciaire puis le ruissellement auraient affecté l’ensemble du versant avant la pérennisation d’un parcellaire. Puis, des processus hydriques et aratoires ont agi dans des unités (parcelles) fixées par des bordures : les plus pérennes (1000 ans) montrent les dépôts les plus marqués (banquettes). La distribution spatiale du 137Cs et sa conversion en taux d’érosion (modélisation numérique) ont permis d’évaluer l’implication relative des processus hydriques (15%) et aratoires (85%) depuis 1954. Le remembrement parcellaire de 1967 s’avère avoir favorisé l’érosion des sols, convertissant des zones de rétention en zones sources (ondulations). / The historical evolution of agricultural practices is associated with a concomitent evolution of landscape spatial organisation, especially through field-border networks. Field borders create discontinuities of soil erosion-deposition processes. The aim of this PhD is to understand the effects of field-border networks and their evolution on the present spatial distribution of soils and hillslope morphology. A cultivated hillslope (16 ha) of the SW Parisian Basin was studied. The spatial distribution of linear landforms and soil thickness was analyzed. The two types of identified landforms correspond to soil thickenings (deposition) induced by field borders, that have existed for several centuries in the case of the first ones, and disappeared during a land consolidation (1967) in the case of the second ones. These soil thickenings were mapped through a statistical analysis (CART) of the hillslope morphology. The study of granulometric and mineralogical tracers (SEDI) led to identify the involved soil redistribution processes. Periglacial solifluxion, followed by runoff, probably occured over the whole hillslope before the establishment of perennial field borders. Then, water and tillage processes occured within areas delimited by field borders. The more developed soil depositions (lynchets) are linked with the most perennial borders (i.e., 1000 yrs). The spatial distribution of 137Cs and its conversion into erosion rates (numerical modeling) allowed to assess the relative implication of water (15%) and tillage processes (85%) since 1954. The land consolidation that occured in 1967 rised soil erosion when converting soil retention areas to sources (undulations).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-12-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:40:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 andrade_nsf_dr_jabo.pdf: 474430 bytes, checksum: 6e71312deb02091fbcdb01549805e82d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi demonstrar o valor econômico das perdas de nutrientes por erosão do solo, no cultivo da cana-de-açúcar. Especificamente, avaliar as perdas de nutrientes por erosão (P, K, Ca e Mg), o custo de reposição de nutrientes e de produção da cana, e os indicadores de análise de investimentos: valor presente líquido, taxa interna de retorno e a relação benefício / custo em dois sistemas de colheita (cana crua e queimada) em Catanduva - SP, em área de 100 ha para cada sistema, formadas e colhidas no mesmo período de (2002 a 2007), com similaridade quanto ao tipo de solo, variedade, topografia e número de cortes. A metodologia baseou-se na equação universal da perda de solos, teoria dos custos de produção e de reposição de nutrientes, e teoria dos indicadores das análises de investimentos. Estimou-se que a área com cana queimada perdeu mais nutrientes em todos os cortes, por isso o maior custo médio de reposição de nutrientes R$ 33,93 ha-1 ano-1, sendo de R$ 21,12 ha-1 ano-1 para a cana crua. O menor custo de produção foi da cana crua em todos os cortes, média de R$ 29,60 t-1, sendo de R$ 32,71 t-1 para a queimada. A cana crua apresentou um lucro médio de R$ 5,70 t-1 (R$ 562,87 ha-1 ano-1) e a queimada de R$ 2,59 t-1 (R$ 217,46 ha-1 ano-1). O retorno econômico da cana crua é superior ao da cana queimada, evidenciado ainda mais por meio dos resultados obtidos pelos dois sistemas de colheita, considerando-se índices de análises de investimentos (VPL, TIR, B/C). Conclui-se que a cana crua apresentou o melhor retorno técnico e econômico em virtude de proporcionar melhor conservação do solo e da água, a qual foi valorada pelo custo de reposição de nutrientes perdidos por erosão / The general objective of this work was to demonstrate the economic value of nutrients loss by soil erosion in sugarcane cultivation. Specifically, It was to evaluate the nutrient loss through erosion (P, K, Ca and Mg), the cost of replacing the nutrients and the production of sugar cane, and also the indicators of investment analysis: liquid present value, the internal return tax, and the benefit cost relation in two harvesting systems (raw cane and burnt) in Catanduva, São Paulo state, Brazil. An area of 100 ha was studied for each system, formed and harvested in the same period (2002 and 2007), with similarities in the type of soil, variety, topography, and the number of cuts. The methodology was based on the universal equation of soil loss and the theory of production costs and the replacement of nutrients. It was estimated that an area of burnt sugar cane lost more nutrients in all of the cuts, thus it has the highest average cost of replacing the nutrients, BRR$33.93 ha-1 year-1, compared with BRR$21.12 ha-1 year-1 for raw cane. The lowest production cost was with raw cane in all of the cuts, with an average of BRR$29.60 t-1, compared to BRR$32.71 t-1 for burnt cane. Raw cane presents an average profit of BRR$5.70 t-1 (BRR$562.87 ha-1 year-1) and burnt BRR$2.59 t-1 (BRR$217.46 ha-1 year-1). The economic return on raw cane is higher than that of burnt cane, which is proven from the results obtained from the two systems of harvesting through the analysis of the investment indexes (LPV, IRT, B/C). We can conclude that raw cane presents the best technical and economic return in its ability to better conserve soil and water, which is valued in the cost of nutrient replacement and losses through erosion

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:02:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 morais_tps_dr_jabo.pdf: 2309839 bytes, checksum: 569e9c63fdd407d8d6572edfd8cbcf0f (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A retirada da cobertura vegetal original e a implantação de áreas de pastagem e canade- açúcar, com práticas de manejo inadequadas, acarretam modificações nas propriedades químicas, físicas e biológicas dos solos, com limitações na utilização agrícola e susceptibilidade à erosão. Assim, estudos dos processos físicos e químicos são importantes para avaliar as mudanças de origem natural ou antrópica sobre os meios. O estudo teve como objetivos avaliar os atributos químicos e físicos de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo em três microbacias hidrográficas, em áreas de vegetação nativa, pastagem e cana-de-açúcar bem como analisar a ocorrência das áreas de maior escoamento superficial e, consequentemente, maior predisposição ao processo erosivo nas microbacias. A área de estudo compreendeu a microbacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Fazenda Glória, Município de Taquaritinga, Estado de São Paulo. Para a amostragem do solo foi realizada a caracterização do volume superficial, e essas amostras foram coletadas na superfície das vertentes das microbacias e em cada uso/ocupação selecionado. Os resultados obtidos foram avaliados por meio da comparação de médias para o teste de Tukey a 5%. A partir das curvas de nível da carta topográfica e dos pontos levantados com receptor geodésico de navegação com metodologia diferencial foi gerado uma malha de pontos georreferenciados em cada microbacia, para gerar o modelo numérico do terreno a partir da incorporação dos divisores de água e da rede de drenagem. As avaliações dos atributos físicos e químicos dos solos nas microbacias hidrográficas e em diferentes tipos de uso e ocupação demonstraram uma diferença significativa entre as áreas. O manejo do solo alterou os atributos químicos e físicos com impacto nas camadas superficiais do solo. A matéria orgânica foi um dos atributos mais sensíveis... / The removal of original vegetation cover and the deployment of pastures and sugarcane, with inadequate management practices, cause changes in the chemical, physical and biological properties of soils, with limitations on agricultural use and susceptibility to erosion. Thus, studies of physical and chemical processes are important to assess changes of natural development or anthropic on the means. The study was conducted to evaluate the physical and chemical attributes of a Ultisol in three watersheds, in areas of native vegetation, pasture and sugarcane, as well as, analyze the occurrence of the areas of greatest runoff and, consequently, greater predisposition to erosive processes in watersheds. The study area was the Córrego da Fazenda Glória watershed, Municipality of Taquaritinga, State of São Paulo. Soil sampling was performed to characterize the superficial volume, and these samples were collected on the surface of the watersheds and in three different land use selected. The results obtained were evaluated by the comparison of averages for the Tukey test at 5%. From the curves in a topographical map and from points collected with geodetic navigation receiver in a differential methodology was generated a digital elevation method in each watersheds. The assessments of physical and chemical attributes of soils in hydrographic watersheds and different land uses demonstrated a significant difference between the areas. Soil management altered the chemical and physical attributes impact in the soil superficial layers. The organic matter was one of the attributes more sensitive to changes due to agricultural practices. The digital terrain model showed a great potential, considering the scale of study of watersheds; and can help in spatial planning, urban and regional planning and zoning

The machair is a coastal grassland system found only in parts of northern and western Scotland and Ireland. Despite its limited geographic distribution, machair landscapes have high ecological, geomorphological, and cultural significance, as recognised by numerous conservation designations and legislation. In January 2005 a severe storm caused extensive damage in the Outer Hebrides, drawing attention to the sensitivity of the machair coast to erosion. The aim of this research was to investigate variations and trends in the sensitivity of three field sites within the South Uist machair to soil and coastal erosion, and to interpret measured change alongside analysis of historic climate data. Two of the sites selected, Cille Pheadair and Staoinebrig, experienced some of the most dramatic geomorphological changes associated with the 2005 storm, while the third site, Milton, appeared to be more resistant to change. A combination of fieldwork, laboratory tests, and archive work was used to obtain and analyse information about sediment budgets, shoreline indicator change, and sediment erodibility, along with contextual climatic information. A key result of this work is the provision of a detailed framework of short-medium term cyclical changes and fluctuations in the coastal change, which provides a context for interpreting and responding to longer term trends in erosion and/or accretion. Results indicated high spatial and temporal variability in the erodibility of machair soils and landforms, with no clear relationship between climatic factors and rates of erosion. Considerable short-term variations in beach volume and the position of dynamic shoreline indicators caution against the relaibility of using ‘snap-shot’ historic datasets to infer long-term rates of change. It is proposed that the machair landscape currently functions in a state of highly dynamic equilibrium, which has been maintained over the last ~130 years. While storm events such as the January 2005 storm have locally dramatic consequences, they do not appear to have disrupted the overally physical and ecological functions of the system. This contribution is particularly timely given current concerns for the future of the machair landscape under predicted sea-level and climate change scenarios, and the potential for inappropriate hard-engineering responses to the perceived risk.