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Spatial patterns of soil attributes and components in a mangrove system in Southeast Brazil (São Paulo)

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Among environmental factors governing innumerous processes that are active in estuarine environments, those of edaphic character have received special attention in recent studies. With the objectives of determining the spatial patterns of soil attributes and components across different mangrove forest landscapes and obtaining additional information on the cause–effect relationships between these variables and position within the estuary, we analyzed several soil attributes in 31 mangrove soil profiles from the state of São Paulo (Guarujá, Brazil).

Materials and methods

Soil samples were collected at low tide along two transects within the Crumahú mangrove forest. Samples were analyzed to determine pH, Eh, salinity, and the percentages of sand, silt, clay, total organic carbon (TOC), and total S. Mineralogy of the clay fraction (<2 mm) was also studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, and partitioning of solid-phase Fe was performed by sequential extraction.

Results and discussion

The results obtained indicate important differences in soil composition at different depths and landscape positions, causing variations in physicochemical parameters, clay mineralogy, TOC contents, and iron geochemistry. The results also indicate that physicochemical conditions may vary in terms of different local microtopographies. Soil salinity was determined by relative position in relation to flood tide and transition areas with highlands. The proportions of TOC and total S are conditioned by the sedimentation of organic matter derived from vegetation and by the prevailing redox conditions, which clearly favored intense sulfate reduction in the soils (∼80% of the total Fe is Fe-pyrite). Particle-size distribution is conditioned by erosive/deposition processes (present and past) and probably by the positioning of ancient and reworked sandy ridges. The existing physicochemical conditions appear to contribute to the synthesis (smectite) and transformation (kaolinite) of clay minerals.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that the position of soils in the estuary greatly affects soil attributes. Differences occur even at small scales (meters), indicating that both edaphic (soil classification, soil mineralogy, and soil genesis) and environmental (contamination and carbon stock) studies should take such variability into account.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was financed by the Brazilian Government (CAPES and FAPESP) and by the Spanish Government (Dirección General de Universidades del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia; HBP-2002-0056 PC). We thank María Santiso for laboratory assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciências do Solo, Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC, MB 12168, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Tiago Osório Ferreira

  2. Departamento Edafoloxía y Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Xosé L. Otero & Felipe Macías

  3. Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, UFRPE, Recife Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n -Dois Irmãos -52171-900, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Valdomiro S. de Souza Junior

  4. Departament of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of São Paulo, ESALQ, MB 9, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil

    Pablo Vidal-Torrado & Lilian P. Firme

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  1. Tiago Osório Ferreira
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  2. Xosé L. Otero
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  3. Valdomiro S. de Souza Junior
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  4. Pablo Vidal-Torrado
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  5. Felipe Macías
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  6. Lilian P. Firme
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Correspondence to Tiago Osório Ferreira.

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Responsible editor: Chris Johnson

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Ferreira, T.O., Otero, X.L., de Souza Junior, V.S. et al. Spatial patterns of soil attributes and components in a mangrove system in Southeast Brazil (São Paulo). J Soils Sediments 10, 995–1006 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0224-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0224-4

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