Quality of soils cultivated with eucalyptus in the central region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil: physical, chemical and mineralogical attributes

Abstract

Latosols and Cambisols have great expressiveness in the central region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The present work aimed to study physical, chemical  and mineralogical attributes of these soils, located in areas with eucalyptus forest. Thirteen soil profiles were described and sampled in two areas at  Curvelo, Minas Gerais State. In the Cambisols, the high amounts of silt and higher density, the dominance of kaolinite and illite in the clay fraction, and the weak developed blocky structure, are responsible for surface sealing and sheet erosion, resulting in the decrease in the quality of forest areas. Furthermore, lower water holding capacity, low hydraulic conductivity and low soil thickness can result in lower water-recharge in depth, contributing to  depreciate forest sites in Cambisols areas. The lower silt amounts of Latosols, greater depth, better structure, and smaller slopes may be the main reason for best quality of the forest sites.