Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

SOLOS E VEGETAÇÃO NOS COMPLEXOS RUPESTRES DE ALTITUDE DA MANTIQUEIRA E DO ESPINHAÇO

2003; UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL RURAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO; Volume: 10; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

2179-8087

V. de M. Benites, Alessandra Nasser Caiafa, Eduardo de Sá Mendonça, Carlos Ernesto Gonçalves Reynaud Schaefer, João Carlos Ker,

Soil Management and Crop Yield

SOIL AND VEGETATION ON THE HIGH ALTITUDE ROCKY COMPLEXES OF THE MANTIQUEIRA AND ESPINHACO MOUNTAIN The High Altitude Complex encompasses ecosystems with unique characteristics on the top of the main mountain ranges of Brazil. These ecosystems differ from the surrounding dominating biomes due to soil and animal characteristics showing high diversity and endemic species. Morphological and physiological adaptation of plants to soil constraints and burning provide this ecosystem with a relevant genetic bank still to be investigated. Soil are shallow, sandy, olygotrophic and contain high amounts of exchangeable aluminum. Humic to organic horizons are common in these soils indicating low degree of soil organic matter decomposition. Humic substances are predominantly consisted of fulvic acids. Illuviation of soil organic matter is present particularly on areas over quartzite. Hence spodic horizons are formed and rivers show dark colour. Organic material show strong melanization due to the high amounts of charcoal and its by-products in soils. The presence of charcoal in the soil is an