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Terracing Recovers the Quality of a Riverbank Soil Degraded by Water Erosion in Brazilian Semiarid

ABSTRACT

Soil physical-hydraulic properties are among the most important indicators for evaluating soil quality. This study aimed to experimentally demonstrate how the construction of terraces can affect physical-hydraulic properties of a soil degraded by water erosion on the banks of the Salitre river, tributary of the São Francisco river. An area in advanced stage of degradation by water erosion was delimited for the construction of a level bench terrace. The experiment was conducted for two years. Soil physical-hydraulic properties were determined before and after terracing. Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) was used to measure soil water storage (mm). This study demonstrated that terracing positively affected soil physical-hydraulic properties in the previously degraded area, allowed the increase in the retention and availability of water in the soil, thus is an ecologically beneficial practice for recovery of degraded soils on the banks of the Salitre river.

Keywords:
gully; soil degradation; semi-arid

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