SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL ATTRIBUTES IN AN AREA OF NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF BRAZIL NUT (Bertholletia excelsa) IN SOUTHERN AMAZONIA: MATO GROSSO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov17n6-009Keywords:
Edaphic Heterogeneity, Variogram, Kriging, Soil-Plant System, Spatial PatternsAbstract
The Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa Bonp.) is a key species in tropical forest ecosystems, whose productivity and distribution are closely associated with soil conditions. This study aimed to characterize soil fertility and analyze the spatial structure of chemical and physical soil attributes in a natural Brazil nut stand located in Itaúba, Mato Grosso, southern Amazon. Soil samples were collected at 60 points arranged in a systematic grid, and chemical attributes (Al³⁺, H+Al, Ca, Mg, K, P, Na, Fe, Mn and Cu), soil carbon, clay content and bulk density were determined. Spatial variability was assessed using geostatistical analysis, including variogram modeling and ordinary kriging interpolation. The results revealed strongly acidic soils with low base saturation and high aluminum saturation, typical of highly weathered tropical environments. Most attributes exhibited weak spatial dependence, indicating high micro-scale heterogeneity, whereas clay content and copper showed moderate spatial dependence, reflecting more structured spatial organization. Trend analysis indicated low-intensity spatial gradients for soil acidity-related attributes. Kriging maps revealed the presence of intra-area edaphic mosaics, indicating spatial variability in water and nutrient availability. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the spatial organization of soil fertility is a key factor controlling the ecological functioning of natural Bertholletia excelsa populations, highlighting the importance of spatially explicit approaches for soil studies and for supporting sustainable management and conservation strategies in the southern Amazon.
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