Abstract

GONZALEZ-BARRIOS, José Luis et al. Characterization of Soil Porosity as Indicator of Soil Physical Quality. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2011, vol.29, n.4, pp.369-377. ISSN 2395-8030.

This paper presents the soil porosity as a soil quality indicator in the Nazas upper watershed. Image analysis techniques determine the size and shape of porosity that characterize soil surfaces of forest, grassland and semi-bare by cattle over grassing. Application of soil quality criteria allows to associate results of soil porosity with potential soil roles to ensure water storage and water transport. Results show that soil porosity is higher in forest and grassland surfaces than in semi-bare surfaces. This potentially allows to a better water caption, water storage and water transport into the soil profile. Results also show that caution should be taken to prevent semi-bare soil surfaces by over grassing and cattle trampling because they decrease soil porosity and soil quality. This work shows the importance of soil porosity as indicator of soil quality and the useful technique of image analysis as support tool.

Keywords : soil criteria; image analysis; soil porosity.

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