Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Thaís Nascimento Pessoa
  • Renata Cristina Bovi
  • Márcio Renato Nunes
  • Miguel Cooper
  • Daniel Uteau
  • Stephan Peth
  • Paulo Leonel Libardi

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • Universidade de Sao Paulo
  • Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho
  • University of Florida
  • University of Kassel
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere00837
JournalGEODERMA REGIONAL
Volume38
Early online date10 Jul 2024
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2024

Abstract

Soil aggregation controls several physical, chemical, and biological processes. Soil organic matter (SOM) and its stabilizing agents are regarded as the most important factors driving formation and stabilization of soil aggregates. However, aggregate stability in highly weathered soils may also be related to clay mineral composition and soil chemical properties. This study aims to evaluate the processes controlling soil aggregate stability and to understand the influence of soil chemical and clay mineral composition on the structural stability of highly weathered soils. Four Brazilian Oxisols were investigated: (P1) Xanthic Kandiustox, (P2) Rhodic Haplustox, (P3) Anionic Acrustox, and (P4) Typic Hapludox. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected from the Bw horizon under a native forest. Soil structural stability was evaluated using a variety of techniques and indices, including mean weight diameter (MWD) by hydraulic stress, mechanically-dispersible clay (MDC) by turbidimetry, tensile strength (TS) by crushing aggregates, and soil structural stability index (SSI) taking into account soil organic carbon (SOC). In general, P1 exhibited the highest MDC content (3.05 ± 0.54, Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, NTU/g L-−1), while P4 had the highest MWD (10.26 ± 0.24 mm) and the highest TS (80.42 ± 18.54 kPa) within the 8–4 mm aggregate size class. The TS for the 4–2 mm and 2–1 mm aggregate size classes was found to be equal for P2 and P4, with values ranging from 158.17 ± 24.70 kPa to 148.04 ± 38.50 kPa in the 4–2 mm class, and from 459.51 ± 189 kPa to 328.35 ± 78.22 kPa in the 2–1 mm one. The SSI was found to be inadequate for evaluating the structural stability of the Oxisols. In general, SOC was found to be the main stabilizing agent of larger aggregates, while clay mineral composition determined the stability of smaller aggregates. Goethite associated with gibbsite was more effective in increasing the structural stability of P2 and P4. Furthermore, kaolinites with low crystallinity, which are found in clayey Oxisols, resulted in a high specific surface area, particularly in Rhodic Haplustox and Typic Hapludox soils, which promoted more interactions with other clay minerals (e.g., goethite and gibbsite) and SOC, thereby increasing the tensile strength in these Oxisols. In fact, the formation and stabilization of aggregates in highly weathered soils depends on several factors, but the influence of clay mineral composition stands out as the most pronounced.

Keywords

    Iron and aluminum oxides, Mean weight diameter, Mechanically-dispersible clay, Soil organic matter, Tensile strength

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols. / Pessoa, Thaís Nascimento; Bovi, Renata Cristina; Nunes, Márcio Renato et al.
In: GEODERMA REGIONAL, Vol. 38, e00837, 09.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Pessoa, TN, Bovi, RC, Nunes, MR, Cooper, M, Uteau, D, Peth, S & Libardi, PL 2024, 'Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols', GEODERMA REGIONAL, vol. 38, e00837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2024.e00837
Pessoa, T. N., Bovi, R. C., Nunes, M. R., Cooper, M., Uteau, D., Peth, S., & Libardi, P. L. (2024). Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols. GEODERMA REGIONAL, 38, Article e00837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2024.e00837
Pessoa TN, Bovi RC, Nunes MR, Cooper M, Uteau D, Peth S et al. Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols. GEODERMA REGIONAL. 2024 Sept;38:e00837. Epub 2024 Jul 10. doi: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2024.e00837
Pessoa, Thaís Nascimento ; Bovi, Renata Cristina ; Nunes, Márcio Renato et al. / Clay mineral composition drives soil structure behavior and the associated physical properties in Brazilian Oxisols. In: GEODERMA REGIONAL. 2024 ; Vol. 38.
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AU - Pessoa, Thaís Nascimento

AU - Bovi, Renata Cristina

AU - Nunes, Márcio Renato

AU - Cooper, Miguel

AU - Uteau, Daniel

AU - Peth, Stephan

AU - Libardi, Paulo Leonel

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2024/9

Y1 - 2024/9

N2 - Soil aggregation controls several physical, chemical, and biological processes. Soil organic matter (SOM) and its stabilizing agents are regarded as the most important factors driving formation and stabilization of soil aggregates. However, aggregate stability in highly weathered soils may also be related to clay mineral composition and soil chemical properties. This study aims to evaluate the processes controlling soil aggregate stability and to understand the influence of soil chemical and clay mineral composition on the structural stability of highly weathered soils. Four Brazilian Oxisols were investigated: (P1) Xanthic Kandiustox, (P2) Rhodic Haplustox, (P3) Anionic Acrustox, and (P4) Typic Hapludox. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected from the Bw horizon under a native forest. Soil structural stability was evaluated using a variety of techniques and indices, including mean weight diameter (MWD) by hydraulic stress, mechanically-dispersible clay (MDC) by turbidimetry, tensile strength (TS) by crushing aggregates, and soil structural stability index (SSI) taking into account soil organic carbon (SOC). In general, P1 exhibited the highest MDC content (3.05 ± 0.54, Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, NTU/g L-−1), while P4 had the highest MWD (10.26 ± 0.24 mm) and the highest TS (80.42 ± 18.54 kPa) within the 8–4 mm aggregate size class. The TS for the 4–2 mm and 2–1 mm aggregate size classes was found to be equal for P2 and P4, with values ranging from 158.17 ± 24.70 kPa to 148.04 ± 38.50 kPa in the 4–2 mm class, and from 459.51 ± 189 kPa to 328.35 ± 78.22 kPa in the 2–1 mm one. The SSI was found to be inadequate for evaluating the structural stability of the Oxisols. In general, SOC was found to be the main stabilizing agent of larger aggregates, while clay mineral composition determined the stability of smaller aggregates. Goethite associated with gibbsite was more effective in increasing the structural stability of P2 and P4. Furthermore, kaolinites with low crystallinity, which are found in clayey Oxisols, resulted in a high specific surface area, particularly in Rhodic Haplustox and Typic Hapludox soils, which promoted more interactions with other clay minerals (e.g., goethite and gibbsite) and SOC, thereby increasing the tensile strength in these Oxisols. In fact, the formation and stabilization of aggregates in highly weathered soils depends on several factors, but the influence of clay mineral composition stands out as the most pronounced.

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