Soil Attributes in Anthropized Hygrophilous Forest in Northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The soils of Brazilian Cerrado are characterized with high acidity and low fertility and productivity. However, these attributes are not homogeneously distributed through all phytophysiognomies of this biome, and wetland known as palm swamp or “veredas” are an exception. This study aimed to describe and compare the chemical and physical attributes of soil surface layers at six palm swamps areas under different anthropization processes in the northern region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Soil sampling of different hydromorphic soils were collected at 0-20 cm depth layer from 100 m plots in the studied areas. The variables were compared using the GLM procedure of ANOVA using Statistica 10 software. Soil chemical attributes and similarities between the six palm swamps areas were compared using the statistical software R. Soil chemical attributes were different and soil physical attributes were similar between the evaluated areas. The similarities among the attributes were classified into three groups according to the anthropic pressures, as well as with the origin of the soil material in the six palm swamps areas evaluated. It could be concluded that soil fertility can be reduced in palm swamps that suffered greater anthropic intervention. The three similarity groups might be associated not only to the anthropic pressures, but also to the raw material of soil at the six palm swamps areas evaluated.