SOIL EROSION RESISTANCE IN RAVINES IN A SANDY CLAY LOAM OXISOL

Ravines represent one of the formations resulting from water erosion, with concentrated surface water flow down hillsides of degraded areas, yet without subsurface water flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate hydraulic flow conditions in ravines as well as to determine soil erosion resistance parameters: soil erodibility (K-r) and critical shear stress (tau(c)) on the ravine surfaces, as well as to determine soil erodibility at several depths of degraded hillsides along the coastline of the state of Pernambuco. The experiment was conducted in 2005, on a sandy clay loam Oxisoil of the "Formacao Barreiras" in Cabo de Santo Agostinho. The plots were outlined by metal plates inserted in the soil along the slope (1.0 m width x 3.0 length). The tests consisted of the application of four flow levels to evaluate the volume of liquid discharge and detached sediment mass. The soil detachment rate was linear to shear stress (tau). Soil erodibility (Kr) was 0.0016 kg N-1 S-1 and the critical shear stress was 4.37 Pa. The low soil erodibility value and high critical shear stress value observed at the surface of the ravines possibly resulted from a soil consolidation process induced by wetting and drying cycles. Soil erodibility (Kr) in depth varied from 0.012 to 0.070 kg N-1 S-1, depending on the clay content. The runoff flow regime in ravines was turbulent supercritical and therefore similar to rill flow, as described in the literature.