Publications by authors named "Eduardo Guimaraes Couto"

The resurgent navigation project known as the Hidrovia Paraguay-Paraná threatens the integrity of the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, which is considered a biome of its own. Intensive barge navigation is intended to transport crops (soybean, sugar, corn) and cement, iron and manganese from areas of production in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia to the oceanic ports of the Plata River. This short communication assembles the information available on the potential impacts of the planned deepening of the natural channel of the Paraguay River in its ~700 km-long upper section.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from Brazilian Cerrado Arenosols can lead to carbon (C) losses and lower soil fertility, while excessive nutrient, e.g. nitrate (NO), leaching can potentially cause water contamination.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vegetated mounds are an important geomorphological feature of the Pantanal, where the influence of floods dictates not only hydropedological processes, but also the distribution and ecology of the flora and fauna. This work aimed to identify factors and processes that influence the formation and spatial distribution of the mounds, which are commonly associated with termite activity. In order to characterize pedological processes, macro and micro morphological descriptions, satellite image interpretation, dating of the sandy sedimentary material using OSL and carbon dating using 14C AMS were carried out.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Sugarcane cultivation is associated with catchment-wide impacts related to application of vinasse, a nutrient-dense effluent with high eutrophication potential. We evaluated the potential for biochar (charcoal produced from pyrolyzed filtercake) to mitigate carbon and nutrient leaching in a cultivated Brazilian Ferralsol after vinasse application.

Methods: Twelve soil columns (soil alone [S], soil with vinasse [SV], soil with vinasse and biochar [SVB], and soil with biochar [SB]) were flushed with water and then treated with water or vinasse.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In Brazil, the degradation of nutrient-poor Ferralsols limits productivity and drives agricultural expansion into pristine areas. However, returning agricultural residues to the soil in a stabilized form may offer opportunities for maintaining or improving soil quality, even under conditions that typically promote carbon loss. We examined the use of biochar made from filtercake (a byproduct of sugarcane processing) on the physicochemical properties of a cultivated tropical soil.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Pantanal is a biodiversity hotspot comprised of a mosaic of landforms that differ in vegetative assemblages and flooding dynamics. Tree islands provide refuge for terrestrial fauna during the flooding period and are particularly important to the regional ecosystem structure. Little soil CO₂ research has been conducted in this region.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF