Effects of Land Use and Cropping on Soil Erosion in Agricultural Frontier Areas in the Cerrado-Amazon Ecotone, Brazil, Using a Rainfall Simulator Experiment

Agricultural soils provide ecosystem services, but the removal of natural vegetation reduces water infiltration capacity, increasing surface runoff. Thus, monitoring erosion is critical for sustainable agricultural management. Sediment losses and runoff were evaluated using a simulated rainfall 75 mm/h in areas with crops pastures both Caiabi River Renato sub-basins Teles Pires watershed Mato Grosso State, Brazil. In sub-basins, data collected from 156 observations upper, middle, lower regions where (1) soybeans, (2) maize, (3) pasture grown alone, another crop, or soil that was scarified. Erosion occurred independent texture closely related to management use systems involving fewer more scarification, regardless sub-basin location. uncovered, scarified soil, greater compared covered region. sub-basin, cultivated not planted scarification 66.01, 90.79, 60.02 g/square meter regions, respectively. producers need increase planting throughout year minimize disturbance, which will reduce improve sustainability.