Quantification of water erosion and characterization of surface sealing in Ultisols in semiarid areas in Brazil

The lack of cover is one the main accelerators soil degradation. Without protection and exposed to rainfall, breaks particles, causing surface sealing, making infiltration difficult. This study characterizes sealing hydraulic erosion in Ultisols Alto Ipanema Basin. Eight plots were established under treatments: bare with Brachiaria decumbens mulch. Three rain events simulated at 24-hour intervals, an intensity 54.63 mmh-1. After each simulation, micromorphology amount lost investigated. use mulch reduced runoff by 42% loss rate disaggregation was 70% on average. Infiltration increased 242%. Mulch effective preserving porosity microstructure for first rainfall event (0 h), but not observed second (24 h) third (48 events.