Spatial heterogeneity of soil properties in areas under elephant-grass short-duration grazing system

Soil properties can be changed by several factors, such as plant roots and animal trampling. The identification of spatial heterogeneity of these prop erties depends on the sampling scale. This study was developed to test the hypothesis that soil chemical and physical properties beneath elephant-gras s plants are different from those between them. The research was carried ou t in a soil classified as Kandiudalfic Eutrudox. Forty-eight soil samples w ere collected from 0-10 cm depth (24 beneath plants and 24 between plants). The following properties were measured: pH, organic matter, S, available P , K, Ca and Mg exchangeable, sum of bases, cation exchange capacity, base s aturation percentage, dry-aggregate distribution, bulk density and soil pen etration resistance. Statistical analyses (t test) indicated that there wer e no significant differences in soil chemical properties in relation to spa tial position. However, significant differences were observed in soil physi cal properties, with higher values of bulk density and soil resistance to p enetration between the plants than beneath the plants.