Grazing as a cause of lime precipitation in a natraqualf

Abstract

The movement of water from the watertable to the atmosphere is one of the most common causes for CaCO₃ accumulation on top of the soil. In the Flooding Pampa, the increase in water evaporation due mainly to the reduction of soil cover as a result of grazing has given place to pulses of topsoil salinization. We investigated the influence of this process on lime precipitation in the upper horizon. Data from continuous grazed and ungrazed areas were considered. The relative ion concentrations in the upper horizon of the ungrazed area and in the phreatic water were very similar. Under grazing, absolute ion concentration was larger than in the water table. The anionic constituents did not increase directly and linearly. Chlorides and sulfates showed increments. The carbonate proportion did not change, but bicarbonates showed a relative decrease. This latter reduction could be related to the precipitation of CaCOs in the uppper horizon of the soil. In agreement, the Ion Activity Product (IAP) of the calcite of the soil solution indicated conditions for saturation of CaCO₃ in the grazed area. Conversely, the IAP showed CaCO₃ undersaturation in the ungrazed area. In spite of the evidence for the ocurrence of lime precipitation, the top horizon did not show measurable lime under grazing. This fact could be explained by considering both the usual time taken by CaCO₃ precipitation, and the recent and episodic process of top soil salinization in this region after the introduction of livestock.