Soil-environment relationship in an area degraded by gullies in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Soil degradation represents a current and future risk of compromising ecosystem services. This papper aims to characterize the soil attributes of a degraded area and conserved Savana fragments in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. For this purpose, a multitemporal assessment of a gully using GIS was carried out; field work was carried out with collections at 39 sampling points and description of 5 soil profiles, in previously stratified environments; in the laboratory, the physical, chemical and organic matter attributes of the soil was determined and statistical analyzes was conducted. Time after time, an evolution of soil degradation of 62% of the area was estimated, going from 499.5 m(2)/year in the period of accelerated erosion (1964-1979) to 96.9 m(2)/year (2005 - 2020). The PCA highlights the Mata environment as the most fertile, with associated vectors of organic matter, base saturation and macro and micronutrients; Statistical tests indicate variations between the granulometric fractions of conserved environments and degraded areas and equality of organic matter in Cerradao and Mata to the detriment of gullie. Organic matter management, aiming at its incorporation and increment in the soil, should be privileged in ecosystem restoration projects.