Principal components analysis of the chemical attributes of the soil of a preserved Cerrado fragment (original) (raw)

The number of studies on the importance of Cerrado soil to biogeochemical cycles is growing, with this being the focus of most research in the Cerrado biome. The objective of this research was to verify the correlation among different chemical attributes of the soil in a Cerrado fragment located in Mãe Bonifácia Park, in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil, using principal components analysis. For this study, five soil samples were collected at 0-10 cm depth monthly from August 2015 to July 2016. After the collection and identification of the soil, chemical analyses were performed to determine the following chemical characteristics of the soil: organic matter (OM), base saturation (V%), sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CTC), pH, and concentrations of H+, Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, P, S, Cu, Mn2+, Mg2+, Zn, Fe2+ and B3+. The soil was characterized as acidic, which is typical for Cerrado soils, although some chemical elements were found in high concentrations. After the analysis o...