Geomorphological characterization of soils with high organic carbon contents in southern Brazil

Soil organic carbon plays a crucial role in soil fertility, water retention, and overall ecosystem health. Understanding the geomorphological characteristics of environments where soils with high organic carbon content occur is essential for sustainable land management and conservation efforts. In this context, the objective of this study was to characterize the geomorphology of environments where soils with high organic carbon content occur in southern Brazil. The study collected 135 soil samples to determine organic carbon content, soil classification, and geomorphological variables derived from the digital elevation model SRTM 30m. The investigation found that the environments where Organosols occur have higher altimetry values than the places where Cambisols predominate. The analysis also observed variations in the maximum values of slope between the environments of occurrence of the Organosols and Cambisols evaluated. The results demonstrate the potential of environmental variables related to geomorphology to characterize and identify environments that are more favorable to the occurrence of soils with high levels of organic carbon in southern Brazil, remotely and with reduced costs associated with collecting data in the field and in hard-to-reach areas.