Afectación de las propiedades físicas y químicas del suelo por la expansión de la frontera agrícola en el páramo de Sumapaz

Abstract

TThe objective of this work is to carry out an analysis and evaluation to determine the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil in the El Toldo area of ​​the town of Sumapaz in three covers: A potato crop cover, sample MO-01; A natural páramo cover, MO-02 and a cover of a home garden, sample MO 03 and compare the impact on the resource due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the area. The method to determine the change in the physical and chemical capacities was carried out through laboratory studies that yielded results of the physical and chemical properties of the soil such as texture, pH, apparent density, percentage of organic carbon, macro and micronutrients among other properties. Likewise, through surveys of the inhabitants of the El Toldo area and surrounding areas, the socioeconomic factors of the population and the agricultural practices that may be affecting the soil resource and altering the aforementioned properties were determined. As a result of the alterations in the physical and chemical properties of the soil in the Sumapaz moorland, there is a loss in its capacity to retain moisture and an increase in pH for the potato crop cover samples and the home garden cover, important and most notable characteristics of moorland soils. This is mainly due to the change in cover and the application of inputs such as fertilizers in order to reach a neutral pH for planting food, a fact that is confirmed by the high values ​​of exchangeable bases and the low values ​​of aluminum for these two samples that were compared with the natural moorland cover sample, MO-02. Properties such as low apparent density and the open and porous structure that allow the moorland soils to obtain a high hydraulic conductivity and a very high water retention capacity correspond to what was observed for the natural cover sample, while high values ​​of apparent density and electrical conductivity were obtained for the potato crop and home garden samples; soils that were subjected to human intervention and did not recover their natural characteristics. The results were compared with surveys identifying problems such as the use of pesticides and the difficulty in making a change in the economic activities of the population. Finally, a series of projects are proposed aimed at improving the health and quality of the soil through better practices or alternatives that allow, in the medium and long term, to harmonize the main economic activity of the inhabitants of the Vereda El Toldo in the Locality of Sumapaz with the strategic ecosystem such as the moor, in the understanding that the fundamental role that this ecosystem represents and its protection in the area where people live is valued and highlighted, as well as the sustenance of the families in the area of ​​influence.