ABSTRACT The use of native and exotic species in the reforestation of degraded areas has been considered an important strategy to improve soil quality. However, there is still scarce information about which species are more efficient for soil organic matter (SOM) formation. This study aimed to evaluate the decomposition of leguminous and non-leguminous tree litter, its impact on light organic matter (LOM), particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) dynamics, and consequently, SOM formation efficiency. Leaf litter from […]

The Brazilian East coast was intensely affected by deforestation, which drastically cut back the original biome. The possible impacts of this process on water resources are still unknown. The purpose of this study was an evaluation of the impacts of deforestation on the main water balance components of the Galo creek watershed, in the State of Espírito Santo, on the East coast of Brazil. Considering the real conditions of the watershed, the SWAT model was calibrated with data from 1997 […]

Among a number of organisms that constitute soil macrofauna communities, distributed in different types of habitats, with varied foraging habits and life cycles, some are capable of a rapid response to environmental changes. These organisms are considered efficient indicators of the well-functioning of ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the following succession stages of a seasonal semidecidous submontane forest of the Atlantic Forest domain: Secondary Forest Initial Stage – SFIS, Medium Stage – […]

The replacement of forest environments by pastures leads to fundamental alterations in soil carbon stocks and consequently in the global cycle of this element. This study was conducted in the municipality of Itabela, Bahia, and the objective was to evaluate carbon stocks in soils of a natural forest in comparison to degraded and productive pastures with different usage periods. For this purpose, remnants of the Atlantic Forest, productive pastures after different periods of use (2, 9 and 18 years) and […]

Many environmental problems in the watershed of the Santana River are caused by anthropogenic influence and the impact of economic activities. To attenuate these conflicts and to ensure the conservation and sustainability of this regionally extremely important area, the environment must be better understood. The aim of this study was an environmental stratification of the catchment of the River Rio Santana, in the South of Bahia, Brazil, based on the analysis of inter-relations between landscape components. Vegetation, geology and topography […]

The use of green manure may contribute to reduce soil erosion and increase the soil organic matter content and N availability in coffee plantations in the Zona da Mata, State of Minas Gerais, in Southeastern Brazil. The potential of four legumes (A. pintoi, C. mucunoides, S. aterrimum and S. guianensis) to produce above-ground biomass, accumulate nutrients and mineralize N was studied in two coffee plantations of subsistence farmers under different climate conditions. The biomass production of C. mucunoides was influenced […]

Understanding the soil organic P (Po) cycle is important to improve the P fertilization management in low-input tropical agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate Po content and labile P fractions, and microbial biomass P in soils under different cocoa agroecosystems. Mean total Po was 193 mg kg-1 and accounted for 7.8 to 36.3 % of the total extracted P. Mean labile Po was 15 mg kg-1 and accounted for 33.1 to 81.9 % of the total labile P. In cocoa agrosystems, the […]

This study aimed to evaluate the differences in carbon and nutrient cycling and balance in two plantation systems of forest species native in the Atlantic Forest. The plantation systems consisted of 22 year-old mixed stand and pure stands of six hardwood species (Peltogyne angustiflora, Centrolobium robustum, Arapatiella psilophylla, Sclerolobium chrysophyllum, Cordia trichotoma, Macrolobium latifolium) native to the southeastern region of Bahia, Brazil, that were evaluated from August 1994 through July 1995. As references, the study included a natural forest and […]

In highly weathered tropical soils phosphorus (P) bioavailability to plants is closely associated with soil organic P forms, which in turn are influenced by the vegetation cover. The aim of this study was to evaluate total organic P (Po), labile P fractions and microbial biomass P in soils under Acacia auriculiformis and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia stands, secondary forest and pasture. The clay-adjusted average content of total Po and labile Po were 375 mg kg-1 P and 40.2 mg kg-1, respectively. The […]

Little is known about the changes in different soil organic matter (SOM) fractions under short-rotation eucalypt plantations. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of eucalypt cultivation on C stocks of several organic matter fractions in soils previously covered with degraded pasture, as well as to identify which SOM fractions are more sensitive indicators of land use change impacts. The study was conducted at two sites (Belo Oriente and Virginópolis) with commercial short-rotation eucalypt plantations in the Rio Doce Valley […]