Tin mining in the Serra da Onça in the Jamari National Forest, State of Rondônia, Brazil, caused severe chemical, physical, and biological changes in the soil. In 1997, the area was divided into plots and a rehabilitation program was begun, which consisted of land surface modeling, construction of terraces, liming, fertilization, and planting of leguminous crops and native plants. In subsequent years, new plots were set up in the rehabilitation program so that at the time of sampling the different […]

Studies on microbial activity and biomass in forestry plantations often overlook the role of litter, typically focusing instead on soil nutrient contents to explain plant and microorganism development. However, since the litter is a significant source of recycled nutrients that affect nutrient dynamics in the soil, litter composition may be more strongly correlated with forest growth and development than soil nutrient contents. This study aimed to test this hypothesis by examining correlations between soil C, N, and P; litter C, […]

Soil characteristics such as total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass and enzymatic activity are influenced by many factors and have been suggested as suitable indicators of changes caused by different land use systems and soil management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the COT, microbial biomass and enzymatic activity of a typical Inceptisol in agricultural, forest and grassland areas in the Middle Valley of the Paraíba do Sul river (RJ). The systems evaluated were: annual agriculture (Agan); perennial […]

The application of sewage sludge is a concern because it may affect the quality of organic matter and microbiological and biochemical soil properties. The effects of surface application of sewage sludge to an agricultural soil (at 18 and 36 t ha-1 dry basis) were assessed in one maize (Zea mays L.) growing season. The study evaluated microbial biomass, basal respiration and selected enzymatic activities (catalase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase, and β-glucosidase) 230 days after sewage sludge application and infrared […]

Rice, grown in all Brazilian regions, is particularly important in the southern region, where 60 % of the total production of this cereal is raised. The rice parboiling process is a hydrothermal treatment of partially cooking the grains in the husk, improving the nutritional value. This process results in an effluent rich in organic matter and nutrients, which can be used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of a soil based […]