ABSTRACT The study of the relationships between the yield potential of forest stands and the conditions offered for plant development is fundamental for the adequate management of the forest when aiming at sustainable high yields. However, these relations are not clear, especially in commercial forests, on rugged terrain where relationships between the landscape, soil, and plants are more complex. Considering this, we tested the hypothesis that the morphological aspects of the soil conditioned by topography are the main limiting factors […]

The Soil Nitrogen Availability Predictor (SNAP) model predicts daily and annual rates of net N mineralization (NNM) based on daily weather measurements, daily predictions of soil water and soil temperature, and on temperature and moisture modifiers obtained during aerobic incubation (basal rate). The model was based on in situ measurements of NNM in Australian soils under temperate climate. The purpose of this study was to assess this model for use in tropical soils under eucalyptus plantations in São Paulo State, […]

Eucalypt is the main commercial forest species in Brazil, but very little information is available in the literature on the amount of carbon stored in the soil and in the biomass of these forest stands. The main objective of this study was to estimate the amount of soil-stored carbon (SSC) of eucalypt plantations and determine soil and climate characteristics that influence SSC. The study was carried out in the Central-Eastern region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in five micro-regions (CO, […]

Nutrient balance in tropical forest allows an evaluation of eventual differences due to management practices and conclusions on forest sustainability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutrient concentration in native species and quantify biomass production and C and nutrient balance in tropical montane Atlantic Forest fragments (Dense Montane Ombrophile Forest) in the North of Rio de Janeiro State, from May 1999 to April 2001. Two sites were selected in the State Park of Desengano, at 900 and […]

The organic matter dynamics in Atlantic forest ecosystems must be understood to ensure the efficiency of conservation programs. Chemical characteristics of humic substances are important because they reflect the soil genesis processes and soil management, and can be used as indicator of the organic matter quality. The purpose of this study was to test the organic matter quality as a marker of the soil environment in areas of native Atlantic forest developed on a distrophyc Gleysol and a distrophyc Cambisol […]

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of cultivation systems on soil carbon and nitrogen contents and on the distribution of light and heavy fractions of soil organic matter (SOM). Density and particle-size fractionations were used to isolate free light fraction (FLF), intra-aggregate light fraction (ILF) and heavy fractions (HF) of a Red-Yellow Latosol from a field experiment at Embrapa Rice and Beans in Goiás, Brazil. Treatments consisted of a combination of soil tillage and crop rotation. Soil […]

This study analyzes homogenous stands of Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis in different growth stages as well as fragments of natural vegetation of “Cerrado” and Atlantic Forest. The climatic, edaphic and floristic conditions of the chosen areas are representative of the native forests and forest plantations established at the Western plateau of the state of São Paulo. Soil samples (0-15 cm) were incubated under aerobic and anaerobic laboratory conditions by successive periods of 3, 3, 4, 4, 6 […]