ABSTRACT: The conversion of native grassland into farmland causes changes in the soil. Tillage has profound effects on soil organic matter. The intensification of soil tillage decreases soil quality by reducing aggregate stability. Soil aggregate stability and soil organic matter are key indicators for soil quality and environmental sustainability in agro-ecosystems. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the total organic carbon content and the physical and chemical fractions of the organic matter in a soil under different […]

ABSTRACT: Springtails (Collembola) are soil organisms with wide morphological diversity and are sensitive to alterations in the soil, regardless of whether they are human-caused or not. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of land use on the morphological diversity of springtails and verify their relationships with soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties. Samples were collected in the eastern region of Santa Catarina, in three municipalities: Joinville, Blumenau, and Timbó. They included the following land use systems […]

ABSTRACT: Areas affected by coal mining can be recovered by revegetation with leguminous plants associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This study addressed the isolation and characterization of native nitrogen-fixing bacteria from coalmine wasteland under different vegetation restoration approaches using Macroptilium atropurpureum (DC) Urb and Vicia sativa L. as trap plants. The bacteria were characterized and identified on the basis of 16S rRNA sequences. Additionally, nitrogen-fixing strains were characterized for tolerance to high heavy metal and low pH levels, as well as […]

ABSTRACT Changes in land use management in agricultural areas can affect the biodiversity of spider families. This study aimed to evaluate spider diversity in different land use systems with capture by two sampling methods, and to identify soil properties that can modulate the occurrence of spiders. Five land use systems, representative of traditional agricultural areas, were evaluated in the west of Santa Catarina, Brazil, to establish a scale of land use intensity: native forest, eucalyptus reforestation areas, pastures, crop-livestock integration […]

ABSTRACT Archaeological Dark Earth (ADE) pedogenesis and pre-Columbian history are fundamental for understanding the biodiversity and pedodiversity of the Neotropical rainforest in the Amazon region. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties as well as NaOH-extractable organic matter [OM(NaOH)] in ADE and Mulatto Earth (ME) overlying volcanic rocks along a toposequence (four soil profiles) in western Amazonia, Brazil. The soil profiles show anthropic A horizons over an argic horizon (Bt) in the ADE (Humic, Pretic […]

ABSTRACT Recycling of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) from plants into soils is decisive for maintaining soil organic matter and soil fertility. Therefore, we quantified plant biomass and C and N in the shoots and roots from the topsoil layer for a wide range of annual crops grown under subtropical conditions. We grew 26 species, 13 main crops, and 13 cover crops, in the field in standard sowing arrangements. Root biomass was recovered from the 0.00-0.20 m soil layer at […]

ABSTRACT Soils of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero are rich in mineral resources, especially gold and iron. Soil management and mining activities greatly impact soil biology. However, studies addressed to the diversity of microorganisms and their ecological role in the recovery of these areas are scarce. This study aimed to assess the yeast occurrence in soils with natural vegetation (Atlantic Forest, neotropical savanna, and iron outcrop) and areas with anthropogenic modifications (Eucalyptus stand and rehabilitated area) in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region. We […]

ABSTRACT The efficiency index (EI) refers to the ratio of nutrients mineralized/made available in the soil to the total amount of nutrients added by organic fertilizer. Therefore, understanding the EI is essential for recommendation of organic fertilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the availability through mineralization and the efficiency index of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in organic fertilizers produced from cattle manure. The following treatments were evaluated in an incubation experiment under controlled conditions: […]

ABSTRACT Crotalaria juncea is used as plant cover in grape vineyards in Brazil, which usually present soils with high copper (Cu) levels due to the application of Cu-based phyto-sanitary products. Under this condition an increase growth and cover of C. juncea is needed to improve the phytoremediation processes in those soils. Some alternatives to achieve this condition is the inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which has demonstrated an important increase of plant growth in Cu-contaminated soils at different soil […]

ABSTRACT Brazilian soybean producers commonly apply maintenance potassium (K) fertilization during cultivation to restore the K taken up by plants; however, this measure can modify the morphophysiological plant characteristics, since the functions of K are closely related with plant growth and development. This study assessed the morphological changes in soybean plants in response to K rates, sowing fertilization, and the application periods of K fertilization in a Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico (Oxisol) under a no-tillage system, located in the municipality of […]