Organic matter and physical-hydric quality of an oxisol under eucalypt planting and abandoned pasture

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess organic matter and physical-hydric attributes of an Oxisol under a clonal planting of eucalypt and an abandoned pasture in comparison to a successional forest with its soil under natural conditions at Paragominas municipality, southeast region of the state of Pará. In July 2013, soil samples were collected at the depths 0-0.15 and 0.15-0.35 m, which were used for the determination of the following attributes: organic matter content; soil bulk density; porosity, soil water retention and S index. In field, soil water infiltration tests were performed. The abandoned pasture was the system that presented the greatest contents of organic matter in the soil surface, when compared to successional forest and eucalypt clonal plantation. None of the studied systems achieved a critical level for bulk density and S index values and all systems had water infiltration speed classified as very high. Based on these variables, the soil management with eucalypt cultivation with two years of implantation may be recommended in areas with abandoned pastures.