Intensive farming and grazing on Oxisols of the Brazilian savannas (also known as the Cerrados) are leading to loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and consequently to a decline in fertility and sustainability of the soils. Alternative land-use systems such as the introduction of legumes in…

We examined whole-soil samples and particle-size fractions to study the distribution of different phosphorus (P) fractions after land-use change from native savanna to crops, pasture, and reforestation on clayey and loamy Oxisols of the Brazilian savannas. Phosphorus was extracted sequentially,…

In the Brazilian savannas, or Cerrados the rapid advance in agriculture and cattle ranching is affecting soils through, for example, accelerated erosion and depletion of soil organic matter (SOM). Changes in soil microbial biomass are good indicators of changes in SOM. We therefore assessed the…