Effect of Land Use Changes in Eastern Amazonia on Soil Chemical, Physical, and Biological Attributes

Land use change in rural settlements of the Amazon influences the abundance, diversity, and survival of soil fauna, especially earthworms, affecting the supply of ecosystem services. This study evaluated the effects of forest conversion to pasture on soil attributes and how the changes on the earthworm community affect soil porosity. Soil samples were collected from two toposequences (forest and pasture) at the summit (T1), midslope (T2) and footslope (T3) positions in July 2012 (dry season) and January and March 2013 (wet season). Samples were taken in five replicates at the depths of 0 to 10, 10 to 20, and 20 to 30 cm for determination of moisture, bulk density, total porosity, micromorphometry of pores, surface litter dry matter, chemical properties, and abundance and richness of earthworms. The numbers of macropores and micropores and S index (S) were calculated. The change on land use increased soil organic matter, pH, and calcium and reduced dry matter, moisture, and S index in pasture, as well as the loss of earthworm morphospecies highly related to the maintenance and formation of soil macroporosity, especially large rounded pores and, secondarily, large complex pores. This resulted in a loss of soil physical quality.