Search

The application of ethnomathematics and mathematical modelling allow us to see a different reality and give us insight into mathematics accomplished holistically. In this context, a pedagogical action that connects ethnomathematics and the cultural aspects of mathematical modelling with its academic features is referred to as ethnomodelling. This is a process of translation and elaboration of phenomena taken from systems that are part of any given cultural group, which is done through dialogue and respect. This approach acts against colonialism to respect the social and cultural diversity of distinct cultures with guarantees for the development of understanding of our differences.

This article illustrates the steps taken to enact a new methodology for participatory social mapping by the Environmental Education, Communications and the Arts (GPEA) Research Group of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). The aim of Social Mapping is to record the identities, territories and socio-environmental conflicts experienced by social groups, based on their own namings and narratives, rather than relying on those more typically generated or provided by researchers or theorists. As such, it offers an important dialogical pathway for environmental education practices, in that it highlights the intrinsic relationship between culture and nature, and reinforces the understanding that the loss of one implies the disappearance of the other.

The hegemonic ideology of racial democracy and rural cultural norms of racial silence continue to inform racial identities and national racial discourse in Brazil, in this case within the Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST), a left-wing movement for agrarian reform. In this article I engage in textual analysis of a textbook from the MST's youth curriculum, arguing that the language used in this textbook does not recognize the centrality of race in world or Brazilian history, but rather focuses on the role of social class in marginalization. I also argue that race is largely ignored in the textbook's description of the MST itself, despite the organization working in rural areas that are predominantly indigenous or Afro-descendant. Lastly, I argue that language is used which implicitly separates the MST leadership from indigenous and Afro-Brazilian populations. The implications of these findings are analyzed through the lens of critical race theory and Brazilian rurality.

Neoliberal ideology has made an impact on environmental education (EE) policies and practices in Brazil. The EE in Family Agriculture Program, of national scope and administered by the Ministry of the Environment, seeks to promote sustainable development in rural areas, specifically through strategies focused on adult education and non-formal education aimed at small producers (family agriculture). This program reveals profound ideological contradictions between the critical and transformative rhetoric of public policy and the actual program structures and practices administered by the state in a dependent economy, which primarily serve to reinforce a capitalist mode of production marked by high environmental impact and deeply stratified class relations. In the neoliberal era, states intending to protect the environment through critical EE strategies suffer serious limitations due to their role as stewards of a globalized economy based on the supply of raw materials, high-impact land-use, and a cheap labor force.

This article summarizes a social mapping project conducted by the Environmental Education, Communication and Arts Research Group from the Federal University of Mato Grosso. The primary goals of the project were to map the vulnerable social groups of Mato Grosso, and identify the social and environmental conflicts that put them in situations of risk. The conflicts and dilemmas these groups experience are typically caused by land and water disputes. In turn, the disputes can be traced to the continuance of colonialist forms of political, economic and ecological relations implicit in the prevailing model of development in the region. Supported by the reinvention and application of a new methodology for environmental education, namely the social map, the work illustrates the significance of group identities, self-narratives and interpretive frames, and discusses how social mapping might be used in land education to enable the construction of participatory forms of public policy.

Recent energy and climate policies, particularly in the developed world, have increased demand for bioenergy as an alternative, which has led to both direct and indirect land-use changes and an array of environmental and socio-economic concerns. A comprehensive understanding of the land-use dynamics of bioenergy crop production is essential for the development of sustainable bioenergy and land-use policies. In this paper, we review the patterns and dynamics of land-use change associated with bioenergy crops (hereafter referred to as "bioenergy-driven land-use change"). The review focuses on four regions as the most prominent locations in which these patterns and changes occur: Brazil; Indonesia and Malaysia; the United States of America (U.S.A.); and the European Union (EU). The review confirms that bioenergy-driven land-use change has affected and will impact most severely on the "land- and resource-abundant" developing regions, such as Brazil, where economic development takes priority over sustainable land-use policies, and the enforcement capability is limited. Opportunities for more effective policy are available through the development of international climate change policy (e.g. REDD under the UNFCCC), and certification criteria for sustainable bioenergy products (e.g. EU RED). However, bioenergy produced from no and/or less land-using feedstocks (e.g. wastes and residues), and their associated technologies must be given higher priority to minimise bioenergy-driven land-use change and its negative impacts. (Contains 2 figures.)

What is the relationship between Indigenous peoples and violent reactions to contemporary states? This research explores differing, culturally informed notions of attachment to land or place territory. Mechanistic ties and organic ties to land are linked to a key distinction between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. Utilizing the Minorities at Risk (MAR) data set, a subset relationship is explored addressing propensity for Indigenous peoples to rebel against state encroachment of their lands. The results of this research must be considered with the serious limitations of MAR in mind. Within the marginalized groups in the Americas, 28 have an attachment to a place territory. Of these 28 groups, 22 are Indigenous and of the 22 groups, 13 have exhibited some form of rebellious behavior between 1945 and 2003. The power of attachment to place territory, specifically the organic attachment most often displayed by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, is a strong tie surviving 500 years of European encroachment. The findings are indicative of an attachment that Indigenous peoples retain to their specific homelands. The findings suggest a plethora of future research questions. (Contains 8 tables, 3 figures, and 41 notes.)

Purpose: Why do farmers not take better care of their soils? This article aims to give insight into how farmers look at soil quality management. Design/methodology/approach: It analyses diverse land management practices and visions on soils and soil quality of ten agroecological and 14 conventional smallholder farmers in Araponga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. As agroecological farming (that is, managing soils with minimum use of external inputs) requires more complex knowledge, it is assumed that agroecological farmers would be more knowledgeable on soils compared to conventional farmers. This case study tests the hypothesis that differences in land management practices between agroecological and conventional farmers can be explained by differences in their knowledge on soils. Findings: The hypothesis turned out to be faulty: agroecological and conventional farmers do not differ in what they know about soils, but how they use their knowledge in their farming strategy. Both groups of farmers have different but rational farming strategies. Practical implications: Designing policies and measures to make farming more environmentally friendly and more sustainable as two-way knowledge exchange between farmers and science (and not as one-way knowledge transfer from science to farmers), to benefit from vital and context-based farmers' knowledge and to ensure successful implementation of more sustainable land management practices. Originality/value: By analysing farmers' visions on soil quality management and farming strategies, this study shows that farmers' knowledge is valuable for farmers, for scientific knowledge on soil quality management and for policies which are to be effective and adapted to the local environment. (Contains 9 tables and 1 figure.)

Livelihood diversification by Brazil's peasantry has intensified as rural areas have become more integrated with the country's urban fabric and as landlessness and poverty have increased. Despite the growing awareness of pluriactivity by rural households, key agrarian institutions have not addressed this key feature of life of the people they intend to help or mobilize. This review looks at how two main agrarian institutions--the government agrarian reform institute (INCRA) and the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST)--avoid or are even hostile to notions of pluriactivity in their affiliated rural settlements. The paper concludes by suggesting that agrarian institutions adopt a territorial rather than sectoral approach to rural livelihoods.

The Brazilian "Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem-Terra" (MST) is one of the best-known and most prominent rural social movements. The unequal distribution of land in Brazil, and the neglect of this problem by successive Brazilian governments contributed greatly to the organisation of rural movements striving for the implementation of land reform in the country. The struggle for land therefore frames the MST collective action and legitimates its raison d'etre as a social movement. The MST framing process, carried out mainly by the movement leaders and organisers, intends to unify the social movement by articulating private beliefs, interpretations and preferences into shared values and meanings. However, this process of framing does not take place without competition or/and conflict: leaders are many times forced to compete with other institutions, with the media, or even with inherited cultural understandings which provide alternative frames. This paper focuses particularly on the conflicting process of framing internal to the MST. More specifically, the present paper looks at how the MST leaders/organisers frame, and interpret, community and land differently from the MST settlers/followers whose lived experiences and inherited cultural understandings naturally informed their perceptions both on community and land.

Role-playing games in natural resource management are currently being tested as research, training, and intervention tools all over the world. Various studies point out their potential to deal with complex issues and to contribute to training processes. The objective of this contribution is to analyze the limits and potentialities of this tool for capacity building in environmental management of stakeholders with low educational levels by comparing various Brazilian experiences. Five games that were developed and used to train local stakeholders or state technicians about specific aspects of new and difficult to understand legislation are compared. The comparison of these experiences is based on (a) an analysis of the materials (game support) provided by the developers, (b) interviews with authors and game developers, and (c) participation in game sessions whenever possible. (Contains 6 tables and 5 figures.)

Partners of the Americas, a 22-year-old private organization that has arranged mutually beneficial partnerships between 44 states of the United States and 28 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, is described. The Brazil-U.S. partnerships, establishing special linkages between universities, are discussed. (MLW)

The different environmental conditions resulting from the mesohabitats and land uses around streams can interfere in the structure and composition of the oligochaete fauna, widely used as indicators of aquatic ecosystems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the oligochaete fauna found in mesohabitats of pools and riffles in streams with different land uses in their proximity (forested, urban and pasture). A sampling of fauna and environmental parameters was carried out in nine streams belonging to the Ribeirão Marmelos sub-basin, Minas Gerais. A significant difference in the oligochaete fauna was found in the different mesohabitats and land uses. Conductivity, width, and depth were important variables in the separation between pools and riffles. Aulophorus furcatus was the species associated with urban environments, Pristina jenkinae to riffles and Opistocysta funiculus, Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, and juvenile Tubificinae were linked to pools. The results found may contribute to understanding the relationship between the structure and composition of the oligochaete fauna, the mesohabitats and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the state and informal land development in Global South metropolises has yet not received much attention in urban studies. Concerning that knowledge gap, this paper investigates how the state regulates and inspects irregular and clandestine land subdivisions in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH). A mixed-methods approach, focused on the inner workings of the land development control policy led by the MRBH Agency between 2009 and 2018, provides new evidence of the relationships between inspectors, developers, and prosecutors, among other actors. By delving deep into the intricate nexus between a changing regulatory landscape and the bureaucratic, street-level, and everyday enforcement practices by officials, the paper reveals how land development control, directly and indirectly, shapes informal land development in the MRBH. Particularly, it sheds light on how land development control unrolls through a contradictory combination of overregulation on one side and tolerance on the other. In light of this, I argue that, as land development control evolves without effectively tackling the land question and the structural drivers of informality, the state becomes paradoxically entangled in the production of the same forms of informality it is expected to curb. Therefore, land development control is better understood as a fragile and ambivalent state compromise between the need to regulate urban expansion and market-driven informal urbanisation. By creating opportunities for rent extraction and capital accumulation which are explored by informal land developers, the state has been crucial for property-led informal urbanisation in metropolitan Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of land-use change on biodiversity can be idiosyncratic, varying not only across taxa and land-use type, but also between different levels and dimensions of diversity. Using a species-level phylogeny and morphological traits to build a functional dendrogram, we compared the phylogenetic and functional diversity and the trait composition of ant communities in five habitats (Forest, Savanna, Tree plantations, Pastures, and Soy fields), representing a gradient of land-use intensity in Brazil´s Cerrado. Results shown that ant communities in the most intensive land-use type (soy fields) presented the most distinct morphological trait composition. Furthermore, communities in the soy fields presented significantly lower levels of functional and phylogenetic alpha diversity as compared to the forest and savanna communities. There was evidence of functional and phylogenetic clustering in the soy field communities and of functional clustering in the pasture communities, whereas those in the remaining land uses presented a random functional and phylogenetic structure. In addition, we found evidence of biotic homogenization in the soy field communities, as the dissimilarity in the functional and phylogenetic composition between soy field sites was significantly smaller than the dissimilarity between forest or savanna sites. These results suggest that intensification of land use in the Cerrado affects multiple dimensions of ant diversity. The species found in the soy fields represented a nested subset of those found in most of the remaining land uses, and this has potential implications for the delivery of ant services to soybean farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different mechanisms act to structure metacommunities. Among them, the most studied are those related to environmental and spatial drivers. Also, most studies on metacommunities are based on data obtained in snapshot surveys, hindering the test of other potential mechanisms, including historical effects. Here, we quantified the relative importance of different sets of variables that could potentially structure zooplankton communities in 39 small reservoirs in Midwest Brazil. In addition to local environmental, spatial, and land use variables, as a proxy for potential priority effects, we tested the effect of earlier zooplankton composition on (later) zooplankton metacommunity structure. The relative importance of these sets of explanatory variables varied over time. However, earlier zooplankton community data were, in general, the most consistent predictors (especially for microcrustaceans) of zooplankton community structure. This result may indicate the role of historical effects on later zooplankton metacommunity structure. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple surveys and past community data in spatiotemporal studies aiming to unveil the determinants of zooplankton metacommunity structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes are considered a significant cause of amphibian declines worldwide. However, little is known regarding which land uses have more pervasive impacts and which help to supplement the biodiversity conserved in protected areas. In addition, amphibian species respond to a broad array of geographical constraints, which may blur responses to disturbance, depending on the species' natural history.Here, we explored whether functional diversity patterns of amphibian assemblages are linked to human land use while considering spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetic relatedness among species. We surveyed tadpoles along 500 km in coastal wetlands in southern Brazil and quantified four traits related to tadpole habitat use and predator avoidance.Spatial components influenced functional richness to a greater extent than land use. Functional evenness was higher in ponds surrounded by more exotic reforestation, and to a lesser extent an effect of crop area. Functional divergence was also associated with reforestation areas.Our results showed that some land uses (reforestation with exotic species and temporary crops) have more pervasive impacts on tadpole communities. Such changes in amphibian communities occurred even at low levels of landscape change. Our findings highlight that conversion to human land use requires complementary approaches (i.e., tadpole and adult responses) to provide early warning signals about habitat modification effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating water and sediment analysis with land use brings significant results in understanding the transformations in the watershed and assessing anthropic actions. We assess water and sediment samples collected in four sites in a countryside urban-farming watershed landscape in Southern Brazil. We performed the land-use, physical–chemical, microbiological, potentially toxic element (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr), atrazine, 2.4-D, microbiological contamination analysis, and total organic carbon, nutrients, and granulometry. We also calculate the Water quality index, geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, and ecological risk potential, with SQGs (TEL and PEL). Our results demonstrate that all the water samples of this study were contaminated with faecal and total coliforms, alerting the effectiveness of treatment at these plants. We found no significant concentrations of pesticides in the water. The concentration of metals in the sediment was in the order of Cu > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd, with Igeo = 0–3 for Cu, Zn, and EF < 3 for Cu. The Cu concentration was eight times higher than TEL, Cr, and Cu above TEL at all sites. We found a strong positive correlation between atrazine, 2.4-D, Pb, and nutrients from agricultural activities and higher concentrations at the one site. The Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Cr sources were plantations, forests, and domestic sewage discharges. The results corroborate with the proposition that complete assessments of watersheds including analyses of water, sediment, and land uses are necessary to understand the real effects of anthropic action on this ecosystem and diversity of this environmental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beans are a traditional grain crop consumed by humans that is of great importance for food security and farmers in terms of income in Brazil. Paraná is one of the largest bean-producing states in the country, but the area needed for its production is being lost, changing the dynamics of bean cultivation, and generating social and economic impacts. The objective of this study was to verify the spatiotemporal and economic dynamics of bean production in Paraná. For this purpose, using mainly data from the 2006 and 2017 agricultural censuses, the location quotient, the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index (HHI), the Williamson coefficient (V w), exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied. From the results, it was possible to verify that there was a 13.95% reduction in the number of municipalities that specialized in bean production, from 98 municipalities in 2006 to 86 in 2017. Most specialized municipalities produced black beans or a combination of other colored beans. The HHI revealed that the specialized municipalities accounted for the most income from bean production. The V w indicated that the economic development of the central-eastern and southeastern Paraná mesoregions was related to bean production. Based on the ESDA, it was found a statistically significant and positive presence of spatial concentration in 2006 (Moran' I = 0.36) and 2017 (Moran' I = 0.51). Based on the PCA, it was possible to identify two main components that together explained 71.52% of the data variability. The reduction in the planted area, the decrease in the number of specialized municipalities, and the concentration of income from bean production in some municipalities make it difficult to reduce regional disparities in Paraná, and in addition, these factors increase concern about food security; thus, public policies are needed to reduce such impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land use effect on soil chemical attributes and the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in soil aggregates of tropical forest patches from the Brazilian semiarid have been neglected. This study aimed to investigate the effects of land use on the soil fertility and dynamics of aggregates and associated cementing agents (SOC and iron oxides). Bulk soil samples under three land uses (forest, agroforestry system, and pasture) in different layers (0.0–0.2 and 0.2–0.4 m) were collected in humid highlands from Northeastern Brazil, named 'Brejos de Altitude'. Soil acidity, exchangeable cations, availability P, and SOC were determined. The stability and size distribution of soil aggregates was measured as mean weight diameter (MWD). The samples were separated into six aggregate size fractions (< 2, 2–1, 1–0.5, 0.5–0.25, 0.25–0.106, and 0.106–0.053 mm) and evaluated for SOC and iron oxides (Fed). Our study indicated that agroforestry practices had an important effect on soil fertility, significantly increasing the content and cycling of Ca and P in the soils. The land use explained 75% variation of soil aggregates, in which SOC and Fed interactions contributed 55%. Conversion from forest to pasture significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the SOC in each aggregate size, while the agroforestry did not change. The agroforestry increased the potential of soils as SOC sink in microaggregates, suggesting higher storage and stabilization of SOC in the long term. SOC and Fed had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the stability of macroaggregates and microaggregates of soils under agroforestry, respectively. Agroforestry systems represent a sustainable practice for soil fertility improvement and SOC sink in the highlands of Brazilian Northeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land uses may shift soil biota community composition, and soil chemical traits. Our aims were to assess if the land uses may influence the soil biota community composition and soil chemical traits; if there are differences into soil biota biomass as influenced by land uses; and what are the plant-soil feedback among the land uses, soil biota, and soil chemical traits. We have collected soil samples and extracted soil biota individuals from four different land uses (e.g., natural ecosystem, conventional farming system, agroecological farming system, and fruticulture). Our results have revealed that land uses have influenced soil biota abundance (from 59.0 to 210.12 ind. trap− 1 in the natural ecosystem and fruticulture system, respectively), richness (from 6.5 to 10.5 in the fruticulture system, and natural ecosystem, respectively), diversity (from 1.01 to 1.75 in the conventional farming system, and natural ecosystem, respectively), dominance (from 0.52 to 0.71 in the natural ecosystem, and conventional farming system, respectively), and its biomass. The studied land uses have decreased the soil organic carbon when compared with the natural ecosystem (5.75 g kg− 1). SOC, soil pH, Olsen's available P, Mg2+, K+, and Na+ were the main factors contributing to the variance of the samples accounting for 78% of the data variance. The results of our study highlight the importance of considering land uses as key factors influencing soil biota community and soil chemical traits. Thus, long-term experiments considering land uses (e.g., conventional farming system, fruticulture, and agroecological farming system) may exploit negative effects of land uses on soil biota abundance on the one hand, while positive effects on soil chemical traits on the other hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased availability of remote sensing products and new legislative agendas are driving a growing focus on farm‐level traceability and monitoring to tackle commodity‐driven deforestation. Here, we use data on land use change in Brazil (1985–2021) from Mapbiomas to demonstrate how analyses of the drivers of deforestation are sensitive to the scale of analysis: while pixel‐ or property‐level analyses identify proximate drivers of deforestation, analyses at larger scales (subnational regions or countries) capture more complex land use dynamics, including indirect land use change. We argue that initiatives which seek to monitor and address commodity‐driven deforestation—such as the European Union's deforestation due‐diligence regulation and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development's Greenhouse Gas Protocol—must be conscient of these wider land use dynamics. Only by measuring progress and defining success at multiple scales can initiatives for sustainable commodity sourcing create the right mix of incentives for addressing deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic carbon performs essential functions in soils, which act as sources or sinks of atmospheric organic carbon. Agricultural management affects the carbon cycle in the soil, with effects on climate change. One of the crops most vulnerable to climate change is coffee. Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer, with a predominance of management under a conventional system, with sloping terrain and the absence of conservationist practices. The absence of conservationist practices increases in soil loss rates due to water management and carbon emissions, as well as a reduction in coffee production. This paper intended to estimate soil and organic carbon losses by RUSLE in coffee farms in southern Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. Data were obtained from fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and cartographic products. The results indicated, exclusively for coffee crops, soil and carbon losses between 7 and 32 Mg ha−1 year−1 and 87 and 460kg ha−1 year−1, respectively. However, the highest soil losses occurred on sloping terrains with eucalyptus plantations located downhill, and the lowest losses occurred on flat land with native forests. Organic carbon losses were linked directly to soil losses, as a result from the land practices, slope and agricultural management adopted. These results can be used for the planning and priority definition of areas needing conservationist practices, such as green manuring, planting in contour and maintaining of vegetation between coffee rows, which are already used in some sites of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Of 414.5 million livers analyzed; 224,872 cattle were infected with F. hepatica. • Infected livers were registered in 194 Brazilian municipalities in 2002, and 747 in 2020. • There was a reduction in forest areas and an increase in cattle livers infected with F. hepatica. • Fasciola hepatica was introduced to the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Amazon Forest biomes. • Significant territorial dispersion of infected cattle with F. hepatica was observed. Fasciolosis is caused by parasites of the genus Fasciola, affecting animals and humans worldwide. In South America, the disease is a result of infection with Fasciola hepatica and although animal infections are more frequently reported, the full extent of the impact on human health due to underdiagnosis remains uncertain. This study analyzed changes in land use and the distribution of F. hepatica in bovine livers in Brazil over 18 years. Data on land use and land cover were collected from the Mapbiomas Project. Data on 414,481,963 slaughtered cattle and condemned livers due to F. hepatica infection were obtained from 4,433 municipalities. Joinpoint analysis was used to study the time series, and the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model was utilized to explore the behavior of F. hepatica infection. In the North, pasture areas significantly increased (P = 0.000001), while forested areas decreased (P = 0.000001). The midwestern and northern regions concentrated the highest number (>290 million) of cattle slaughtered in Brazil. More than 2 million bovine livers were infected by F. hepatica. The infected cattle originated from 194 municipalities in 2002, increasing to 747 in 2020. We consider that the changes in land use and intense cattle transportation may have caused the expansion of F. hepatica. The SIR model analyzed the spread of the disease looking at all six biomes: Caatinga, Amazon Forest, Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa. Moreover, this infection not only threatens the health of animals but is also a major concern to biodiversity and vulnerable human communities in South America. Emblematic biomes such as the Amazon basin already face challenges with logging, desertification, and loss of biodiversity. Therefore, strategies for mitigating infection should include controlling illegal pasture areas, establishing health inspections of animal transport, quarantine of newly arrived animals, and livestock zoning, as well as clear One Health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Legal Amazon of Brazil holds vast mangrove forests, but a lack of awareness of their value has prevented their inclusion into results-based payments established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Based on an inventory from over 190 forest plots in Amazon mangroves, we estimate total ecosystem carbon stocks of 468 ± 67 Megagrams (Mg) ha−1; which are significantly higher than Brazilian upland biomes currently included into national carbon offset financing. Conversion of mangroves results in potential emissions of 1228 Mg CO2e ha−1, which are 3-fold higher than land use emissions from conversion of the Amazon rainforest. Our work provides the foundation for the inclusion of mangroves in Brazil's intended Nationally Determined Contribution, and here we show that halting mangrove deforestation in the Legal Amazon would generate avoided emissions of 0.9 ± 0.3 Teragrams (Tg) CO2e yr−1; which is equivalent to the annual carbon accumulation in 82,400 ha of secondary forests. A new study shows that deforestation of Amazon mangroves releases up to four times more carbon dioxide when compared to emissions arising from terrestrial biomes. This study set a foundation for the use of mangroves in Brazil's international policy agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As an instrument supporting the realization of EU climate neutrality targets by 2050 and encouraging decarbonization outside its borders, the current proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is facing opposition from some countries. Focusing on Brazil, this paper evaluates the impacts of the CBAM on the Brazilian economy through a comprehensive analysis of various scenarios based on the potential EU implementation of the CBAM and Brazil's climate scenarios. Results obtained in this research alleviate concerns of detrimental and competitiveness losses from Brazilian industries. Rather, the implementation of the EU CBAM improves the trade balance of Brazil's Energy-Intensive Industries (EII). The relatively low CO2 contents of Brazilian EII are elemental to this result, while contributions of carbon-free technologies in electricity generation are also critical factors in maximizing this trade surplus. Other consequential factors affecting these results are the contributions of CO2 removal from Brazil's forestry of land used, and homogeneity of CBAM-imposed products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their importance to conservation strategies, baseline data on species distribution and abundance are lacking for many primates. Discovered 30 years ago, the blond titi (Callicebus barbarabrownae) is considered Critically Endangered. The first assessments in 2004-2006 sampled 126, 1-km radius areas using interviews, sightings, and playing back loud calls to confirm the presence of this species in 37 areas, suggesting a minimum population of 260 individuals in the Caatinga biome, Brazil. Ten years later, from 2015 to 2017, we reassessed the species' distribution range using playback points to survey 224, 1-km radius areas, including 34 occurrence areas from 2004-2006. We counted the number of responding or sighted groups and individuals in each area. We also measured land cover change from 2005 to 2016 in the species' geographic range. We recorded blond titis in 92 areas, including 28 of the 34 areas occupied in 2004-2006, and three protected areas. We found 194 groups and at least 404 individuals. From 2005 to 2016, forest cover decreased by 11% and urban area increased by 67%. The higher number of occupied areas and individuals we found in 2015-2017 are likely due to the higher sampling effort employed and higher detectability of playback surveys compared to interviews. Although the blond titi occurs in more areas and in higher numbers than previously known, threats related to land use are increasing. We suggest the use of improved observational (e.g., playback) and analytical methods to enhance knowledge of primate distribution and population size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters caused by rainfall extremes represent social challenges in several sectors, especially in climate change scenarios. Along with changes in land use and land cover, this relationship may become more complex. Thus, the present study aimed to detect recent trends in the pattern of rainfall indicators and associate them with records of natural disasters and the evolution of changes in land use and land cover for the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Daily rainfall data from 77 rain gauge stations from 1970 to 2018 were used to analyze climate trends in different rainfall indicators obtained using the RClimDex software. Records of natural disasters from 1991 to 2020 in the state of Espírito Santo were gathered from the Brazilian Integrated Disaster Information System. Additionally, land use and land cover data from 1985 and 2019 were also used. The Mann–Kendall (MK) test and the Sen slope were used to detect and quantify trends. In the Litoral Norte Espírito-santense and Noroeste Espírito-santense mesoregions of the State, trends of drought intensification are expected mainly in the regions further north. Associated with the great recent agricultural expansion in the region, this trend is concerning. The Central Espírito-santense and Sul Espírito-santense mesoregions tend to become wetter, which explains the recent increase in floods and heavy rainfall. No significant trends were found in the other regions studied. The approach adopted in this study has the potential to assist decision-making, implement mitigation and/or adaptation measures, and reduce the impacts of natural disasters in different regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Brazilian Caatinga is one of the most diverse, seasonally dry, tropical forests of the world and is threatened by strong land use pressure and poor protection. One way of understanding changes in the soil conditions caused by anthropogenic activities is using the nematode assemblages as potential bioindicators. This study analysed changes in nematode communities in three different types of land use (natural forest-CA, natural area with accumulation of salts-SS, and agricultural growing areas, such as cover crops-CC for cattle and fruit trees-IC) in the Caatinga, in the sub-median region of the São Francisco River Valley (SFRV), Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. We recorded a total of 63 262 nematode individuals, representing 42 genera, belonging to 23 families. Nematode abundance, diversity and maturity indices were highest in the CC and lowest in the SS. Among the nematode trophic groups, bacterivores, omnivores + predators and plant parasites were significantly affected by type of land use. Different soil properties were related to the differences in taxonomic composition among the natural and agricultural areas, accounting for 26.6% of the total variation. In general, our results indicate that soil salinisation and desertification in the natural areas, as well as soils subjected to cover crops and fruit tree production, significantly influenced the composition of nematode communities in the São Francisco River Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analytical treatment of some of the primary environmental controls on landslides has demonstrated that the landslide size distribution in the Paraitinga River basin, southeastern Brazil, are influenced by parameters such as triggering rainfall, lithology, slope gradient, upslope area, and land cover. Through the mapping of the surface of rupture of 1102 landslides triggered during an intense rainfall event in the summer of 2009/2010 and the fitting of a probability density function, we have discovered that the probability of large landslides occurring was significantly disturbed by lithology, slope gradients > 0.56 m/m, and triggering rainfall exceeding 180 mm within 48 h. In contrast, the probability density function for small landslides was affected by slope gradients less than < 0.31 m/m, rainfall less than 120 mm within 48 h, and higher values of upslope area. Moreover, the area of landslides in the probability peaks substantially increased when lithology consisted of schist or quartzite and in forested areas. These findings corroborate previous studies that establish a relationship between landslide size distributions and triggering processes, as well as the mechanics of landslides based on stability models, indicating a variation in triggering processes between the two segments of the curve: rollover (small landslides) and tail (large landslides). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change (LUC), specifically the cultivation of monoculture sugarcane, can negatively impact soil biodiversity, leading to a decline in soil health and ecosystem functioning. However, while studies focusing on macrofauna and microorganisms are more frequent in the literature, the impacts of LUC on mesofauna are still little known. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of the predominant LUC for sugarcane production in Brazil on the diversity of edaphic mesofauna in soils with contrasting textures. In addition, we assessed correlations between biodiversity and soil properties chemical, biological, and physical attributes. We took samples from two sites (clayey and sandy soils) in southeastern Brazil. The sequence of LUC included i) native vegetation (NV), ii) pasture (PA), iii) sugarcane (SC), and iv) sugarcane ratoon (SCr). In the rainy season, monoliths (25 x 25 x 10 cm), soil samples were collected at 0-10,10-20, and 20-30 cm to assess soil mesofauna, soil chemical (pH, soil organic matter, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, potential acidity, cation exchange capacity), physical (soil porosity) and biological (microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen) properties. The mesofauna taxonomic groups were quantified after the classification. Briefly, a total of 22 taxonomic groups were classified. The most predominant groups were non-oribatid mites, oribatid mites, and Collembola. Richness and abundance were lower in the three land uses studied (PA, SCr, SC) compared to the intercept (NV). In clayey soil, diversity decreased from NV to PA (-0.68 ± 0.27) and SC (-0.55 ± 0.27) but not to SCr. In sandy soil, land use significantly impacted the mesofauna diversity and evenness index, significantly reducing these indexes in SCr in relation to NV. Although land use change towards more intensified systems resulted in a loss of richness and abundance of soil mesofauna, sugarcane cultivation over the years can recover the diversity of mesofauna in clay-textured soils. These results provide a scientific background to better understand the LUC effects on sugarcane cultivation and support the establishment of sustainable practices that enhance soil health and biodiversity in different soil textures. This study highlights the need for tailored land management considering soil texture and biodiversity for improved ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metacommunity studies have demonstrated that local macroinvertebrate communities are structured not only by local environmental conditions but also by spatial processes. Effective bioassessment tools should account for spatial processes while doing so with the least amount of cost. In this study, we applied variance partition techniques based on redundancy analysis to assess the performance of three sets of benthic invertebrate metrics in detecting agricultural land-use effects in a SE Brazil rainforest watershed. Macroinvertebrate data were analyzed separately regarding their taxonomic, functional structure and bioindicator metrics developed for the study region. We stipulated that groups of metrics most sensitive to land-use effects should have the highest amount of variance explained by the joint effects of land use and environmental variation, independently of spatial structuring. Statistical analyses were repeated removing rare taxa in order to assess the effects of their inclusion in the responsiveness of each group of metrics. Traditional bioindicator metrics were more responsive to environmental variation associated with agriculture than taxa abundances and functional attributes. Furthermore, a few common taxa drove a high proportion of the variation observed in invertebrate communities, regardless of how invertebrate data were organized. Similar analytic approaches have the potential to be useful in curtailing sorting and identification efforts when developing macroinvertebrate-based biomonitoring protocols, especially in areas where information regarding the taxonomy of benthic communities is still poorly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunting has been banned in Brazil by a Federal Law (No. 5197), except in a few cases where it has been regulated, for over 50 years now. Since then, the country suffered dramatic land use change, especially in its Central-South region. In this study we investigate the possible influence of land use change on hunters' socioeconomic profile (e.g., education, income) and motivation (e.g., leisure or subsistence) in the Central-South Brazil since the implementation of the ban policy. On a systematic literature review we found 18 papers about hunting activities and hunters' profile in this region, one third of which presented evidence of change in hunting activities or in hunters' profile somehow related to land use change since 1967. With this small number of articles, it was not possible to fully assess whether there was a change in hunting culture in the target region as a result of changes in land use. However, the found studies present consistent evidence of changes in hunting culture, especially in regard to a trade on the hunted species, hunting techniques and hunters' profile. Considering the relevance of hunting in agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation, we hope the present results stimulate further studies on this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess the responsiveness of market equilibrium agricultural output, price and land use to shocks in agricultural demand, land yield and arable land area and the role of road infrastructure policy in offsetting them. We adapt a partial equilibrium model in the agricultural composite good and lands markets to guide the specification and estimation of a simultaneous equation model (SEM) for agricultural demand, land yield and acreage, and calculate market equilibrium responsiveness. We estimate the SEM by the generalised method of moments three‐stage least squares (GMM 3SLS) using a panel data set of the 10 biggest agricultural producer states in Brazil from 2001 to 2017. Using demand, land yield and acreage price elasticity estimates, we find that Brazil may expand equilibrium agricultural output while preserving its native vegetation land and dampening long‐term agricultural price escalation under a scenario of increasing worldwide demand for food, fibre and fuel and adverse climate shocks. Using acreage and land yield freight rate elasticity estimates, we show how shocks may be offset by road infrastructure policies that reduce freight rates to specific destination states, as they may be designed to induce less equilibrium land use for the same equilibrium output or raise equilibrium output with less equilibrium land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land use can cause degradation of soil physical quality with negative effects on the environment and agricultural production. The effects of different land uses on soil physical-hydric attributes were studied in the Renato River and Caiabi River watersheds in the southern Brazilian Amazon. Three conditions of land use were evaluated: native forest, crops, and pasture in the headwater, middle, and mouth of each watershed. Particle size, particle density, bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity, water contents at field capacity and permanent wilting point, and available water capacity in soil were evaluated in three soil layers down to 0.4 m. Data collected were subjected to the Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric test and Pearson's correlations. Multivariate analyses were also performed using the principal component method. In the Renato watershed, in comparison with native forest, conventional management of pasture and crops caused soil physical degradation, increasing soil density in the surface layer and reducing macroporosity and total porosity. In the Caiabi watershed, converting native forest areas into pasture and crops altered water quality, influencing the water dynamics in the soil, by reducing soil water conductivity. Soil attributes varied by watershed, with texture variations between the headwater and mouth, indicating that changes in soil properties result from both management and the granulometric composition of the soil in different regions of the same watershed. Adoption of crop and pasture conservation practices can improve soil physical attributes in regions bordering agricultural areas in the southern Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the influencing factors of the presence of mercury in a river within the Savanna biome (Cerrado), we surveyed total mercury (THg) in bottom sediment from 50 lakes along 750 km of the Middle Araguaia floodplain. The sampling sites included non-urban and urban surroundings over three distinct geomorphologies. We measured water physicochemical parameters at each site and tested statistically if land use nested within the geological formation influenced the THg concentration in bottom sediments and related water parameters. Multivariate results indicate that the interaction between geological groups and land use is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Nested ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests confirmed that the geological formation with its nested land use influences the THg, pH, DO, conductivity, and TDS (p < 0.05). THg was significantly lower in Quaternary terrains (p < 0.05) and differed significantly between non-urban and urban areas in Neoproterozoic terrains (p = 0.02). The spatial projections of the THg eigenvector on the main axes with the scoring factors of the Neoproterozoic/Paleoproterozoic terrains, and urban/non-urban, confirmed the spatial correlations. These results indicate that the association of land use and geology could be the main driver of THg in the bottom sediments of lakes from the Middle Araguaia floodplain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the trends in land use and land cover (LULC) is crucial for modeling streamflow and sediment yield, particularly in hydrological basins. This study examined the impact of LULC on the dynamics of streamflow and sediment yield within a humid tropical basin of the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil, focusing on the period from 2000 to 2016. Changes in LULC were analyzed using annual MapBiomas data products for the same period. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was deployed to simulate streamflow and sediment yield based on LULC changes. To investigate temporal trends in LULC, a suite of non-parametric statistical tests, including the Mann–Kendall, Pettitt, and Sen's slope estimator tests, was employed. Ecological diversity indices such as Shannon–Weaver, Simpson, and Pielou were applied to assess forest fragmentation, along with the Forest Fragmentation Index. The results revealed a growing trend in urban and sugarcane areas, coupled with a decline in dense vegetation, mangroves, and other forms of dense vegetation. With regard to the correlation between land uses and hydrological variables, the findings indicate minor variations in hydrological balance, attributable to the not-so-significant changes among the studied land-use scenarios, except for sediment yield estimates, which showed more considerable alterations. Notably, the estimates for 2000 and 2013–2016 were the most divergent. In a broader scientific context, this research conclusively establishes that the incorporation of dynamic LULC data into the SWAT model augments the precision and robustness of simulations pertaining to agricultural watersheds, thereby enabling a more comprehensive hydrological characterization of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale land use/land cover changes have occurred in Mato Grosso State (hereafter MT), Brazil, following the introduction of extensive mechanized agriculture and pastoral activities since the 1980s. Author investigated what kind of agro-pastoral activities which are both cattle ranching and top five crops (soybean, sugarcane, corn, cotton and rice) that are closely related to land use change on lands experiencing conversion land use change (such as deforestation and the increase in deeply anthropogenically influenced areas) at each municipal district in MT. Then, this study identifies the volume of exports including contribution ratio by municipal districts where land use changed due to agro-pastoral activities. The patterns of vegetation change indicated that cattle ranching, corn, cotton, rice croplands in the northwest, and soybean and sugarcane fields in the central areas are the main contributors to deforestation. It is shown that land use change due to soybean or corn cultivation occurs mainly in the west and the southeast, respectively. Corn cultivation is associated with a greater increase in anthropogenically influenced areas than soybean cultivation. The municipal districts that export each agro-pastoral product with land use change are limited. Exports of soybeans, corn, and cotton in the municipal districts associated with deforestation had increased dramatically after experienced land use change. For example, Sapezal, which has experienced deforestation, was the only municipal district associated with export of corn to only Switzerland. Since 2007, the number of export partners has increased to 56 countries with the export volume increased 2300 times. These findings highlight the overall non-sustainability of environmental resource development activities in MT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass burning (BB) emissions negatively impact the biosphere and human lives. Orbital remote sensing and modelling are used to estimate BB emissions on regional to global scales, but these estimates are subject to errors related to the parameters, data, and methods available. For example, emission factors (mass emitted by species during BB per mass of dry matter burned) are based on land use and land cover (LULC) classifications that vary considerably across products. In this work, we evaluate how BB emissions vary in the PREP-CHEM-SRC emission estimator tool (version 1.8.3) when it is run with original LULC data from MDC12Q1 (collection 5.1) and newer LULC data from MapBiomas (collection 6.0). We compare the results using both datasets in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes during the 2002–2020 time series. A major reallocation of emissions occurs within Brazil when using the MapBiomas product, with emissions decreasing by 788 Gg (−1.91% year−1) in the Amazon and emissions increasing by 371 Gg (2.44% year−1) in the Cerrado. The differences identified are mostly associated with the better capture of the deforestation process in the Amazon and forest formations in Northern Cerrado with the MapBiomas product, as emissions in forest-related LULCs decreased by 5260 Gg in the Amazon biome and increased by 1676 Gg in the Cerrado biome. This is an important improvement to PREP-CHEM-SRC, which could be considered the tool to build South America's official BB emission inventory and to provide a basis for setting emission reduction targets and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic changes in habitats are one of the main threats to biodiversity. Understanding how species diversity and their functions are affected by these changes is crucial to assess environmental impacts. In this work, we aim to understand how lizard composition, taxonomic and functional diversity respond to differences in native vegetation regeneration stages (conserved vegetation and open secondary vegetation) and agricultural land use in different vegetation types (Caatinga sensu stricto, Cerrado sensu stricto and Relictual Humid Forest) in Caatinga domain, Brazil. In more degraded areas (open secondary vegetation and agricultural areas), we found a decline in species evenness, shown by greater dominance of few species. Moreover, we found a lower functional evenness in agricultural areas than in areas of conserved vegetation, which suggests that a smaller portion of functional traits present greater dominance in more anthropized areas. We did not detect any significant differences in species richness, but we did registered differences in species composition in Relictual Humid Forest. Contrary to our expectations, lizard abundance was also greater in more degraded areas, probably as a result of the increased abundance of species benefited by anthropization. In this work, we advance the knowledge of how anthropogenic changes influence lizard diversity and emphasize the importance of analysing different facets of diversity and different habitat environments to understand how anthropization affects patterns in community ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the occurrences of fire foci between years 2001 and 2015 in Mato Grosso state, Brazil. For this, we used remote sensing data and we correlated fire with surface temperature, rainfall, wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and vegetation index. The data were analyzed within the state according to use and cover classes. We also spatialize the fire occurrence using Kernel density and analyze trends with the Mann–Kendall test. The year 2015 was the year with the highest average annual air temperature and lowest annual cumulative rainfall, and wet season with the lowest relative humidity and highest surface temperature. Therefore, it was the year with less difference in the number of fire foci between wet (40.53%) and dry (59.47%) seasons. The period 2002–2005 and the years 2007 and 2010 had the highest fire foci, representing about 66.5% of the total from 2001 to 2015. In these years, 80 to 83% of fire foci occurred in the dry season. The classes with the highest density of fire were Mining Area, Urban Area, Temporary Crops, and Pasture. The fire foci in Urbanized Area, Temporary Crops, Pasture and Forestry classes tended to decrease throughout the 15 years evaluated. Fire foci were negatively correlated with rainfall, relative humidity and soil water and positively correlated with wind and surface temperature. This demonstrates that public policies related to combating fires in Brazil must be intensified especially in years with prediction of extreme drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of native forest into agricultural land, which is common in many parts of the world, poses important questions regarding soil degradation, demanding further efforts to better understand the effect of land use change on soil functions. With the advent of 3D computed tomography techniques and computing power, new methods are becoming available to address this question. In this direction, in the current work we implement a modification of the Fisher–Shannon method, borrowed from information theory, to quantify the complexity of twelve 3D CT soil samples from a sugarcane plantation and twelve samples from a nearby native Atlantic forest in northeastern Brazil. The distinction found between the samples from the sugar plantation and the Atlantic forest site is quite pronounced. The results at the level of 91.7% accuracy were obtained considering the complexity in the Fisher–Shannon plane. Atlantic forest samples are found to be generally more complex than those from the sugar plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way water resources behave in the face of changes in land use are essential for managing a watershed. The Ibicuí river basin, located in the center of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has great agricultural potential and peculiar characteristics regarding its hydrological regime. Changes in land use and land cover with the purpose of expanding economic activities in this area can generate major impacts on the flow regimes of this watershed. This study shows an analysis of the influence of land use and land cover changes on the flow regime in the Ibicuí river basin from the large-basin hydrological model (MGB-IPH), considering maps of land use history and vegetation cover in the study area. The results were used to analyze the changes in the maximum and minimum annual and monthly average flows. The efficiency of the model was evaluated by the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (between 0.636 and 0.801) for peak flows and by the Nash-Sutcliffe log (between 0.682 and 0.863) for recession flows, indicating high correlation and low volume error (- 0.45 to - 8.20%). The greatest change in land use was the forest coverage reduction associated with agriculture land use. As a result, an increase in the average monthly flows and in the reference flow Q90 was verified. In some sub-basins, a significant modification in the reference Q90 flow and maximum flow was verified. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the results were accurate. The results indicated that changes in forest coverage and land use have an impact in the flow regime in the Ibicuí Watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern times have required studies that take into account the main soil features, aligning the use of land with the protection of more sensitive environments. From this perspective, this study aimed to perform a morphological description and determine the physical and chemical attributes for soil classification in the community of Poção, located in the municipality of Martins/RN, by highlighting the more sensitive attributes in the differentiation of environments through multivariate analysis. Nine soil profiles were identified to perform the morphological description and collect samples for physical and chemical analyses. The study updates the soil classes found in the study area: Acrisols, Planosols, and Cambisols, with the relief being the main factor responsible for the difference between soil attributes. The influence of organic matter on the soil attributes highlights the importance of its maintenance. Aluminum and the clay fraction are responsible for the distinction of the Acrisol class, whereas silt, potassium sodium, total organic carbon, the electrical conductivity of the saturation extract, and the cation exchange capacity allow the differentiation of Fluvisols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on soils and their interrelationships with land use in the context of the semi-arid region of Brazil are still scarce, even though they have the potential to assist in understanding the use and management of soil and agricultural crops. From this perspective, this study investigated four land uses in different locations of the Apodi Plateau, an elevated area in semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The different soils were analyzed for their resistance to root penetration, water infiltration, inorganic fractions, soil density, total porosity, potential of hydrogen, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon, potential acidity, and sum of bases. The soil resistance to root penetration and water infiltration were determined in the field. The results obtained were interpreted using multivariate and geostatistical analysis. The resistance data were subjected to the Shapiro–Wilk test at 5% of probability and expressed in maps, whereas infiltration data curves were constructed to estimate the amount of infiltrated water at the different time intervals. The textural classification was an important factor for the analysis of soil resistance to root penetration (Q) and the infiltration rate, being evidenced in the cluster analysis and allowing the formation of two groups, one for the surface layers of the areas and another for the subsurface layers, with the inorganic sand and clay fractions standing out with the greatest dissimilarity. The establishment of conservation practices for soil management is suggested to correct the pore space problems and the degradation of agroecosystems in areas with soils whose conditions are similar to the ones of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil physical-chemical changes in different land uses in a Tropical Cambisol at Apodi Plateau, Northeastern Brazil, were investigated between May 2017 and April 2018. Soil samples were collected at three soil layers (0–5, 5–15, and 15–25 cm) under three land uses: a 6-year agroecological farming system, a 10-year fruticulture farming system, and a 6-year conventional farming system. We evaluated: bulk density, soil porosity, weighted average diameter (WAD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), P, and sum of bases. Soil quality index was built by considering four main functions: Water supply and storage, root growth capacity, nutrient cycling, and soil conservation. Our results emphasized the land use influence on the soil physical-chemical traits in a Tropical Cambisol. The PCA analyses showed that SOC, soil porosity, bulk density, WAD, GMD, soil pH, sum of bases, and soil P content were the main factors contributing to the data variance. We found the highest values of soil quality index in the conventional farming system (0.57 ± 0.03). The results highlight the importance to consider land uses that increase the sum of bases, WAD, GMD, and SOC content, and decrease bulk density. Our findings suggest that (1) a conventional farming system with liming and fertilizers' input positively changed soil physical-chemical traits, which in turn improved soil quality in a tropical Cambisol; and (2) by altering soil functions land uses may create a sustainable cycle into the soil profile thus promoting soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]