Impact of different land uses on soil properties subject to sandyzation in the Brazilian Pampa biome

Sandyzation areas in the Brazilian Pampa are highly degraded zones with reduced or absent vegetation and challenging soil conditions, making their recovery and economic use unfeasible. The objective of this study was to evaluate accumulated litter and physical-chemical attributes of the soil (up to one meter depth) in three land uses: sandyzation area (SN), fertilized Eucalyptus urophylla plantation after 7 years of its implementation on sandyzation area (EC), and native grassland (GR). Accumulated litter and its carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks were higher in EC. Higher levels of organic matter (OM) and aluminum (Al) and greater stocks of C, N, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were found in GR soil. The sandyzation process leads to a significant deterioration in the chemical quality of the soil, with a reduction in the stocks of C, N, K, Ca, and Mg. The establishment of Eucalyptus combined with fertilization positively influences the OM and C contents in the most superficial layer of the soil. However, the lack of significant improvements in the overall physical-chemical quality of the soil suggests that ecological restoration efforts focused on native vegetation may be more effective in recovering soil quality in areas affected by sandyzation.