Microbial biomass and activity in soil and forest litter of eucalyptus plantations and native vegetation in southeastern Brazil

In Brazil, afforestation programs use mainly eucalyptus and it has been frequently questioned due to possible changes in the soil caused by this exotic tree species. The impact of land use changes can vary with climate conditions and soil, and results obtained in a specific area may not be extrapolated to the supra-regional level. Biomass and microbial activity have been suggested as appropriate indicators of soil disturbance caused by management techniques. In this study, these characteristics were used to evaluate changes in forest litter and soil where the native forest was replaced by eucalyptus plantations in four southeastern areas of Brazil. The amounts of forest litter were higher in eucalyptus stands than in the native forest due to the higher C:N ratio of the material. The impact of the conversion of native forest into eucalyptus stands on soil and forest floor properties varied in the site-specific characteristics analyzed. Differences between the contents of microbial biomass C and N in eucalypt and native vegetation were more frequently observed in the soil than in forest litter. Forest litter microbial biomass represented a larger reservoir of C and N than soil microbial biomass, representing a relevant component for C and N cycling in these ecosystems.