There are few studies on soils under slash-and-burn agriculture in settlements in Amazônia. The aim of this study was the soil characterization in the Apiaú Agricultural Colony, Roraima, and to evaluate changes in some soil chemical properties in function of the management systems and the impacts of burning to the soil properties. The studied areas were: pastures, cultivated with banana and maize, burned forest and natural forest. The samples were submitted to physical chemical and mineralogical analysis. The soils are highly weathered Argisols, Latosols and Gleisols, all with kaolinitic mineralogy. The Argisols and Gleisols have low iron contents and high titanium oxides contents, and are highly weathered. The low exchangeable cátions amounts determine the very low fertility, with high exchangeable aluminium saturation in the soils. The poor chemical status of the soils results in little variation between the different environments studied. The area cultivated with banana showed the highest values of exchangeable cations and available P in the surface horizon, due to organic matter mineralization after burning, and proximity to rock outcrops. The extreme chemical dystrophy in the degraded pastures is associated with abundance of weeds. The low total amounts of zinc indicate that zinc deficiency may occur, depending on which forms are present.
soil management; Amazon soils; burning; slash-and-burn agriculture; Amazonia
