Latosols (Oxisols) under cerrado vegetation have been intensively incorporated into the agricultural production process. However, studies involving soil quality in this environment are scarce. The objective of this work was to verify alterations on aggregation attribute indicators of soil quality, as a result of the management systems adopted for the native cerrado, and to select the best attributes indicating such alterations. The samples were collected at depths of 0-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm from a typic Dystrophic Red Latosol (Oxisol) in Morrinhos, Goiás State, Brazil. The following attributes were evaluated: mean geometric diameter (MGD), percentage of aggregates > 2 mm, percentage of aggregates < 0.25 mm, flocculation index, total organic carbon and carbon of microbial biomass. The management systems included: (1) native cerrado; (2) pasture; (3) irrigated no-tillage; (4) irrigated no-tillage with earlier superficial harrowing; (5) irrigated conventional tillage; (6) irrigated conventional tillage after recent pasture conversion. The no-tillage, pasture and recent conventional tillage systems did not alter the evaluated aggregation attributes in relation to the native cerrado, while the long-term conventional system reduced the aggregate stability in water. In the soil surface layer, the total organic carbon amount presented positive correlation with the MGD (0.865*) and with the > 2 mm aggregate class (0.852*), and a negative correlation (-0.903**) with the < 0.25 mm aggregate class. The MGD and the > 2 mm- and < 0.25 mm-aggregate groups were good indicators for alterations in relation to the native cerrado and can be suggested as useful components for the elaboration of a regional soil quality index.
sustainability; aggregate stability; mean geometric diameter; conventional tillage; no-tillage