The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of three soil cover species Acacia auriculiformis, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia and Corymbia citriodora compared to pasture and natural secondary forest on soil chemical and microbial attributes. The field survival rate of the species reached over 70% and the development in height and diameter (DAP) was adequate. The survival rate of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia was the highest among the legume species, while the development of Acacia auriculiformis was the best, mainly between 27 and 44 months. The forest species improved soil fertility adequately in the initial development stages, in spite of the reduction in the levels of organic matter. The potential of pasture to maintain the level of organic matter and improve soil fertility was shown. Microbial C and N were more discriminating, regarding changes in land cover than soil C content. The microbial quotients (qCO2, CBM/C, NBM/N and microbial C/N) detected differences among land covers more clearly than the chemical (C and N content) and microbial (CBM, NBM and RA) attributes.
soil quality; soil fertility; forest species; microbial biomass; microbial activity; degraded soils
