Abstract
Anthropic actions have caused the degradation of Brazilian soils, especially due to reduced forest cover. The objective of this work was to evaluate soil attributes in areas under different forms of land use, located in the buffer zone of the Relevant Ecological Interest Area (ARIE) Cicuta Forest, middle Paraiba do Sul Valley, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Eight plots (10m × 12.5m) were installed in three different forms of land use (degraded pasture area; reforestation area with native species; and a fragment of a forest area) for evaluation of chemical and biological parameters. Although the fragment of a forest area presents a greater homogeneity regarding the nitrogen, polyphenols, humidity, and pH parameters, which shows greater environmental stability in this area, the microbiological parameters showed that there is a low activity, which might be indicative of a degraded environment, probably due to the small size of the forest fragment present in the buffer zone of the Relevant Ecological Interest Area (ARIE) Cicuta Forest.
Highlights
Forests play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems as they perform multiple environmental functions and services
The Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE), Cicuta Forest, is a Conservation Unit located between Serra do Mar and Mantiqueira (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil), between the municipalities of Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa, is one of the last fragments of Atlantic forest belonging to the Semi deciduous Seasonal ecosystem in the Paraíba do Sul (Alves & Zaú, 2005), with activities in its surroundings with significant negative environmental impacts
The present study aimed to evaluate soil chemical and microbiological attributes in areas under different forms of land use, intended for the implementation of buffer zones in a Conservation Unit located in urban areas
Summary
Forests play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems as they perform multiple environmental functions and services. The Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE), Cicuta Forest, is a Conservation Unit located between Serra do Mar and Mantiqueira (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil), between the municipalities of Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa, is one of the last fragments of Atlantic forest belonging to the Semi deciduous Seasonal ecosystem in the Paraíba do Sul (Alves & Zaú, 2005), with activities in its surroundings with significant negative environmental impacts (e.g., industrial processes, urbanization and infrastructure services) In this sense, the buffer zones of Conservation Units are considered strategic areas for the protection of their surroundings, being established to, among other functions, act as a transition environment and mitigate the effects of forest fragmentation, thereby seeking to control the edge effects. This forested area is completely fragmented, consisting of 31 forest fragments with an average size of 20
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