The importance and efficiency of agroforestry systems in the conservation of tropical soils need to be demonstrated at the local scale. Physical and chemical soil attributes of seven plots used for agroforestry during 5.5 years were evaluated in the 0-0.2 m layer and compared with the respective soils of adjacent forests fragments in the Northern Rondônia State. No differences in texture were found between the soils in the layer evaluated, indicating that the two systems are located on the same soil type. In the soils under agroforestry systems, the values of pH, calcium and magnesium were always higher than in the soils of the adjacent forest fragments, which are ascribed to the nutrients released by the previous forest slashing and burning, between one and eight years before the installation of the agroforestry systems. The contents of soil organic matter, phosphorus and potassium in the 5.5 years after the installation of the agroforestry systems remained at values similar to those of the forest fragments. These results indicate that the agroforestry systems preserved some chemical soil properties at similar levels as the natural forest in the study period.
soil conservation; agroforestry systems; tropical soils
