The main purpose of this work was to evaluate differences in the superficial organic accumulation in soil with regard to some pedological parameters of a secondary forest (older than 40 years) submitted to anthropic intervention, i.e., harvest of economically important tree species. Thus, the present work compares two sites of the "Tabuleiro" Atlantic Forest in northern Espírito Santo: a primary forest, the "Mata Alta", and a secondary forest, the "Capoeira de Extração". The organic matter accumulation below the "Mata Alta" is relatively low (4.0 t ha-1), as a result of the fast decomposition of the foliar debris. Within the A horizon, the base saturation is about 50-70% and the C/N ratio is 12. Its main feature is the presence of an interface horizon between the litter layers and the first hemiorganic horizon (A11), where most of the nutrients and organic matter are concentrated. Here a seasonal stability of the organic matter accumulation was observed. The "Capoeira de Extração" had a higher organic accumulation (5.5 t ha-1 in the summer and 7.5 t ha-1 in the winter), and higher values of carbon and nutrients in soil as compared with the undisturbed forest soil. These results showed an interruption in the decomposition process and the nutrient turnover, which may be related to the harvesting of certain tree species.
fertility; “Capoeira”