ABSTRACT
The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effects of human intervention, through jungle clearing and cultivation, on the aggregate distribution. This research was performed in Porto Velho, State of Rondônia (amazon forest) and Senador Canedo, State of Goiás ("cerrado"). The soil samples were collected in areas of primary vegetation and planted pasture, obeying a line with 24 points each 10 m (12 under natural vegetation and 12 under pasture) in each local of study; they were then analyzed with respect to stability of aggregates in water. In relation to the aggregate distribution, the results showed a reduction when the soil under native vegetation was submitted to agricultural cultivation, although, the amazon region presented high size aggregation. The results obtained in this study confirm a certain soil degradation in cultivated soils (by introduction of pasture) compared with uncultivated soils in two Brazilian ecosystems (amazon forest and "cerrado").
Key words:
aggregation; pasture; amazon forest; "cerrado"