The objective of this study was to verify the alterations in the amounts and storage of organic carbon in agricultural-forestry-pasture, planted pasture and eucalyptus reforestation systems in the northwestern part of the Minas Gerais State. The studied soil was a typical dystrophic Red Latosol. The soil samplings were performed in three replicates at the depths of 0-5, 5-20 and 20-40 cm. The systems were selected according to the historical use, namely, native cerrado (referential), eucalyptus + rice (year zero of the agricultural-forestry-pasture system), eucalyptus + soybeans (year one of the agricultural-forestry-pasture system); eucalyptus + pasture (year two of the agricultural-forestry-pasture system), eucalyptus + pasture + cattle raising (year three of the agricultural-forestry-pasture system), conventional pasture and conventional eucalyptus. There was significant difference in the amounts and stock of carbon of the evaluated systems in relation to the native cerrado. In general, the systems are functioning as C-CO2 emitter when compared with the native cerrado, where the various tillage operations are accelerating the oxidation process and loss of organic carbon. It was observed a trend of increment of the carbon stock as time goes by in the agricultural-forestry-pasture systems, demonstrating the efficiency of this system in maintaining or even increasing the organic carbon stock along the years.
Soil quality; carbon stock; agricultural-forestry-pasture system; cerrado
