Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) are anthropic soils that are enriched in carbon (C) and several nutrients, particularly calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), when compared to adjacent soils from the Amazon basin. Studies on ADE empower the understanding of complex pre-Columbian cultural development in the Amazon and may also provide insights for future sustainable agricultural practices in the tropics. ADE are highly variable in size, depth and soil physico-chemical characteristics. Nonetheless, the differentiation between ADE and the adjacent soils is not standardized and is commonly done based on visual field observations. In this Highlights  Carbon and nutrients stocks in ADE were predicted using an environmental covariate.  Total Ca and Total P contents exhibited better fit to our model than Total C content.  Pretic horizon criteria enabled the differentiation of two unambiguous areas.

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-The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of biochar application on soil nitrous oxide emissions. The experiment was carried out in pots under greenhouse conditions. Four levels of ground commercial charcoal of 2 mm (biochar) were evaluated in a sandy Albaqualf (90% of sand): 0, 3, 6, and 9 Mg ha -1 . All treatments received 100 kg ha -1 of N as urea. A cubic effect of biochar levels was observed on the N 2 O emissions. Biochar doses above 5 Mg ha -1 started to mitigate the emissions in the evaluated soil. However, lower doses promote the emissions.

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Archaeological research provides clear evidence that the widespread formation of Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) in tropical lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of sharp demographic growth that peaked towards 1000 BP. In their recent paper, however, Silva et al. propose that the high fertility of ADE is not of anthropic origin but instead the result of alluvial deposition starting in the Middle Holocene (8200-4200 cal BP). In order to support this argument, they marshal data and observations from a single expanse of ADE, the archaeological site of Caldeirão, and disregard or misread other studies of ADEs in the Central Amazon region. Silva et al.'s claim, an epilogue to ‘geogenic’ models laid to rest over 40 years ago, also dismisses research showing how long-term anthropic soil enrichment occurs as a result of daily practices at contemporary indigenous settlements. Here we critically review Silva et al.’s analysis and affirm that, like most ADEs, Caldeirão has anthropic soil horizons formed by burning, deposition, and reworking of refuse associated with indigenous settlement activities between 2500 and 500 BP.