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RESUMO -O papel fundamental da matéria orgânica (MO) justifica o crescente interesse pela identificação de sistemas de uso e manejo que melhorem o estoque orgânico em solos tropicais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar variações quantitativas e qualitativas da MO e caracterizar compartimentos orgânicos em um Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro argiloso sob vegetação natural antropizada (CER), pastagem de longa duração (PAL), pastagem degradada (PAD), e pousio (PAC), comparados com culturas sob preparo convencional (CCL) e plantio direto (PD). Foi encontrada pouca variação dos estoques orgânicos na camada superficial, explicada pela antropização da vegetação em CER, pela não-exportação dos resíduos em PD e CCL e pela prática de pousio em PAC. Fracionamento granulométrico, considerando os compartimentos resíduos vegetais (20-2.000 µm), organo-siltoso (2-20 µm) e organo-argiloso (0-2 µm), mostrou diferenças na qualidade da MO quando comparadas situações edafoambientais semelhantes. Mesmo com pequenas variações, o compartimento resíduos vegetais foi um indicador da evolução dos estoques orgânicos, permitindo a caracterização da degradação nas pastagens e do efeito do plantio direto, quando comparado ao sistema convencional. PD favoreceu a estocagem de C no compartimento organo-argiloso. Solos estudados diferem de outros solos argilosos tropicais pela mais elevada relação C/N encontrada nas frações 0-20 µm.Termos para indexação: matéria orgânica, fração granulométrica, compartimentos orgânicos, Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro, solos argilosos, pastagens, plantio direto, Cerrados. NATURE AND LEVEL OF ORGANIC STOCK IN CLAYEY OXISOLS UNDER DIFFERENT LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSABSTRACT -The important role of organic matter (OM) justifies the growing interest for the identification of more efficient use and management systems for the improvement of organic stock in tropical oxisols. The objective of this work was to analyze quantitative and qualitative OM stock variations and to characterize organic compartments in a clayey Dark-Red Latosol under situations of natural savanna vegetation (CER), long-term (PAL) and degraded grasslands (PAD), and fallow conditions (PAC). These were compared with crops under conventional plowing (CCL) and zero tillage (PD). Small organic stock variation was found in surface layer of studied soils, explained by human disturbance of vegetation in CER, no residue exportation in PD and CCL, and by fallow practice in PAC. Particle-size fractionating, considering the compartments plant residues (20-2,000 µm), silt-organic (2-20 µm) and clay-organic (0-2 µm), showed differences in OM quality, when comparing similar environmental situations. Even with very weak differences, plant residues compartment was an important indicator of organic stock evolution, allowing the characterization of grassland degradation and zero-till effect, when compared with conventional system. PD has favored C stocking in organic-clayey compartment. Studied soils were distinct from other tropical clayey soils by the high C/N relatio...

-Light soils occupy 8% of the Brazilian territory and are especially expressive in the new and last agricultural frontier in Brazil: the Matopiba region -in the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia -, where they represent 20% of the area. These soils fit into the textural classes of sand and loamy sand or sandy loam, down to 0.75-m soil depth or deeper, and they are mainly represented by Neossolos Quartzarênicos (Quartzipsamments) and, partly, by Latossolos (Oxisols) and Argissolos (Ultisols). The understanding of soil functioning depends on the establishment of distinguishing criteria for: organic matter dynamics; content and mineralogy of the clay fraction; coarse sand and total sand contents, in relation to those of fine sand; mean diameter of the sand fraction; and water retention capacity. These criteria can contribute for the zoning and for the conservation and fertility management of light soils, as well as for the estimation of their agricultural potential. Integrated production systems, such as crop-livestock and crop-livestock-forestry integration, besides no-tillage with crop rotation, mixed forestry planting with legumes, and the use of green manure and cover crops are relevant for the proper management of these soils. The objective of this review was to characterize light soils and to highlight the main challenges regarding their agricultural potential and their conservation and fertility managements, in face of the expansion and consolidation of the new Brazilian agricultural frontier.