Urease activity in oxisols as influenced by vegetation cover and sampling time

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the vegetation type and the sampling time on urease activity in two different tropical soils (Rhodic Oxisols). The experiment was installed in a typic alumino-ferric Red Latossol and a typic distrophic Red Latosol under five different vegetations: pinus, eucalypt, citrus, soybean and corn. The soil samples were collected from April 1990 to March 1991 and the urease activity, total nitrogen and organic carbon were determined. The urease activity changed according to the sampling time,presenting higher values in the warmer and humid months. The vegetation type affected the conversion of N-urea to N-NH4+, with higher urease activity being observed in the soil under pinus and eucalypt, although the activity was high at the beginning of the soybean and corn cropping cycle.29464565