Les systèmes agroforestiers stockent du carbone dans la biomasse des arbres. Cependant leur intérêt ne se limite pas à ce carbone stocké sous forme de bois. En effet, les arbres produisent de grandes quantités de litières, et apportent également du carbone dans les horizons profonds du sol par la mortalité et l’exsudation racinaire. Or, les sols agricoles, ayant de très faibles teneurs en matière organique, ont un potentiel de stockage en carbone bien plus important que les sols forestiers. A ce jour, il n’existe pratiquement pas de travaux permettant d’avoir une estimation de l’impact des arbres agroforestiers sur le carbone du sol. La plupart des études sont en effet menées sur le stockage de carbone dans la biomasse aérienne des arbres. Une étude a ainsi estimé qu’en climat tempéré et pour des densités comprises entre 50 et 100 arbres/ha, le stockage de carbone serait compris entre 1.5 et 4 tC/ha/an, ce qui est très important comparé au potentiel de stockage d’autres systèmes de culture. On se propose donc dans ce travail de contribuer significativement à la connaissance sur les possibilités de stockage de C dans les sols en agroforesterie. Tout d’abord, nous quantifierons les stocks de C dans les parcelles agroforestières et les comparerons aux témoins agricoles. Nous étudierons également l’hétérogénéité spatiale de ces stocks, sous la ligne d’arbres ou sous la culture intercalaire, et ce à différentes profondeurs. Dans un deuxième temps, nous étudierons les entrées de carbone au sol, notamment via la mortalité racinaire des arbres. Puis, nous étudierons les processus liés à la stabilisation de ce carbone dans les horizons profonds du sol. Enfin, nous chercherons à savoir si l’apport de carbone frais dans les horizons du sol ne pourrait pas entraîner une minéralisation d’une partie du carbone stable du sol, phénomène connu sous le nom du priming effect, et qui pourrait jouer un rôle non négligeable dans le bilan de carbone de ces systèmes. La modélisation sera utilisée afin d’estimer le stockage de carbone sur le long terme. L’étude sera menée dans un contexte de système de culture méditerranéen, sur un site expérimental d’exception. L’analyse mécaniste fournira le cadre conceptuel pour la compréhension de la dynamique du C dans d’autres systèmes agroforestiers à l’avenir. / Agroforestry is a land use type where trees are associated with crops and/or animals within the same field. This agroecosystem could help mitigating climate change, and also contribute to its adaptation. The goal of this thesis was to evaluate the potential of soil organic carbon storage under agroforestry systems. This study was performped at the oldest experimental site in France, a trial supervised by INRA since 1995, but also at farmers' fields. Soil organic carbon stocks were compared between agroforestry and agricultural plots, down to 2 m soil depth. All organic inputs to the soil were quantified (tree roots, leaf litter, crop roots and residues). The stability of additionnal stored carbon was caracterised with soil organic matter fractionation, and soil incubations. A model of soil organic carbon dynamic was described in order to better undrestand this dynamic in agroforestry, especially in deep soil layers. This study revealed the interest and the potential of agroforestry systems in increasing soil organic carbon stocks, with accumulation rates of 0.09 to 0.46 t C ha -1 yr -1. It also reveals the role of tree rows in this storage, and the importance of carbon inputs from root mortality. However, it raises concerns about the stability of this storage.

The loss of biodiversity is affecting all ecosystems on Earth, one of the greatest threats to biodiversity being climate change. Forests have been highlighted for the potential to mitigate climate change by storing carbon above- and belowground in soils. In this thesis, I studied the effects of tree diversity on carbon cycling in subtropical Chinese forests. I aimed to explore the mechanisms behind tree diversity effects on carbon cycling by focusing on microbial-based processes and the consequences of tree diversity-induced spatial heterogeneity. First, my colleagues and I tested the effects of tree diversity on litterfall spatial patterns and the consequences for litter decomposition and quantified the importance of microbial community in decomposition processes. Second, we explored the effects of tree diversity on relationships between soil microbial facets and soil microbial functions. Third, we tested the effects of tree diversity on soil microbial biomass and carbon concentrations, and their mediation by biotic and abiotic conditions. Finally, we explored the consequences of diversifying forests for re-/afforestation initiatives and plantations to reduce atmospheric carbon levels, and the benefits of diversity for mitigating the effects of climate change on ecosystems and human well-being. We highlighted the positive effects of tree diversity on tree productivity. By increasing the amount and diversity of litterfall, tree diversity increased litter decomposition and subsequently the assimilation of tree products into the forest soils. Our investigation has shown the key role of microbial communities for forests carbon dynamics by carrying out litter decomposition, soil heterotrophic respiration, and soil carbon stabilization. Most notably, tree diversity effects on soil microbial respiration were mainly mediated by soil microbial biomass rather than soil microbial community taxonomic or functional diversity. The effects of tree diversity on microbial biomass were mediated by biotic and abiotic conditions. Taken together, we revealed the importance of considering space to understand biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Finally, we argued that tree diversity is a promising avenue to maximize the potential of re-/afforestation projects to mitigate increasing atmospheric carbon. Moreover, we highlighted that diversifying forests in re-/afforestation initiatives can help to reduce climate change effects on ecosystems: first, by increasing resistance and resilience to extreme climatic events, and second, by buffering microclimatic conditions in natural and urban areas. My investigation highlighted that tree diversity effects on ecosystem functioning could be explained by both mass and diversity effects on higher trophic levels and their functions. In addition, I showed the key role of tree diversity-induced spatial heterogeneity and the need to consider space and time in further research. Moreover, these results need to be combined with practitioner constraints to enable feasible restoration projects.:Summary table Bibliographic information .................................................................................... I ~ XV Main body ......................................................................................................... 1 ~ 212 Supplementary materials ..................................................................................... i ~ xv Scientific supplementary materials ............................................................. -1- ~ - 154- Table of Contents Table of figures .......................................................................................................... XI Table of scientific supplementary materials ............................................................. XIII Glossary ................................................................................................................... XV Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter I - Tree diversity effects on litter decomposition are mediated by litterfall and microbial processes .................................................................................................. 35 Transition I - II ........................................................................................................... 67 Chapter II - Tree diversity and soil chemical properties drive the linkages between soil microbial community and ecosystem functioning................................................ 71 Transition II - III ....................................................................................................... 107 Chapter III - Abiotic and biotic drivers of scale-dependent tree trait effects on soil microbial biomass and soil carbon concentration ................................................... 111 Transition III - IV ..................................................................................................... 155 Chapter IV – Diverse forests are cool: promoting diverse forests to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change ............................................................................... 159 General discussion ................................................................................................. 173 Abstract .................................................................................................................. 195 General acknowledgments ..................................................................................... 209 Supplementary materials ..............................................................................................i

Peatlands provide multiple ecosystem services, including extensive carbon sequestration and storage, yet many peatlands have been degraded or destroyed. Peatlands carbon storage capacity is connected to inherently low decomposition rates, causing the build-up of organic matter. Reasons suggested for this include waterlogged conditions that reduce the amount of available oxygen for the decomposer community, a low pH that inhibits bacterial decomposition, and colder temperatures lowering metabolic rates. This study focused on edge effects on decomposition in the transition zone between Sphagnum bogs and surrounding forest, with the expectation that decomposition is lowest in the bog and highest in the forest, but with a mix of factors causing intermediate decomposition rates near the bog edge. Transitional decomposition rates were measured across six bogs in central Sweden during the summer of 2021, using the tea bag index. Three 20 meter transects, each containing seven pairs of tea bags, were buried across the margins of each bog, centred at the edge of the Sphagnum moss. Soil moisture content, pH, and plant composition was also recorded at each burial site, and with 12 temperature loggers placed evenly among four of the bogs. The results confirmed the hypothesis regarding edge effects, and soil moisture was the dominant factor affecting the decomposition rate, having a strong significant negative correlation. The interaction of pH was significant but with an unexpected negative correlation, most likely due to the low pH in the surrounding forest. Temperature displayed no significance, and plants indicative of low decomposition rates included Vaccinium oxycoccos, Drosera rotundifolia, and especially Sphagnum species. The conclusions are that there is an edge effect on decomposition, and maintaining, or restoring, the hydrology of a peatland is the most important factor for continued carbon storage, with a rough estimation of an areas decomposition rate possible to estimate based on its vegetation. / Torvmarker bidrar med flera ekosystemtjänster, däribland utbrett koldioxidupptag och kollagring, trots detta har många torvmarker idag antingen skadats eller förstörts. Torvmarkers förmåga att lagra kol beror på en låg nedbrytningstakt, vilket gör att organiskt material ackumuleras; möjliga förklaringar som föreslagits till detta är vattensjuk mark som minskar syretillgången för nedbrytarsamhället, ett surt pH som missgynnar bakteriell nedbrytning, samt lägre temperaturer vilket sänker metabolismen generellt. Den här studien fokuserade på hur kanteffekter påverkar nedbrytningen i övergångszonen mellan vitmossemyrar och skog, med förväntningen att nedbrytningen är lägst ute i myren och högst i skogen, men att flera olika faktorer orsakar en intermediär nedbrytningshastighet i myrkanten. Nedbrytningshastigheten i 6 myrars övergångszoner, belägna i centrala Sverige, uppskattades under sommaren 2021 med hjälp av tepåseindexet (tea bag index). Tre 20 meters transekter med 7 par tepåsar vardera begravdes vid varje myr, med mitten vid kanten på vitmossan. Mätningar gjordes vid varje tepåsepar gällande markfuktighet, pH, och växtsamhälle, samt vid 4 myrar så placerades totalt 12 temperaturloggrar. Resultaten bekräftar hypotesen om kanteffekter och markfuktighet framträdde som den dominerande faktorn, med en signifikant negativ effekt på nedbrytningshastigheten. Effekten av pH var också signifikant men med en oväntad negativ korrelation, förmodligen på grund av den sura jorden i omgivande tallskog (Pinus sylvestris). Temperatur hade inte någon signifikant effekt, och växter som indikerade låg nedbrytning var Vaccinium oxycoccos, Drosera rotundifolia, samt framförallt Sphagnum spp.. Slutsatsen är att det finns en kanteffekt och att bevara, eller återskapa, hydrologin av en vitmossemyr är den viktigaste faktorn för fortsatt kolinlagring, med en grov skattning av ett områdes nedbrytningshastighet möjlig att basera på markernas växtlighet.

I utilized forest growth model (FVS-FFE) and fire simulation software (FlamMap, Randig), integrated through GIS software (ArcMap9.3), to quantify the impacts varied landscape-scale fuel treatments have on short-term onsite carbon loss, long-term onsite carbon storage, burn probability, conditional flame length, and mean fire size. Thirteen fuel treatment scenarios were simulated on a 42,000 hectare landscape in northern California: one untreated, three proposed by the US Forest Service, and nine that were spatially-optimized and developed with the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap. The nine scenarios developed in FlamMap varied by treatment intensity (10%, 20%, and 30% of the landscape treated) and treatment type (prescribed fire, mastication and thin + burn). Each scenario was subjected to 10,000 simulated wildfires with random ignition locations in order to develop burn probability and average flame length values for each scenario. I also recorded mean fire size for each scenario. I used the burn probability values to represent the likelihood of future wildfire occurrence, which I incorporated into our long-term onsite carbon storage projections. Our results suggest that the influence landscape-scale fuel treatments have on carbon dynamics and fire behavior metrics (mean burn probability, flame length and mean fire size) are highly dependent upon the treatment arrangement, type, and intensity. The results suggest that treating 20% of the landscape maximizes long-term carbon storage and that prescribed fire minimizes short-term carbon loss and maximizes onsite long-term carbon storage. Treating 20% of the landscape also appears to be the optimal treatment intensity for reducing fire behavior metrics, and treating beyond this level produces diminishing returns in reduction of fire behavior. When treating 20% of the landscape, site-specific treatments appear to perform well in comparison to spatially-optimized treatments.

Dry, boreal, forest ecosystems have been shown to alternate due to reindeer presence by changing the field layer. This affects the temperature of the soil, changes the microclimate and the nutrients of soil and field layer. By removal of biomass and trampling stress the ground lichen mats reduce in cover and thickness. In this thesis two dry, boreal pine forests in Northern Finland were studied, to see how the nutrient stocks in the field layer are impacted by reindeer presence. A comparison of the same site, with >20 years in between was studied to see how year-round grazing affect the carbon storage in the field layer compared to winter grazing.    I found that reindeer grazing reduces the vegetation carbon storage, however, the impact on the vegetation nitrogen storage differs with site. Furthermore, the lichens and shrubs had lower C:N ratios because of increased nitrogen content in the plant tissue and unaffected carbon content. These results show that reindeer actively changes the vegetation quantity and quality which will have implications for the soil carbon storage.

No description available.

Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) is considered as one of the key techniques to reduce the rate of atmospheric emissions of CO2 and thereby to contribute to controlling the global warming. A successful application of a GCS project requires the capability of the formation to trap CO2 for a long term. In this context, processes related to CO2 trapping and also possible leakage of CO2 to the near surface environment need to be understood. The overall aim of this thesis is to understand the flow and transport of CO2 through porous media in the context of geological storage of CO2. The entire range of scales, including the pore scale, the laboratory scale, the field experiment scale and the industrial scale of CO2 injection operation are addressed, and some of the key processes investigated by means of experiments and modeling.  First, a numerical model and laboratory experimental setup were developed to investigate the CO2 gas flow, mimicking the system in the near-surface conditions in case a leak from the storage formation should occur. The system specifically addressed the coupled flow and mass transport of gaseous CO2 both in the porous domain as well as the free flow domain above it. The comparison of experiments and modelling results showed a very good agreement indicating that the model developed can be applied to evaluate monitoring and surface detection of potential CO2 leakage. Second, the field scale CO2 injection test carried out in a shallow aquifer in Maguelone, France was analyzed and modeled. The results showed that Monte Carlo simulations accounting for the heterogeneity effects of the permeability field did capture the key observations of the monitoring data, while a homogeneous model could not represent them. Third, a numerical model based on phase-field method was developed and model simulations carried out addressing the effect of wettability on CO2-brine displacement at the pore-scale. The results show that strongly water-wet reservoirs provide a better potential for the dissolution trapping, due to the increase of interface between CO2 and brine with very low contact angles. The results further showed that strong water-wet conditions also imply a strong capillary effect, which is important for residual trapping of CO2. Finally, numerical model development and model simulations were carried out to address the large scale geological storage of CO2 in the presence of impurity gases in the CO2 rich phase. The results showed that impurity gases N2 and CH4 affected the spatial distribution of the gas (the supercritical CO2 rich phase), and a larger volume of reservoir is needed in comparison to the pure CO2 injection scenario. In addition, the solubility trapping significantly increased in the presence of N2 and CH4.

En agriculture de conservation (AC), les résidus de cultures sous forme de paillis à la surface du sol associés à la suppression du travail du sol sont une composante intrinsèque des systèmes de culture. L'objectif principal de ce travail était de comprendre les effets de la nature et de la décomposition de mulch de résidus s sur les services d'approvisionnement et de régulation fournis par les sols dans les agrosystèmes en AC de régions tempérées (France) et tropicales (Madagascar et le Brésil). Des études expérimentales ont été réalisées pour obtenir des paramètres de décomposition pour une large gamme représentative de la qualité des résidus végétaux des agrosystèmes étudiés et pour tester et améliorer un modèle de décomposition des mulchs. Ensuite nous avons utilisé le modèle PASTIS_MULCH qui simule les biotransformations C et N et le transport de solutés dans les sols lors de la décomposition des mulchs.Pour la gamme de résidus de tiges testées, la rétention d'eau maximale a varié considérablement et ceci a été expliqué par les caractéristiques physiques du résidu. Avec les données obtenues par une série d'incubations de décomposition de résidus, nous avons proposé un ensemble de paramètres biologiques unique pour le module de décomposition CANTIS, simulant une large gamme de qualité des résidus de culture. L'étude expérimentale dans les colonnes de sol a montré que le mulch de maïs + dolique se décompose plus rapidement que mulch de blé + luzerne. Un régime de pluies fines et fréquentes augmente la décomposition du mulch par rapport à des pluies plus rares et plus fortes et cela est dû au maintien de l'humidité du mulch.Les simulations de scénarios avec PASTIS_MULCH ont montré que la pluie et les conditions d'évaporation classent les résidus de culture vis-à-vis de la décomposition lorsque ceux-ci sont placés en mulch à la surface des sols, tandis que les caractéristiques chimiques des résidus classent ceux-ci vis-à-vis de la décomposition lorsqu'ils sont incorporés. Aucune des situations étudiées pourrait être définie au vu des résultats de simulation comme étant adaptée à toutes les conditions pédo-climatiques et agricoles. / In conservation agriculture (CA), crop residues mulches are associated to reduction or suppression of soil tillage and are an intrinsic component of CA. The objective of this work was to understand the effects of nature and decomposition of crop residue mulches on the provisioning and regulating services of agrosystems provided by soils under temperate (France) and tropical (Madagascar and Brazil) conditions. Experimental studies were realized to get decomposition parameters for a large range of residue quality representative of the agrosystems studied and to test and improve a MULCH model. Then we used PASTIS_MULCH model which simulates the C and N biotransformations and solutes transport in soils during mulch decomposition.For a range of plant-stem residues tested, the maximal water retention varied greatly and was only explained by the physical features of the residue. With a series of decomposition incubations, we proposed a single set of biological parameters for CANTIS decomposition module, simulating a large range of crop residue quality. Experimental study in soil columns showed that maize+dolichos mulch decomposed faster than wheat+alfalfa mulch. Frequent and light rain enhanced mulch decomposition compared to infrequent and heavy rain and this was due to the mulch remaining wetter with frequent rain.The simulations of scenarios with PASTIS showed that rain and evaporation conditions ranked crop residues decomposition when placed as mulches while the residue chemical characteristics ranked crop residues decomposition when incorporated. None of the situations studied would be defined as suitable in all pedo-climatic and agricultural conditions.

Ainda que o conhecimento sobre a flora e a ecologia do cerrado tenha sido consideravelmente ampliado nas últimas décadas, persistem dificuldades relacionadas com a caracterização estrutural das fitofisionomias e pouco se sabe sobre as transformações fisionômicas que ocorrem nesta vegetação ao longo do tempo em áreas protegidas. Adicionalmente, mediante as mudanças climáticas, surgiu a demanda de quantificação de fitomassa e estoque de carbono em formações vegetais, entre os quais o cerrado. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: a) verificar se a classificação fisionômica de três fisionomias de cerrado reflete diferenças florísticas e estruturais; b) caracterizar a dinâmica espaço-temporal das fisionomias de cerrado; c) quantificar a fitomassa dessa vegetação e sua contribuição para estoque de carbono; d) avaliar a aplicabilidade de dados de sensoriamento remoto para estimar a fitomassa do cerrado. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na Estação Ecológica de Assis (EEcA) localizada no estado de São Paulo. O cerrado típico, cerrado denso e cerradão foram caracterizados florística e estruturalmente e comparados para verificar se podem ser considerados distintos. Foram alocadas 30 parcelas de 20 x 50 m, sendo 10 parcelas para cada um dos tipos fisionômicos. Os indivíduos de espécies lenhosas com DAP \'> OU =\' 5 cm foram identificados e medidos. As fisionomias mostraram-se estruturalmente distintas, em classes de densidade, área basal e altura média das árvores e o melhor descritor para classificá-las, por ser pouco variável com o critério de inclusão, é a área basal (\'M POT.2\'/ha). Floristicamente, há diferenças apenas entre o cerradão e as fisionomias savânicas. Analisou-se a dinâmica espaço-temporal das fisionomias de cerrado, ao longo de 44 anos, com base em aerofotos (1962, 1984 e 1994) e imagens QuickBird (2006). Após a criação da unidade de conservação e devido à suspensão das atividades antrópicas (fogo e agropecuária), tem ocorrido um adensamento da vegetação, em que áreas de campo foram ocupadas por fisionomias de maior fitomassa, o cerradão correspondendo, em 2006, 91,43% da EEcA. Analisou-se, em particular, a oscilação na área ocupada por uma espécie invasora de samambaia (Pteridium arachnoideum). As imagens de 1994 e 2006 mostram que espécies arbóreas estão aumentando em densidade e cobertura em meio às manchas de samambaias e, em campo, constatou-se que a fitomassa das samambaias está diminuindo consideravelmente sob as copas das árvores. A fitomassa do cerrado stricto sensu e cerradão da EEcA foi estimada por meio de equações alométricas. Utilizaram-se parcelas de 20 x 40 m, sendo 20 parcelas para cada fitofisionomia. Utilizou-se regressão robusta com reamostragem Bootstrap para explorar as relações entre a fitomassa aérea do cerrado e as imagens do QuickBird e TM/Landsat, índices espectrais de vegetação (IV), componentes principais (CP), modelo linear de mistura espectral (MLME). Na EEcA, os valores médios de fitomassa aérea (23,22 Mg/ha) e total (28,88 Mg/ha) do cerrado stricto sensu foram próximos aos descritos na literatura para o cerrado do Brasil Central e os valores médios de fitomassa aérea (98,18 Mg/ha) e total (118,36 Mg/ha) do cerradão aproximaramse aos descritos para florestas estacionais. As bandas espectrais dos sensores QuickBird e TM apresentaram correlações fracas a moderadas com a fitomassa aérea de cerrado. As transformações espectrais (IV e CP) melhoram, em geral, a predição da fitomassa aérea de cerrado, contudo as correlações se mantiveram entre fracas e moderadas. / Even though knowledge on the ecology and flora of cerrado vegetation has considerably improved in recent years, gaps are still remaining on structural differentiation of the cerrado physiognomies and few is known about cerrado vegetation dynamics after protection from human pressure. In addition, before the climate changes, phytomass and carbon storage quantification has been a new challenge for different vegetation types, including the cerrado physiognomies. The present study was carried out with the aim of a) to characterize three cerrado physiognomies to verify if they are structurally and floristically distinct; b) to analyze the vegetation dynamics in time and space, to verify if the vegetation is undergoing a sucessional process, whose structural climax will be a forest physiognomy; c) to quantify phytomass in different physiognomies and their contribution to carbon stock; and d) to assess the application of remote sensing techniques to estimate the cerrado phytomass in large scale. This study was carried out at Assis Ecological Station (EEcA), located in the southwestern São Paulo state, Brazil. This protected area preserves one of the few brazilian cerrado (savanna) biome remnants in the State. Three distinct physiognomic types of cerrado (typical cerrado, dense cerrado and woodland cerrado) were floristically and structurally characterized and submitted to comparative analyses to verify if they can, or not, be considered as separate vegetation types within the cerrado gradient. Thirty permanent plots (20 x 50 m each) were set, ten in every cerrado type, and all woody individuals with DBH \'> OR =\' 5 cm were measured and identified. The three types of cerrado under comparison are structurally distinct in terms of density, medium height and basal area (\'M POT.2/ha), the last being considered as the best and more precise descriptor to classify the physiognomies of the cerrado vegetation. The woodland cerrado is also distinct by its flora, but the two open physiognomies (dense cerrado and cerrado stricto sensu) are floristically very similar. The dynamics of the vegetation types along 44 years in the studied area was analyzed by using aerial photographs (1962, 1984 and 1994) and QuickBird images (2006). After protection from human pressures (fire and agriculture), the woody vegetation density and phytomass has continuously increased, with open physiognomies tending to disappear and woodland cerrado replacing them. Surprisingly, the area covered by the invasive fern Pteridium arachnoideum has also decreased, replaced by sparse or clustered trees. The cerrado phytomass was estimated by allometric equations. Forty plots (20 x 40 m each) were used, twenty in every cerrado type - cerrado stricto sensu and woodland cerrado. Robust Regression and Bootstrap methods were used to explore relationships between aboveground cerrado phytomass and remote sensing data of QuickBird and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) sensors (spectral bands, vegetation index - VI, principal components - PC, linear spectral mixture model LSMM). Valors of medium phytomass obtained for the cerrado stricto sensu at Assis Ecological Station were close to those described in the literature for Central Brazilian cerrado. The valors of medium phytomass of the woodland cerrado were close to those described for seasonal forests. Spectral bands of QuickBird and TM sensors presented weak to moderate correlations with the aboveground cerrado phytomass. In general, spectral transformations (VI and PC) improved the prediction of the cerrado phytomass, however the correlation remained from weak to moderate.

Globally land use change (LUC) with increasing in land use intensity has led to a decrease in soil organic matter (SOM). The reduction of soil C stock across LUC has been accompanied by a destabilization of soil structure and increases the soil erosion susceptibility. The destabilized soil structure is also concomitant with a loss of soil biodiversity and in particular, soil macroinvertebrate community. The focus of this dissertation is the effect of LUC with increasing in land use intensity on soil macrofauna, aggregation and SOM allocation. We hypothesized that LUC reduces soil macrofaunal biodiversity and consequently decreases soil engineering processes, resulting in destabilization of soil structure and impairing the ability of soil to physically protect SOM from decomposition inside stable aggregates, finally leading to depleted SOC stocks across LUC. In order to test these hypotheses, we conducted a field survey in 3 chronosequences of land use comprising native vegetation (NV), pasture (PA), and sugarcane crop (SC) in Central-Southern Brazil. This land use sequence provides a gradient of land use intensity and is projected to add 6.4 Mha of new sugarcane areas in Brazil by 2021. At each sampling point soil blocks of 25 X 25 cm and 5 x 5 cm to 10 cm depth were simultaneously collected from 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm soil layers, for macrofauna isolation and aggregate fractionation, respectively. Within a radius of 6 meters around each sampling point, 12 subsamples were also collected from the same soil layers, and combined for total soil C and N concentration. An average reduction of 89% in the density of the soil macrofaunal community was observed when SC replaces PA, and a loss of 39% in the diversity of macrofauna groups. Our findings showed that, over a range of soil textures (16 - 66% clay), such biodiversity loss was strongly correlated with the destabilization of soil structure across LUC, whereas soil texture was not so. These observations consistently indicate that the abundance of detritivore soil animals, especially earthworms and termites, may be a significant predictor of soil structure transformations across LUC in tropical environments. Moreover, the sharp reduction in the abundance of earthworms was strongly positively correlated with the decrease in intra macroaggregate-associated C. As a result, after more than 20 years of sugarcane crop there were losses of 40 and 35% of C and N stocks, respectively, resulting in a rate of C emission of 1.3 Mg ha-1 yr-1. This C loss primarily occurred in the macroaggregate-associated C, as a result of the faster macroaggregate turnover under SC. In summary, the results presented here provide a mechanistic explanation as to why there is soil C depletion when increasing land use intensity in tropical soils: the huge reduction in the abundance of soil engineering invertebrates after LUC impair the ability of soil to physically protect SOM from decomposition inside stable aggregates, and therefore it is a primary mechanism controlling the soil C stocks\' depletion across LUC. / Globalmente mudanças no uso da terra (MUT) com o aumento da intensidade de uso do solo têm levado a uma diminuição da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). A redução do estoque de C do solo após MUT tem sido acompanhada por uma desestabilização da estrutura do solo e aumento da susceptibilidade a erosão. A desestabilização da estrutura também é concomitante com a perda da biodiversidade do solo e, em particular, da comunidade de macroinvertebrados do solo. O foco deste trabalho é o efeito de MUT com aumento na intensidade de uso do solo sobre a macrofauna do solo, agregação e alocação da MOS. Nossa hipótese é que MUT reduz a diversidade da macrofauna do solo e, conseqüentemente, diminui os processos de engenharia de solo, resultando na desestabilização da estrutura do solo e prejudicando a capacidade do solo para proteger fisicamente a MOS da decomposição dentro de agregados estáveis, finalmente levando a redução dos estoques de C após MUT. Foi realizada uma pesquisa em 3 cronosseqüências de uso da terra que compreendem vegetação nativa (NV), pastagem (PA), e cana-de-açúcar (CA) na região Centro-Sul do Brasil. Esta MUT fornece um gradiente de intensidade de uso do solo e é projetada para adicionar 6,4 Mha de novas áreas de CA no Brasil até 2021. Em cada ponto de amostragem de solo blocos de 25 x 25 cm e 5 x 5 cm a 10 cm de profundidade foram coletados simultaneamente das camadas 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm e 20-30 cm de solo, para isolamento da macrofauna e fracionamento de agregados, respectivamente. Foi observada uma redução média de 89% na densidade da comunidade da macrofauna quando CA substitui PA, e uma perda de 39% da diversidade de grupos. Nossos resultados mostraram que, em um intervalo de texturas do solo (16-66% de argila), tal perda de biodiversidade foi fortemente correlacionada com a desestabilização da estrutura do solo após MUT. Estas observações indicam consistentemente que a abundância de animais detritívoros, especialmente minhocas e cupins, pode ser um preditor significativo de transformações da estrutura do solo em MUT. Além disso, a forte redução na abundância de minhocas foi fortemente e positivamente correlacionada com a diminuição do C alocado intra macroagregados. Como resultado, após mais de 20 anos de cultura de CA houve perdas de 40 e 35% dos estoques de C e N, respectivamente, resultando em uma taxa de emissão de C de 1,3 Mg ha-1 ano-1. Esta perda de C ocorreu principalmente no C associado aos macroagregados, como um resultado da reciclagem mais rápida dos macroagregados sob CA. Em resumo, os resultados aqui apresentados fornecem uma explicação mecanicista a respeito de porque há esgotamento do C do solo quando aumenta-se a intensidade de uso do solo em ambientes tropicais: a enorme redução na abundância de invertebrados \"engenheiros do solo\" após MUT prejudica a capacidade do solo para proteger fisicamente a MOS da decomposição dentro de agregados estáveis, e, portanto, é um mecanismo primário controlando a redução dos estoques de C no solo relacionada a MUT.