Water and nutrient dynamics of a humid tropical agricultural watershed in Eastern Amazonia

Slash-and-burn agriculture has characterized Eastern Amazonian land use for over 130 years. Documented consequences of this traditional land-use system have sparked a search for changes in field preparation and crop management techniques. The use of mulch technology in combination with alternative cropping cycles was proposed as a viable alternative. To make recommendations regarding the ecological effects of such innovations in land use, a detailed study of water and nutrient dynamics at a series of small agricultural watersheds in the eastern Amazon region was performed resulting in a complete water and nutrient balance for these watersheds.