Abandoned pastures and restored savannahs have distinct patterns of plant-soil feedback and nutrient cycling compared with native Brazilian savannahs.

Around 40% of the original Brazilian savannah territory is occupied by pastures dominated by fast-growing exotic C4 grasses, which impact ecosystem nutrient cycling. The restoration of these areas depends on the re-establishment of soil processes. We assessed how restoration of abandoned pastures through direct seeding of native species and land-management practices (burning and ploughing) affect soil nutrient cycling dynamics compared to native savannahs. We compared the activity of soil enzymes related to carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling, as well as soil microbial biomass and soil chemical properties, such as pH and the concentration of N, P, potassium (K) and soil organic matter, among abandoned pastures, native savannah and restored areas. Abandoned pastures had faster nutrient turnover than native savannah, dominated by slow-growing native species. This pattern was evident from the overall higher biomass-specific enzyme activity in abandoned pastures than in nati...