Soil Carbon Concentration and Biological Activity Vary Across Land‐Use Systems in the Cerrado Biome

Understanding how land use influences soil carbon dynamics is essential for developing sustainable management strategies in tropical ecosystems. This study evaluated the effects of land use and cover on soil organic carbon, physicochemical properties, and enzymatic activity in dairy farming systems within the Cerrado biome. Soil samples were collected from areas under native vegetation, pasture and agriculture, and carbon concentration was measured at three depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm). Physicochemical properties and enzymatic activities (β‐glucosidase and arylsulfatase) were determined in surface soils (0–10 cm). Agricultural soils showed lower carbon concentrations in the surface layer compared to pasture and native vegetation, while pasture soils exhibited higher carbon levels across depths. Chemical attributes, including Ca, Mg, sum of bases (SEB) and cation exchange capacity, were positively associated with soil carbon across land uses. Enzymatic activity varied with land use, with higher β‐glucosidase activity in pasture soils and reduced arylsulfatase activity in agricultural soils. β‐glucosidase was positively correlated with carbon concentration across all land uses, whereas arylsulfatase showed significant associations only in pasture and agricultural systems. Principal component analysis identified β‐glucosidase, arylsulfatase, residual phosphorus, SEB and cation exchange capacity as the main variables structuring soil differences among land uses. Overall, well‐managed pasture systems showed high soil carbon concentrations and biological activity, while β‐glucosidase activity was consistently associated with soil carbon across all land uses, suggesting its potential as a sensitive indicator of soil carbon dynamics in the Cerrado.