Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa covering about 274,000 square kilometers. It is bordered by the Republic of Mali on the north and west; by Cote d’Ivoire on the Southwest; by Ghana, Togo, and Benin on the South; and by Niger on the east. The country has a dry tropi¬cal climate with two contrasting seasons. The rainy season generally lasts from May to October, but its duration decreases progressively from the southwest, amounting to only three months in the northern part of the country.

Estern Colombia, the Llanos, is constituted of broad grass formations. These big expanses of savannahs present a huge potential for extensive bovine breeding. Unfortunately, these natural pastures have a low productivity and a feeble quality, due to low fertility soils with a deficiency in phosphorus and a hgih acidity. In regard to the importance of the breeding for the region, it`s essential to know the savannahs `characteristics in order to ameliorate the exploitation which is done of them.

Soil organic matter quality is usually seen as a major attribute of soil quality. In this study, we extracted organic carbon with water (WEOC) or with potassium permanganate (PEOC). We assessed these extractions for their potential as sensitive indicators of the effect of land use on two important soil functions: biological activity and nutrient availability.