Mangrove ecosystem dynamics and diverse human activities have led to a need for studies that give us a better understanding of the peculiarities of their soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical soil attributes of mangrove forests located in the São Francisco River estuary, related to local ecological conditions. Two stations, divided into three forest types (fringe, basin and transition) were selected and five composite soil samples were collected from each forest type. Soil samples were submitted for chemical and physical analysis. The soil presented a sandy texture, with high organic matter and element content in the following order: Mg2+>Na+>Ca2+ >H+>K+>P>Al3+ and Fe2+ >Zn2+>Cu2+>Mn2+, respectively, with variations between the forests and stations. In general, the mangrove forests presented high fertility, especially in the basin forest, provided by vegetation development, showing a zoning trend for species in relation to soil fertility.
