Soil management practices and seasonal climatic oscillations act as primary drivers of soil quality in tropical ecosystems. This study assessed the effects of seasonal variability on soil properties and integrated soil quality indices across different land-use systems and native Caatinga vegetation. Six bimonthly soil samplings were conducted under: i) two native dry forests (NF1 and NF2); ii) tillage with fire (TWF); iii) tillage without fire (TIL); iv) high-stocked pasture (PHS); and v) low-stocked pasture (PLS). Soil quality indices (SQI) integrate physical, chemical, and biological properties to represent key ecosystem functions, including microbial activity, resistance to degradation, and climate regulation. Higher levels of total organic carbon (TOC) and protected organic carbon (Prot-C), exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+, soil flocculation degree, and enzyme activities were observed during the dry season. Native forests exhibited the highest SQI, followed by TIL and PLS. TOC (similar to 45 Mg ha(-1)) and Prot-C (similar to 43 Mg ha(-1)) stocks promoted greater carbon stabilization in the dry season, with a half-life of 196 days. SQI components increased by 83%, 29%, 303%, and 92% for general SQI, microbial activity, resistance to degradation, and climate regulation, respectively. Dry-season soil quality enhancement was driven by organic carbon, increased microbial biomass, and clay-mediated protection mechanisms, even under fire and intensive grazing. These results indicate that soil management in semiarid regions must prioritize the maintenance of organic carbon pools and soil structural stability, particularly by reducing physical-chemical disturbance during the rainy season, when the risk of carbon losses and soil degradation is highest.