Amazon Soil Carbon — The Missing Credit

Posted by Ted Feldpausch

27 March 2026

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Amazon Soil Carbon: Policy Brief Summary

The conversion of forest to agriculture in the Amazon triggers a “deforestation multiplier,” resulting in a total carbon loss equivalent to approximately 1.2 times the original forest’s aboveground biomass. While current carbon credit standards like VERRA/VCS focus on standing timber, new evidence highlights the significant, unprotected carbon stocks remaining in the soil of burned forests.

Key Technical Findings

• The Deforestation Multiplier: Agricultural conversion eliminates 100% of aboveground carbon and triggers an additional 38% loss of soil carbon.
• Soil Resilience: Unlike aboveground biomass, which sees carbon loss double under triennial fire regimes, soil carbon is statistically resilient to fire frequency.
• Carbon Gradient: Intact forest soils hold 50.5 Mg C ha^-1, burned forests retain approximately 42 Mg C ha^-1, and agricultural land drops to 31.4 Mg C^-1.
• The Policy Gap: Burned forests store 36% more soil carbon than agricultural land, yet they currently receive no financial recognition or protection.

Learn more in the policy brief below:

Learn more:

Naval, M. L. M., Bieluczyk, W., Alvarez, F., Carvalho, L. C. da S., Maracahipes-Santos, L., Oliveira, E. A. de, Silva, K. G. da, Pereira, M. B., Brando, P. M., Marimon Junior, B. H., Camargo, P. B. de, & Feldpausch, T. R. (2025). Impacts of repeated forest fires and agriculture on soil organic matter and health in southern Amazonia. CATENA, 254, 108924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.108924