Integrating Pyrogenic Carbon into JULES: Updates from the Amazon and Conferences

Posted by Ted Feldpausch

21 October 2025

By Oscar Kennedy-Blundell | Postdoctoral Research Associate

I am currently working as a postdoctoral research associate focusing on black carbon, or pyrogenic carbon (PyC), in the Amazon Basin. My primary focus is modelling the occurrence of PyC using the RothC model and the JULES land surface model.

Pyrogenic carbon represents the continuum of residues produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter. It has the potential to contribute to soil carbon storage over long periods, such as millennia. However, the JULES model has not historically accounted for PyC in the Amazon. This means current models of carbon cycling effects regarding wildfires are missing specific data. My work aims to address this by incorporating PyC into JULES modelling, with consideration of production, mobilisation, and degradation. This work is part of the NERC-FAPESP Amazon PyroCarbon Project (T. Feldpausch and P. Camargo, UK and Brazil PIs).

Fieldwork and Networking in Brazil

To support this work, I recently traveled to Brazil to attend a workshop on biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable land-use at the Federal University of Acre (UFAC) in Rio Branco.

Figure: Workshop visit to the Chico Mendes Reserve (photo credit O. Kennedy-Blundell)

The goal of this meeting was to strengthen networks between researchers based in the UK and Brazil who study the Amazon rainforest. The schedule included a series of talks and breakout sessions that allowed us to discuss technical aspects of the research. We also visited several field sites in Acre. A notable part of the trip was an overnight excursion to Xapuri, which included a visit to an extractive reserve and the Chico Mendes house.

Figure: Rubber tapper in Acre, Brazil (photo credit O. Kennedy-Blundell)

Conference Presentations

I have also been active in presenting the technical progress of this modelling work to the wider research community:

2024 Aberdeen Wildfire Conference: I presented a poster detailing the incorporation of PyC into JULES. This included data on PyC yields based on combustion completeness factors and the composition of PyC severities ranging from low to very high.
2025 JULES Annual Meeting: At this meeting, hosted by the University of Leicester, I gave a lightning talk.

My presentations at these events examined both the RothC and JULES components of the research. Specifically, I discussed how PyC is composed of charred plant material in various forms that varies in rate of composition. We are using a multi-pool modelling approach to include different PyC components to better estimate emissions and storage.

Figure: Conference poster on incorporating PyC into JULES (photo credit O. Kennedy-Blundell).

We continue to assess related issues, such as the role of PyC in post-fire recovery and its effect on soil greenhouse gas fluxes relative to different climate scenarios. Ongoing fieldwork by the team continues the collection of data on soil respiration, microclimate, and changes soil carbon pools in burned forests.