Media release| change in carbon stock in soils currently underestimated, recent study shows

The increase and decrease of soil carbon depend on how it is assessed.

Nairobi, Kenya, 5 March 2020 – The compaction of soils when natural forests are converted to agriculture hides actual carbon losses, if internationally agreed accounting methods are used. Compaction means more soil is included in a sample of the 0–30 cm layers, as the methods prescribe.

This is the conclusion of a study of soils across a wide range of land uses in six different landscapes in Indonesia, co-authored by World Agroforestry (ICRAF) scientists. The results have implications for the way policies for climate-change mitigation involving agriculture are monitored.