Biomass Refined: 99% of Organic Carbon in Soils

Soil carbon is newly refined as ~32,000 Gt C (gigatonnes) over ten times previous totals. Soil organic carbon (SOC) of ~22,000 Gt C plus plants at ~2,400 Gt C in both above- and below-ground stocks hold 99% of Earth’s biomass. Occupying a topographic surface area of 25 Gha with mean depth 21 m, soil has more organic carbon than all plants, oceans, fossil fuels, or the atmosphere combined. Soils are both the greatest biotic carbon store and the most active CO2 source. Basic inventory is required for proper understanding and utilization of Earth’s natural resources, especially with increasing soil degradation and species loss. Values are raised considerably, the disparity due to lack of full soil depth survey, neglect of terrain and of other omissions. Herein new totals are determined for mineral soils, permafrost, and peats (of all forms and ages), to full depth (easily doubling shallow values) and allowing for terrain that is ignored in all terrestrial models (doubling most values again), plus SOC in recalcitrant glomalins (~30%) and friable saprock (+26%). Additionally, soil inorganic carbon (SIC), aquatic sediments and dissolved fractions are factored in. Soil biota (e.g. fungi, bacteria and earthworms) are similarly upgraded. Primary productivity, also upped for terrain, is confirmed at 220 Gt C/yr on land supported by C/O isotope fluxes. Priority issues of species extinction, humic topsoil loss, and excess atmospheric CO2 are all remedied by SOC restoration and biomass recycling via (vermi-)compost for use in 100% organic husbandry and adoption of wider practices of Permaculture based upon scientific observation of Nature.