Editing The Global Carbon Cycle (section)

=== Soil Organic Carbon ===
While above-ground biomass is highly visible, the vast majority of terrestrial carbon is stored below ground in the '''pedosphere''' (soils). When plants and animals die, their organic matter is broken down by decomposers. In warm, oxygen-rich environments, this decay rapidly returns CO2 to the air. However, in cold or waterlogged environments—such as peat bogs and Arctic permafrost—decomposition grinds to a halt. As a result, massive quantities of carbon have accumulated in permafrost soils over thousands of years, representing a critical, yet highly vulnerable, long-term carbon sink.