The idea that decomposers that consumer the wood's carbon just die and release it is foolish. These decomposers are at the base of a complex food web that moves that carbon through a huge network. I haven't seen a study to quantify the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere, but it is an important question. I have seen many studies trying to get at the question of how much carbon is incorporated into the soil, but each situation is so different that it is hard to get a clear answer.

The idea that decomposers that consume the wood's carbon just die and release it is foolish. These decomposers are at the base of a complex food web that moves that carbon through a huge network. I haven't seen a study to quantify the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere, but it is an important question. I have seen many studies trying to get at the question of how much carbon is incorporated into the soil, but each situation is so different that it is hard to get a clear answer.