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Biomass burning in tropical forests-the normal practice to prepare land for agriculture and ranching-has been a major source of CO 2 emitted to the atmosphere. Mass transformations by burning are still little studied in the tropics. The present study estimated parameters, such as the stock of carbon contained in the biomass, burning efficiency and the formation of charcoal and ashes in a tropical moist forest. Two sets of plots arranged in the form ofstars'(720m 2 total) were installed in a 3.5 ha area of forest that had been felled for planting pasture at Fazenda Nova Vida, Ariquemes, Rondonia. Eachstar'had six rays measuring 2mx30m; alternating rays were designated for pre-burn and post-burn measurements. All above-ground biomass present in the plots was weighed directly before the burn in the pre-burn rays and after the burn in the post-burn rays. Pieces of wood with diameter=< 10cm also had their biomasses …