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Conversion of natural forests to agriculture in the humid tropics leads to a reduction in ecosystem carbon storage due to the immediate removal of aboveground biomass and a gradual subsequent reduction in soil organic carbon. A considerable part of soil carbon is protected from microbial attack by a range of physical and chemical mechanisms and is not sensitive to landuse change. We analyzed the soils data base for Sumatra (Indonesia) developed by the Center for Soil and Agroclimate Research (CSAR) to estimate effects of landuse on soil C content. Sumatra has a considerable diversity of soils ranging from those of recent origin in the highlands, to older sedimentary and heavily leached soils in the pedimont peneplain and large areas of wetland soils along the coast. Peat soils (Histosols) and other wetland soils (Aquic and Fluvic suborders) contain the greatest soil C reserves, followed by young volcanic …