Does soil degradation affect the climate?

The answer

Yes, it can. Soils hold a large store of carbon in organic matter, and disturbing or eroding them can release some of it to the atmosphere. The IPBES land degradation assessment estimated a drop of about 8% in global soil organic carbon over the past 200 years. Practices that build organic matter can help store carbon, though the amount varies with place and management and should not be overstated. Degradation also reduces the land's resilience to droughts and heavy rains.