We measured how Amazon rainforest soils release and uptake compounds commonly produced by plants across seasons, including the severe 2023 El Niño drought. Soils took up isoprene most in the afternoon of dry seasons, while emissions of very reactive sesquiterpenes peaked during the drought. Removing the leaf litter changed which compounds transferred to and from the soil. These soil exchanges, though small compared to the canopy, can shape air chemistry near the ground and influence soil biota.