Biochar Today’s Post

Biochar from Gleditsia japonica shells enhances phosphorus availability and soil quality in reconstructed mine soils, despite freeze-thaw cycles. The research highlights biochar's potential in ecological restoration and sustainable land reclamation practices. #Biochar #Pyrolysis #CarbonCapture

#ProtectSoil More than five times the carbon found in all of the world's vegetation combined is stored in soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Solid SIC, which often calcium carbonate has been identified in such large quantities for the first time in a new study. https://lnkd.in/euT64mex

I'm excited to share our latest research published in EJSS, exploring the dynamics of inorganic carbon in calcareous vineyard soils within temperate ecosystems—a critical but often overlooked area in the context of climate change. Our study reveals that in vineyards established on calcareous soils in southwest Germany, inorganic carbon significantly contributes to CO2 emissions, with abiotic sources accounting for up to 40% of total emissions at certain sites. These findings underscore the importance of including inorganic carbon in carbon footprint assessments, especially as we continue to refine sustainable agricultural practices. By differentiating between organic and inorganic CO2 sources, our research provides new insights that could enhance the accuracy of carbon storage evaluations and improve the sustainability of vineyard management practices. #ClimateChange #SustainableAgriculture #SoilScience #CarbonFootprint #Vineyards #EnvironmentalResearch

#soilcarbon sequestration has been a conversation for longer than I realized. From Jansen (2005): "Westman (1977) suggested that “To date, those concerned with quantifying and evaluating benefits of natural ecosystems to [humanity] have largely focused on the standing stocks of nature rather than the flows.” Does that apply also to our studies of soil C? Has our preoccupation now with ‘sinks’ and ‘sequestration’ and ‘capacity’ over-emphasized soils as ‘tanks’ for C? Have we been more intent on measuring how much C is there and where it resides, than in seeing how C atoms stream through the soil and what happens to them along the way? Maybe what is needed is more study of process than of structure, more study of dynamics than of capacity, more focus on dC/dt than merely on C." https://lnkd.in/gZVFmdxE #soilhealth

This study investigates using pristine and MnO2- and ZnO-modified biochar to immobilize heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni) in contaminated soils. Results show BC@MnO2 significantly reduces metal uptake and enhances ryegrass growth, offering an effective, cost-efficient solution for soil remediation.

This study delves into the two-year natural ageing process of soil and biochar interactions, investigating changes in physicochemical properties, competitive adsorption mechanisms, and heavy metal capacities. Results reveal dynamic shifts, emphasizing the need for optimal #biochar-#soil contact six months prior to crop planting for effective #heavymetal remediation. https://lnkd.in/gugVybCZ

Extension post: Which are the soil parameters #physical #biological #chemical used to measure soil resilience? and how much time is needed to restore soil functions? 📝 A scientific consensus exists with regard to the difficulty of measuring soil resilience, and this is a consequent result of the soil being heterogeneous in nature. 🏞 For this reason #chronosequences are used in ecological studies, they are defined as a series of sites that differ in age since abandonment or disturbance, occur on similar soil types and the same climatic zone under the same historic land use. 🔙 The #resistance and #resilience of organisms or processes in a disturbed soil is best considered by comparing their performance relative to that in an undisturbed soil. 📅 Soil bulk density requires around 53 years retirement period to restore soil’s uncultivated quality 📅Soil’s aggregate stability requires around 30 or fewer years 📅Water infiltration rates requires around 75 years 📅Soil respiration rates requires 53 years retirement period 📅Total microbial biomass recovery would need approximately 30 years 📅Approximately 128 years of perennial vegetation management would be necessary to achieve uncultivated SOC levels under current climatic conditions 🌡 What does this mean? Soil microbial biomass and aggregate stability are highly resilient parameters to intensive cropping Soil respiration rates and bulk density are moderately resilient SOC and water infiltration rate lack resilience References: Pey, S. L., & Dolliver, H. A. S. (2020). Assessing soil resilience across an agricultural land retirement chronosequence. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 75(2), 191–197. Image: personal, disturbed vs undisturbed/ cultivated vs uncultivated #agriculture #sustainability #ecology #stability #climatechange #soilhealth #soilcarbon #soilconservation #biodiversity #fao

Engineered landfill cover soils (LCS) offer a promising approach for mitigating methane (CH4) emissions from landfills. This study explored how manipulating the microbial communities within LCS, specifically methanotrophs (MOB), can optimize CH4 biofiltration efficiency. https://lnkd.in/gB7Ktgmt #Biochar #landfill #landfillgas #soil #methane #biofiltration #methanotroph #microbialdiversity

Carbon sequestration potential of biochar in soil from the perspective of organic carbon structural modification

Recent research explores the role of #biochar-generated free radicals in immobilizing potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in #soil-plant systems. Results indicate a rise in #freeradical concentration with biochar and #compost treatments, suggesting their crucial role in PTM immobilization, offering insights for sustainable soil management practices. https://lnkd.in/dJrM4T-r