Functions of Biochar in Carbon Emission and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 September 2024 | Viewed by 1075
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Applying biochar to soil would be one of the cheapest and most promising options for mitigating climate change through stable and long-term carbon sequestration. Biochar is widely applied in agriculture, and many studies have shown the effects of biochar input on soil and plant growth. However, the potential for carbon sequestration using biochar in forest ecosystems (which can fix vast amounts of organic carbon in both plant biomass and soil) has not been fully tested. This Special Issue aims to collect and organize information on the effects of biochar application on various components of forest ecosystems, and to provide an outlook on the potential for carbon sequestration with biochar in forest ecosystems. In recent years, large-scale field biochar application experiments have been conducted in forest ecosystems, and the results of these studies will provide useful information on more realistic ecosystem responses that could not be revealed only through laboratory experiments. This Special Issue invites papers which focus on biochar applications in forest ecosystems. In particular, we welcome papers that demonstrate the effects of field biochar application experiments on ecosystem components or ecosystem functions. Papers on laboratory experiments conducted on forest soils or tree species are also included.
Dr. Shinpei Yoshitake
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biochar
- carbon cycle
- carbon sequestration
- plant growth
- soil microbes
- soil nutrients
- primary production
- soil organic matter
- organic matter decomposition
- forest management
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Decrease in inorganic nitrogen and net nitrogen transformation rates with biochar application in a warm-temperate broadleaved forest
Authors: Natsumi Yasuki; Wakana Saso; Hiroshi Koizumi; Yasuo Iimura; Toshiyuki Ohtsuka; Shinpei Yoshitake
Affiliation: Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
Abstract: Biochar application in forests is predicted to contribute to indirect carbon sequestration by stimulating an increase in primary production. In the present study, we examined the effects of woody biochar application on soil nitrogen (N) cycling during 8 months in a warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest. Mineral soil samples were collected from the plots treated with different biochar applications (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha−1) and the soil inorganic N concentration was measured. Net mineralization and nitrification rates were determined in each plot using the resin–core method. Soil temperature and water content did not change significantly, but the pH increased significantly following biochar application. Soil inorganic N concentrations (NH4+ and NO3−) and net N transformation rates (mineralization and nitrification rates) were significantly reduced. Microbial biomass and the nitrification ratio (the ratio of nitrification rate to mineralization rate) were unchanged, indicating that the decrease in soil inorganic N concentration was due to the reduced mineralization rate. Adsorption of substrates (from organic matter) by the applied biochar is the most likely reason for reduction in the N mineralization rate. The results indicate that biochar application does not necessarily stimulate N transformation, which will affect indirect carbon sequestration.
