Book contents
- BiocharA Regional Supply Chain Approach in View of Climate Change Mitigation
- Biochar
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Biochar in the View of Climate Change Mitigation: the FOREBIOM Experience
- Part I The Interdisciplinary Approach
- Part II Sustainable Biomass Resources
- Part III Biochar Production
- Part IV Biochar Application as a Soil Amendment
- 14 Biochar Applications to Agricultural Soils in Temperate Climates – More Than Carbon Sequestration?
- 15 Opportunities and Uses of Biochar on Forest Sites in North America
- 16 The Role of Mycorrhizae and Biochar in Plant Growth and Soil Quality
- 17 The Use of Stable Isotopes in Understanding the Impact of Biochar on the Nitrogen Cycle
- 18 Biochar Amendment Experiments in Thailand: Practical Examples
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
15 - Opportunities and Uses of Biochar on Forest Sites in North America
from Part IV - Biochar Application as a Soil Amendment
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 December 2016
- BiocharA Regional Supply Chain Approach in View of Climate Change Mitigation
- Biochar
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Biochar in the View of Climate Change Mitigation: the FOREBIOM Experience
- Part I The Interdisciplinary Approach
- Part II Sustainable Biomass Resources
- Part III Biochar Production
- Part IV Biochar Application as a Soil Amendment
- 14 Biochar Applications to Agricultural Soils in Temperate Climates – More Than Carbon Sequestration?
- 15 Opportunities and Uses of Biochar on Forest Sites in North America
- 16 The Role of Mycorrhizae and Biochar in Plant Growth and Soil Quality
- 17 The Use of Stable Isotopes in Understanding the Impact of Biochar on the Nitrogen Cycle
- 18 Biochar Amendment Experiments in Thailand: Practical Examples
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
Summary
Biochar may be useful for restoring or revitalizing degraded forest soils and help with carbon sequestration, nutrient leaching losses, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, biochar is not currently widely used on forested lands across North America. This chapter provides an overview of several biochar experiments conducted in North America and discusses the feasibility of using in-woods mobile pyrolysis systems to convert excess forest biomass into biochar. Biochar may be applied to forest sites in order to positively influence soil properties (nutrient leaching, water holding capacity), but its biggest benefit may be in facilitating reforestation of degraded or contaminated sites, and in sequestering carbon in soils. The majority of data on biochar applications on forest sites focus on seedling responses and short-term impacts on nutrients, soil physical properties and microbial changes. Long-term field research is necessary to determine water use, carbon sequestration, nutrient use, and greenhouse gas emissions, and the subsequent alteration of forest growth and stand dynamics.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- BiocharA Regional Supply Chain Approach in View of Climate Change Mitigation, pp. 315 - 335Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2016
References
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