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Functions of Biochar in Carbon Emission and Carbon Sequestration in...
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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: closed (26 September 2024) | Viewed by 5257

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shinpei Yoshitake

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0056, Japan
Interests: carbon cycle; soil microbiology; succession; biochar; forest ecosystem ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biochar
  • carbon cycle
  • carbon sequestration
  • plant growth
  • soil microbes
  • soil nutrients
  • primary production
  • soil organic matter
  • organic matter decomposition
  • forest management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2738 KiB  
Article
Effects of Wood-Derived Biochar on Soil Respiration of a European Beech Forest Under Current Climate and Simulated Climate Change
by Andrea Vannini, Debora Tarasconi, Federico Pietropoli, T’ai Gladys Whittingham Forte, Filippo Grillo, Michele Carbognani and Alessandro Petraglia
Forests 2025, 16(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030474 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 932
Abstract
Biochar (BCH) amendments represent a valuable strategy for increasing forest carbon stock, but their effects on soil respiration of beech forests under climate change are largely unknown. We conducted a short-term mesocosm experiment investigating the impact of BCH applications (0%, 10%, 20%, and [...] Read more.
Biochar (BCH) amendments represent a valuable strategy for increasing forest carbon stock, but their effects on soil respiration of beech forests under climate change are largely unknown. We conducted a short-term mesocosm experiment investigating the impact of BCH applications (0%, 10%, 20%, and 50%, v/v) on respiration of a European beech forest soil in N-Italy. The experiment, carried out in Parma, was conducted under both ambient and modified climatic conditions, involving higher soil temperatures (c. +1 K) and reduced precipitation (−50%). The experiment was performed during autumn 2022 and repeated in spring 2023, periods representing late and early summer, respectively. Soil respiration significantly increased with BCH applications when compared to controls, irrespective of the percentage applied. The highest values were recorded in the 20% amendment, while values were significantly lower in BCH 50%, similar to those recorded in BCH 10%. Although soil respiration and soil temperature were positively correlated, no effect of simulated warming was observed. No effects of precipitation reduction were also found, despite respiration being significantly influenced by soil moisture. These results provide an initial insight into the potentially negligible impact of BCH applications on soil respiration in European beech forests under both current and future climate scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Biochar in Carbon Emission and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems)
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23 pages, 3757 KiB  
Article
Biochar Addition Increased Soil Carbon Storage but Did Not Exacerbate Soil Carbon Emission in Young Subtropical Plantation Forest
by Nan Sun, Binoy Sarkar, Saiqiang Li, Youhua Tian, Longbing Sha, Yongchao Gao, Xu Luo and Xiaodong Yang
Forests 2024, 15(6), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060917 - 24 May 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1699
Abstract
Forests play a crucial role in mitigating global warming, contributing approximately 46% of the global terrestrial carbon sink. However, it remains uncertain whether the addition of biochar to forests enhances the ecosystem’s carbon sink capacity. This study aims to address this scientific question [...] Read more.
Forests play a crucial role in mitigating global warming, contributing approximately 46% of the global terrestrial carbon sink. However, it remains uncertain whether the addition of biochar to forests enhances the ecosystem’s carbon sink capacity. This study aims to address this scientific question by investigating whether biochar application increases carbon storage, potentially leading to an overall rise in carbon emissions by influencing soil respiration and identifying the underlying mechanisms. A controlled experiment was conducted in a young plantation forest that had grown for three years, where soil CO2 efflux rate and physicochemical properties, photosynthesis, and plant growth traits were measured across varying biochar addition rates (0, 5, and 10 t/ha) over five seasons. Then, statistical methods including one-way ANOVA, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to assess differences in biological and abiotic factors among biochar addition gradients and understand the influencing mechanisms of soil CO2 efflux change. The findings revealed that biochar addition significantly increased the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), consequently promoting photosynthesis and plant growth (p < 0.05). Biochar addition accounted for 73.8% of the variation in soil CO2 efflux by affecting soil physicochemical properties, photosynthesis, and plant basal diameter growth. However, the net effect of biochar addition on soil CO2 efflux was found to be low. The positive effects of biochar addition on soil CO2 efflux via factors such as soil bulk density, total nitrogen (TN), MBC, and photosynthesis were counteracted by its negative impact through soil total phosphorus (TP), water content, pH, SOC, and plant basal diameter growth. Overall, our findings indicate that there was no significant increase in soil CO2 efflux in the short term (totaling 16 months) over the biochar addition gradient. However, we observed a substantial increase in soil carbon storage and an enhancement in the soil’s capacity to act as a carbon sink. Therefore, adding biochar to forests may be a feasible strategy to increase carbon sinks and mitigate global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Biochar in Carbon Emission and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems)
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11 pages, 1761 KiB  
Article
Decrease in Inorganic Nitrogen and Net Nitrogen Transformation Rates with Biochar Application in a Warm-Temperate Broadleaved Forest
by Natsumi Yasuki, Wakana Saso, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yasuo Iimura, Toshiyuki Ohtsuka and Shinpei Yoshitake
Forests 2024, 15(3), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030572 - 21 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1745
Abstract
Changes in soil nutrient dynamics after biochar application may affect indirect carbon sequestration through changes in plant productivity in forest ecosystems. In the present study, we examined the effects of woody biochar application on soil nitrogen (N) cycling over 8 months in a [...] Read more.
Changes in soil nutrient dynamics after biochar application may affect indirect carbon sequestration through changes in plant productivity in forest ecosystems. In the present study, we examined the effects of woody biochar application on soil nitrogen (N) cycling over 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 the reduction in the N mineralization rate. The results indicate that biochar application does not necessarily stimulate N transformation, which will affect indirect carbon sequestration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Biochar in Carbon Emission and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems)
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