Biochar carbon sequestration potential rectification in soils: Synthesis effects of biochar on soil CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions

Lin Wang; Dingjiang Chen; Lizhong Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167047

Biochar carbon sequestration potential rectification in soils: Synthesis effects of biochar on soil CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O emissions

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 15:904:167047. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167047. Epub 2023 Sep 15.

Authors

Lin Wang¹, Dingjiang Chen¹, Lizhong Zhu²

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China.
² College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China. Electronic address: zlz@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 37716679
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167047

Abstract

Biochar production and its soil sequestration are promising ways to mitigate global warming. Effects of biochar on soil CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O release have been studied extensively. In contrast, few studies have comprehensively quantified and synthesized the effect of biochar on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and coupled it to the calculation of carbon sequestration potential. This study obtained the influence coefficient of biochar on soil GHG release relative to biochar carbon storage potential in soils under different environmental conditions, by literature statistics and data transformations. Our results showed that the overall average effect of biochar on soil CO₂, CH₄, N₂O and CO_2e release observed in our databases would compensate the potential of biochar soil carbon storage by -2.1 ± 3.3 %, 13.1 ± 9.8 %, -1.6 ± 8.6 % and 5.3 ± 11.4 %, respectively. By combining biochar induced soil GHG emission reduction mechanism and results from our literature statistics, some specific application environmental scenarios (such as biochar with high pyrolysis temperature of 500-600 °C, application in flooded soils, application in straw-return scenarios, etc.) were recommended, which could increase the actual carbon sequestration potential of biochar by an average of about 43.3 ± 30.2 % relative the amount of carbon buried. Our findings provide a scientific basis for developing a precise application strategy towards large scale adoption of biochar as a soil amendment for climate change mitigation.

Keywords: Biochar; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sequestration; Methane; Nitrous oxide; Soil.