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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Biochar stimulates the decomposition of simple organic matter and suppresses the decomposition of complex organic matter in a sandy loam soil
Global change biology. Bioenergy, Vol.9(6), pp.1110-1121
2017
Abstract
Incorporating crop residues and biochar has received increasing attention as tools to mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and promote soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, direct comparisons between biochar, torrefied biomass, and straw on both labile and recalcitrant soil organic matter (SOM) remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored the impact of biochars produced at different temperatures and torrefied biomass on the simple C substrates (glucose, amino acids), plant residues (Lolium perenne L.), and native SOM breakdown in soil using a 14 degrees C labeling approach. Torrefied biomass and biochars produced from wheat straw at four contrasting pyrolysis temperatures (250, 350, 450, and 550 degrees C) were incorporated into a sandy loam soil and their impact on C turnover compared to an unamended soil or one amended with unprocessed straw. Biochar, torrefied biomass, and straw application induced a shift in the soil microbial community size, activity, and structure with the greatest effects in the straw-amended soil. In addition, they also resulted in changes in microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) leading to more substrate C being partitioned into catabolic processes. While overall the biochar, torrefied biomass, and straw addition increased soil respiration, it reduced the turnover rate of the simple C substrates, plant residues, and native SOM and had no appreciable effect on the turnover rate of the microbial biomass. The negative SOM priming was positively correlated with biochar production temperature. We therefore ascribe the increase in soil CO2 efflux to biochar-derived C rather than that originating from SOM. In conclusion, the SOM priming magnitude is strongly influenced by both the soil organic C quality and the biochar properties. In comparison with straw, biochar has the greatest potential to promote soil C storage. However, straw and torrefied biomass may have other cobenefits which may make them more suitable as a CO2 abatement strategy.
Details
- Title
- Biochar stimulates the decomposition of simple organic matter and suppresses the decomposition of complex organic matter in a sandy loam soil
- Authors/Creators
- Hongguang Cheng - Bangor UniversityPaul W. Hill - Bangor UniversityMohd Saufi Bastami - Bangor UniversityDavey L. Jones - Bangor University
- Publication Details
- Global change biology. Bioenergy, Vol.9(6), pp.1110-1121
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- SKLEG15902 / Opening Fund of the State Key Environmental Geochemistry NY [2012] 3019 / Key Agriculture R&D Program of Guizhou Province Welsh European Funding Office, under the SEREN program
- Identifiers
- 991005560443207891
- Copyright
- © 2016 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.1903 Biochar
- Web Of Science research areas
- Agronomy
- Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
- Energy & Fuels
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences