Biochar and earthworm effects on soil nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions
Abstract
Biochar is the product of pyrolysis produced from feedstock of biological origin. Due to its aromatic structure and long residence time, biochar may enable long-term carbon sequestration. At the same time, biochar has the potential to improve soil fertility and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. However, the effect of biochar application on GHG fluxes from soil must be investigated before recommendations for field-scale biochar application can be made. A laboratory experiment was designed to measure carbon dioxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (NO) emissions from two Irish soils with the addition of two different biochars, along with endogeic (soil-feeding) earthworms and ammonium sulfate, to assist in the overall evaluation of biochar as a GHG-mitigation tool. A significant reduction in NO emissions was observed from both low and high organic matter soils when biochars were applied at rates of 4% (w/w). Earthworms significantly increased NO fluxes in low and high organic matter soils more than 12.6-fold and 7.8-fold, respectively. The large increase in soil NO emissions in the presence of earthworms was significantly reduced by the addition of both biochars. biochar reduced the large earthworm emissions by 91 and 95% in the low organic matter soil and by 56 and 61% in the high organic matter soil (with and without N fertilization), respectively. With peanut hull biochar, the earthworm emissions reduction was 80 and 70% in the low organic matter soil, and only 20 and 10% in the high organic matter soil (with and without N fertilization), respectively. In high organic matter soil, both biochars reduced CO efflux in the absence of earthworms. However, soil CO efflux increased when peanut hull biochar was applied in the presence of earthworms. This study demonstrated that biochar can potentially reduce earthworm-enhanced soil NO and CO emissions. Hence, biochar application combined with endogeic earthworm activity did not reveal unknown risks for GHG emissions at the pot scale, but field-scale experiments are required to confirm this.
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Biochar reduced earthworm-induced N2O fluxes.
“The study by Augustenborg et al. [52] found biochar reduced earthworm-induced N2O fluxes”
From A Review of Biochar and Soil Nitrogen Dynamics (2013) · cites this paper as [52]
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- Authors
- Augustenborg, C. A., Hepp, S., Kammann, C., Hagan, D., Schmidt, O., & Müller, C.
- Affiliations
- University College Dublin (IE)
- The Glenside Group, Block 2, Unit 4, Bandeath Industrial Estate, Throsk; Stirling FK7 7XY Scotland
- Corresponding author
- Kammann, Claudia
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Quality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-07
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1203-1209
- ISSN
- 0047-2425 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1974419396
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 13.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Quality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Irish National Development Plan
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Keywords
- biochar, endogeic earthworms, nitrous oxide emissions, CO2 emissions, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, soil organic matter, soil carbon sequestration
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Carbon Dioxide, Charcoal, Nitrous Oxide, Oligochaeta, Soil
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