Biochar application during reforestation alters species present and soil chemistry

Does Biochar Improve Establishment of Tree Seedlings in Saline Sodic Soils?

“…Lashari et al, 2013;Thomas et al, 2013). Biochar application during reforestation, however, is known to improve species diversity (Drake et al, 2015). There have been no tests of benefits of biochar addition to improve the success (growth, condition or nutrition of plants) of reforestation and particularly not on saline sodic soils, despite likely positive benefits as shown in crop plants.…”

Examining the Potential of Forest Residue-Based Amendments for Post-Wildfire Rehabilitation in Colorado, USA

“…The abundance of native shrubs and high forb cover in the biochar plus mulch treatment is indicative of greater nutrient demand, litter inputs, and soil stabilization. Given our initial findings, the combined treatment appears likely to favor continued establishment of plants adapted to the soil nutrient and microclimatic and plant competition levels characteristic of the uniform soil organic layers found in mature forests [65–67]. …”

“…Wood mulch is gaining favor for post-fire rehabilitation since it persists longer than agricultural mulch and is commonly available [10, 15, 55, 59]. Biochar is becoming more widely available for forest application [70] and forest restoration [30, 66, 67]. Application of wood and straw mulch in post-fire forest settings is commonplace, but techniques for handling and applying biochar developed for agriculture will require modification to function under the emergency post-fire response conditions or complex rocky terrain that typify forest landscapes.…”

Agronomic and environmental effects of land application of residues in short-rotation tree plantations: A literature review

“…In eucalypts as well as in poplar plantations, biochar application was beneficial for stand yield, stimulating both aboveground biomass production [113] and the number of stems produced [114]. Soil C sequestration was greatly improved [115].…”