Biochar reduces soil heterotrophic respiration in a subtropical plantation through increasing soil organic carbon recalcitrancy and decreasing carbon-degrading microbial activity

Li, Yongchun; Chang, Scott X.; Yang, Yunfeng; Fu, Shenglei; Jiang, Peikun; Luo, Yu; Yang, Meng; Chen, Zhihao; Hu, Shuaidong; Zhao, Mengxing; Liang, Xue; Xu, Qiufang; Zhou, Guomo; Zhou, Jizhong

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.04.019

Cited by 173 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…In our experiment, we observed a positive exponential relationship between CO 2 fluxes and the temperature in biochar-amended soils. This relation was typically observed in forest and plantation ecosystems [25,26,30,37,38]. The absence of a significant modification of the Q after the application of biochar (Figure 1, Table 2) was coherent with what was observed in previous studies with different biochars and application rates [26,37,39].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Effect of Woodchips Biochar on Sensitivity to Temperature of Soil Greenhouse Gases Emissions

Criscuoli

Ventura

Sperotto

et al. 2019

Forests

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Research Highlights: Biochar is the carbonaceous product of pyrolysis or the gasification of biomass that is used as soil amendment to improve soil fertility and increase soil carbon stock. Biochar has been shown to increase, decrease, or have no effect on the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from soil, depending on the specific soil and biochar characteristics. However, the temperature sensitivity of these gas emissions in biochar-amended soils is still poorly investigated. Background and Objectives: A pot experiment was set up to investigate the impact of woodchips biochar on the temperature sensitivity of the main GHG (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions from soil. Materials and Methods: Nine pots (14 L volume) were filled with soil mixed with biochar at two application rates (0.021 kg of biochar/kg of soil and 0.042 kg of biochar/kg of soil) or with soil alone as the control (three pots per treatment). Pots were incubated in a growth chamber and the emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O were monitored for two weeks with a cavity ring-down gas analyzer connected to three closed dynamic chambers. The temperature in the chamber increased from 10 °C to 30 °C during the first week and decreased back to 10 °C during the second week, with a daily change of 5 °C. Soil water content was kept at 20% (w/w). Results: Biochar application did not significantly affect the temperature sensitivity of CO2 and N2O emissions. However, the sensitivity of CH4 uptake from soil significantly decreased by the application of biochar, reducing the CH4 soil consumption compared to the un-amended soil, especially at high soil temperatures. Basal CO2 respiration at 10 °C was significantly higher in the highest biochar application rate compared to the control soil. Conclusions: These results confirmed that the magnitude and direction of the influence of biochar on temperature sensitivity of GHG emissions depend on the specific GHG considered. The biochar tested in this study did not affect soil N2O emission and only marginally affected CO2 emission in a wide range of soil temperatures. However, it showed a negative impact on soil CH4 uptake, particularly at a high temperature, having important implications in a future warmer climate scenario and at higher application rates.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Effect of Woodchips Biochar on Sensitivity to Temperature of Soil Greenhouse Gases Emissions

Criscuoli

Ventura

Sperotto

et al. 2019

Forests

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“…An increasing number of studies have been focusing on soil organic C (SOC) sequestration and stabilization in forests over recent decades, as small changes in SOC storage could have substantial influence on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (Li et al, 2018;Qin et al, 2019;van Groenigen, Qi, Osenberg, Luo, & Hungate, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forest soils contain large amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (C). An increasing number of studies have been focusing on soil organic C (SOC) sequestration and stabilization in forests over recent decades, as small changes in SOC storage could have substantial influence on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (Li et al., 2018; Qin et al., 2019; van Groenigen, Qi, Osenberg, Luo, & Hungate, 2014). However, to date, how SOC forms and stabilizes in forest soils remain largely unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vertical distribution and control of microbial necromass carbon in forest soils

Liao

Tan

et al. 2020

Global Ecol. Biogeogr.

105

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Aim Forest soils contain large amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (C), but the formation pathway of soil organic C (SOC) remains unclear. Recent evidence suggests that microbial necromass is a significant source of SOC, yet a global quantitative assessment across the whole soil profile is lacking. We aimed to assess the vertical distribution and control of microbial‐derived SOC in forest soils. Location Global forests. Time period 1996–2019. Major taxa studied Soil microbial necromass carbon. Methods We evaluated the proportions of fungal and bacterial necromass C in total SOC in the litter layer, O horizon soil, and various depths of mineral soil in forests using microbial biomarker (glucosamine and muramic acid) data. Results The total microbial necromass C increased significantly with soil depth, ranging from 30% of SOC in O horizon soil to 62% of SOC in mineral soils below 50 cm. However, only bacterial necromass C followed this increasing trend with soil depth; fungal necromass C showed little variation across the whole soil profile. Higher fungal and bacterial necromass C was observed in soils with lower C/N ratios and smaller aggregate sizes. Soil C/N ratio and microbial biomass C dominantly determined microbial necromass C in surface soil (above 20 cm), but soil clay content was the primary factor in subsoil (below 20 cm). Main conclusions Microbial necromass C accounted for high percentages of the total SOC in forest soils (particularly at depths >20 cm), but its long‐term stabilization may be governed by different mechanisms at different soil horizons. Substrate quality regulates microbial activity and then controls biomass turnover in surface soil, while aggregate occlusion facilitates mineral protection of microbial necromass C in subsoil. These differential controls of microbial‐derived organic C could be applied in Earth system studies for predicting soil organic C dynamics in forests.

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“…An exponential function and a linear function were used to fit the relationship between Rs and soil temperature, and Rs and soil moisture, respectively [39]. Cumulative soil CO 2 efflux was calculated as described by Li et al [40]. The effects of treatments on Rs, soil temperature, moisture, and litterfall were determined by repeated measures ANOVAs with least significant difference (LSD) tests.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Elevated CO2 Concentration and Nitrogen Addition on Soil Respiration in a Cd-Contaminated Experimental Forest Microcosm

Yao

Yang

et al. 2020

Forests

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Forests near rapidly industrialized and urbanized regions are often exposed to elevated CO2, increased N deposition, and heavy metal pollution. To date, the effects of elevated CO2 and/or increased N deposition on soil respiration (Rs) under heavy metal contamination are unclear. In this study, we firstly investigated Rs in Cd-contaminated model forests with CO2 enrichment and N addition in subtropical China. Results showed that Rs in all treatments exhibited similar clear seasonal patterns, with soil temperature being a dominant control. Cadmium addition significantly decreased cumulative soil CO2 efflux by 19% compared to the control. The inhibition of Rs caused by Cd addition was increased by N addition (decreased by 34%) was partially offset by elevated CO2 (decreased by 15%), and was not significantly altered by the combined N addition and rising CO2. Soil pH, microbial biomass carbon, carbon-degrading hydrolytic enzymes, and fine root biomass were also significantly altered by the treatments. A structural equation model revealed that the responses of Rs to Cd stress, elevated CO2, and N addition were mainly mediated by soil carbon-degrading hydrolytic enzymes and fine root biomass. Overall, our findings indicate that N deposition may exacerbate the negative effect of Cd on Rs in Cd-contaminated forests and benefit soil carbon sequestration in the future at increasing atmospheric CO2 levels.

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Biochar reduces soil heterotrophic respiration in a subtropical plantation through increasing soil organic carbon recalcitrancy and decreasing carbon-degrading microbial activity

Cited by 173 publications

References 95 publications

Effect of Woodchips Biochar on Sensitivity to Temperature of Soil Greenhouse Gases Emissions

Effect of Woodchips Biochar on Sensitivity to Temperature of Soil Greenhouse Gases Emissions

The vertical distribution and control of microbial necromass carbon in forest soils

Effects of Elevated CO2 Concentration and Nitrogen Addition on Soil Respiration in a Cd-Contaminated Experimental Forest Microcosm

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