biochar root growth_and_rhizosphere_communities[linkedi]
DESCRIPTION
Biochar soil ecology overviewTRANSCRIPT
Biochar for crop growth and soil biodiversity
Melanie BennetUniversity of East Anglia
The gasification + combined heat and power generator at the University of
East Anglia
What is biochar?
Many micro-pores = large surface areaGood microbial habitat
Stable and inert in soilResists microbial decompositionRetains nutrients
Biochar benefits •Carbon mitigation/sequestration•Reduced GHG emissions•Geo-engineering tool (?)
•Better soil for crops•Better crop productivity•Higher fertiliser use efficiency•Conservation benefits (biodiversity)•Renewable energy
-CHP -Pyrolysis + gasification•Drawbacks (crops for energy prod.)
•Feedstock from waste•Livestock feed additive•Improves soil conditions•Land remediation• Invasive species
!!HOT TOPIC!!!Biochar will
save the planet?
Leached nutrients are harmful
phot
osyn
thes
is Respiration
CO2
Net atmospheric C withdrawal = 0%
phot
osyn
thes
is
CO2
pyrolysis25%
25%
Respiration
Carb
on re
leas
e 50
%
Carb
on re
leas
e 5%
Bioenergy: Carbon neutral(reduces emissions from fossil furls)
25%
Net carbon withdrawal from atmosphere: 20%
…with biocharThe Carbon Cycle
The On-Farm Carbon Cycle
CO 2CO2
C
Biomass CCO + HSyngas
Organisms present at the root-soil interface affect the flux of nutrients in the soil (C-N-GHGs)
Soil organisms help particle aggregation in soil (exudates)
Provide food for higher predators
Improve plant disease resistance via competitive interactions
Amino Acids
Higher plants
Higher animals
Amino Acids
Nitrifying bacteria(Nitrobacter)
Nitrifying bacteria(Nitrosomonas)
Ammonia, urea
Nitrite
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Atmospheric nitrogen
Bacterial function in soil
A gram of soil can contain approx.
1,000,000,000 fungi40,000,000,000 bacteria
Most microbial cells are inactive at any one time
Some cells can cause diseases such as tetanus
Many are very important for healthy soil ecosystem functioning
3 µ
m
Cytoplasm
DNA
Flagellum
Ribosome
Plasmid
Peptidoglycan
Cell wall
Bacterial form and function in soil
Microbial rhizophere community analysis
Microbial rhizophere community analysis
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