Application of biochar and nitrogen influences fluxes of CO2, CH4and N2O in a forest soil.
Nitrogen (N) fertilization of forests for increasing carbon sequestration and wood volume is expected to influence soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially to increase N2O emissions. As biochar application is known to affect soil GHG emissions, we investigated the effect of biochar application, with and without N fertilization, to a forest soil on GHG emissions in a controlled laboratory study. We found that biochar application at high (10%) application rates increased CO2and N2O emissions when applied without urea-N fertilizer. At both low (1%) and high biochar (10%) application rates CH4consumption was reduced when applied without urea-N fertilizer. Biochar application with urea-N fertilization did not increase CO2emissions compared to biochar amended soil without fertilizer. In terms of CO2-eq, the net change in GHG emissions was mainly controlled by CO2emissions, regardless of treatment, with CH4and N2O together accounting for less than 1.5% of the total emissions.
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: ihawthor@eos.ubc.ca.
Iain
I
Hawthorne
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Mark S
MS
Johnson
Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Rachhpal S
RS
Jassal
Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
T Andrew
TA
Black
Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Nicholas J
NJ
Grant
Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Sean M
SM
Smukler
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005308:Fertilizers; D065928:Forests; D008697:Methane; D009584:Nitrogen; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D012987:Soil
D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D009584:Nitrogen; D008697:Methane
Biochar; Carbon sequestration; Forest soil; Global warming potential; Greenhouse gas flux; Nitrogen fertilizer