Biochar and the soil ecosystem
- Thematic Strategy:
- Soils
- Key Staff:
- Dr. Saran P. Sohi, Dr. Andrew Cross , Teri Angst , Maria Borlinghaus, Tom Maxfield, Gary McClean
This research area focuses on the impact of biochar on plants (growth, resistance to disease, roots), the microbial community and soil fauna, and soil biogeochemical cycling - linking biochar properties and characteristics with the complex and dynamic soil environment.
Relevant Projects:
- A biological perspective: Impacts of biochar on the health of cereal crops
- Ageing patterns for biochar in the field
- BIOMAC project (EU Horizon 2020)
- Biochar and plant-soil interactions
- Biochar field trials in the UK
- Biochar in Forestry
- Biochar: Socio-economic and biophysical “fit”
- C-Sink project (EU Horizon Europe)
- Carbo-BioCrop: Carbon balance under perennial bioenergy crops
- EU COST Action
- Establishing effects of biochar on carbon dynamics in the field
- MSc / BSc Module: Novel Strategies for Soil Carbon Storage
- NEWS India-UK network
- Scottish Biofuel Programme
- Taking commercial apple production to Net Zero
- Use of biochar in management of organic amendments in grassland agriculture
Publications:
Prendergast-Miller, M. and Sohi, S.P. (2010) Charcoal effects on plant roots: implications for biochar. Poster presented at the 2nd UKBRC Conference, Rothamsted, UK.
Shackley, S., Sohi, S.P., Ibarrola, R.E., Hammond, J., Masek, O., Brownsort, P., Cross, A., Prendergast-Miller, M., Haszeldine, S. 2012, Biochar, Tool for Climate Change Mitigation and Soil Management. In: R Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Springer Verlag, New York, pp. 913-961 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5770-1_6
Sohi SP, McDonagh J, Novak J, Wu W and Miu L. Biochar systems and system fit. 2015. In: J Lehmann, S Joseph (Eds) Biochar for Environmental Management, 2nd Edition. Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp 737-761
Crombie, K., Mašek, O., Cross, A., Sohi, S.P.. 2014. Biochar–synergies and trade‐offs between soil enhancing properties and C sequestration potential. GCB Bioenergy 7:1161–1175
McClean GJ, Meredith W, Cross A, Heal KV, Bending GD, Sohi SP. 2015. The priming potential of environmentally weathered pyrogenic carbon during land-use transition. GCB Bioenergy doi:10.1111/gcbb.12293
Andert J, Mumme J. 2015. Impact of pyrolysis and hydrothermal biochar on gas-emitting activity of soil microorganisms and bacterial and archaeal community composition. Applied Soil Ecology 96:225-239
Shepherd JG, Buss W, Sohi SP and Heal KV. 2017. Bioavailability of phosphorus, other nutrients and potentially toxic elements from marginal biomass-derived biochar assessed in barley (Hordeum vulgare) growth experiments. Science of the Total Environment 584/5:448–457
Jing F, Sohi SP, Liu Y and Chen J. 2018. Insight into mechanism of aged biochar for adsorption of PAEs: Reciprocal effects of ageing and coexisting Cd2+. Environmental Pollution 242:1098-1107
Ma S, Jing F, Sohi SP and Chen J. 2019. New insights into contrasting mechanisms for PAE adsorption on millimeter, micro- and nanoscale biochar. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26: 18636–18650.
Sykes AJ, Macleod M, Eory V, Rees RM, Payen F, Myrgiotis V, William M, Sohi SP, Hillier J, Moran D, Manning DAC, Goglio P, Seghetta M, Williams A, Harris J, Dondini M, Walton J, House J and Smith P. 2020. Characterising the biophysical, economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology. Global Change Biology 26: 1085-1108.
Borges BMMN, Strauss M, Camelo PA, Sohi SP & Franco HCJ. 2020. Re-use of sugarcane residue as a novel biochar fertiliser - Increased phosphorus use efficiency and plant yield. Journal of Cleaner Production https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121406
Angst, T.E., Six, J., Reay, D.S., Sohi, S.P. (2014) Impact of pine chip biochar on trace greenhouse gas emissions and soil nutrient dynamics in an annual ryegrass system in California. Agroecosystems and the Environment 191:17-26
Jeffery, S., Bezemer, T.M., Cornellisen, G., Kuyper, T.W. Lehmann, J., Mommer, L., Sohi, S.P., Van De Voorde, T.F.J., Wardle, D.A., Van Groenigen, J.W. (2013) The way forward in biochar research: targeting trade-offs between the potential wins. GCB Bioenergy 7:1161–1175
Prendergast-Miller, M., Duvall, M., Sohi, S.P. (2013) Biochar−root interactions are mediated by biochar nutrient content and biochar impacts on soil nutrient availability. European Journal of Soil Science 65:173-185
Hammond J 2010. Advancing the science and evaluating biochar systems, write up of the 2nd UKBRC Annual Conference, UKBRC Working Paper 6.
Sohi SP, Shackley SJ, Haszeldine RS, Manning D and Mašek O 2009. Biochar, reducing and removing CO2 while improving soils:A significant and sustainable response to climate change. Evidence submitted to the Royal Society Geo-engineering Climate Enquiry, UKBRC Working Paper 2
Shackley SJ and Sohi SP (eds) 2010. An assessment of the benefits and issues associated with the application of biochar to soil. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, UK.
Prendergast-Miller M and Sohi SP 2010. Investigating biochar impacts on plant roots and root carbon. Poster presented in the Organic Matter Stabilization and Ecosystem Functions session at Soil Organic Matter Conference, Cote d'Azur, France (Sept. 2010).
Oliver, I., Cross, A., Searl, A., Shackley, S., Smith, C., Sohi, S. The State of Scotland's Soil: Emerging Issues, SEPA, 2011
Cross, A., Sohi, S.P. (2011) The priming potential of biochar products in relation to labile carbon contents and soil
organic matter status, Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 43: 2127-2134Prendergast-Miller M.T., Duvall, M., Sohi, S.P. (2011) Localisation of nitrate in the rhizosphere of biochar-amended soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43: 2243-2246
Cross, A., Sohi, S.P. (2013) A method for screening the relative long-term stability of biochar, GCB Bioenergy, 5:215-220
Sohi, S.P. (2013) Pyrolysis bioenergy with biochar production – greater carbon abatement and benefits to soil, GCB Bioenergy, 5:i-iii
Angst, T.E., Patterson, C.J., Reay, D.S., Anderson, P., Peshkur, T.A., Sohi, S.P. (2013) Biochar diminishes nitrous oxide and nitrate leaching from diverse nutrient sources. Journal of Environmental Quality 42:672-82
Harnessing green tide Ulva biomass for carbon dioxide sequestration. Park, Jihae; Lee, Hojun; De saeger, Jonas et al.
In: Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, 02.09.2024.