原文摘要 | Biochar is organic matter that has undergone combustion under low to no oxygen conditions (i.e., pyrolysis) resulting in a recalcitrant, high carbon material specifically for use as a soil amendment. Recently, fervent interest in the production of biochar to address issues of fertility, water holding capacity, remediation, climate change mitigation, etc., led to much greater understanding of the complexities of this potential amendment in altering soil biological, chemical, and physical properties. Rather than assume benefit of any biochar created from any feedstock added to any soil ecosystem, concepts of matching appropriate feedstock and pyrolysis condition to soil type to achieve specific goals associated with remediation, increasing yields, decreasing greenhouse gas emission, and/or climate change mitigation emerged. The potential for biochar to improve both environmental and economic viability remains but should be explored fully in a integrative analysis of waste-stream management, local biochar production capacity, realized improvement in soil function, etc., with an economic benefit-cost and net greenhouse warming potential analysis of the system. |