Biochar application can mitigate NH3 volatilization in acidic forest and upland soils but stimulates gaseous N losses in flooded acidic paddy soil - Research portal of Justus Liebig University Giessen:

Journal article

Biochar application can mitigate NH3 volatilization in acidic forest and upland soils but stimulates gaseous N losses in flooded acidic paddy soil

Authors list: Chu, Cheng; Dai, Shenyan; Meng, Lei; Cai, Zucong; Zhang, Jinbo; Müller, Christoph

Publication year: 2023

Journal: Science of the Total Environment

Volume number: 864

ISSN: 0048-9697

eISSN: 1879-1026

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161099

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract:
Biochar (BC) has attracted attention for carbon sequestration, a strategy to mitigate climate change and alleviate soil acidification. Most meta-analyses have insufficiently elaborated the effects of BC on soil N transformation so the prac-tical importance of BC could not be assessed. In this study, a 15N tracing study was conducted to investigate the effects of BC amendment on soil gross N transformations in acidic soils with different land-use types. The results show that the BC amendment accelerated the soil gross mineralization rate of labile organic N to NH4+ (MNlab) (3 %-128 %) which was associated with an increase in total nitrogen. BC mitigated NH3 volatilization (VNH3) (52 %-99 %) in upland and forest soils due to NH4+/NH3 adsorption, while it caused higher gaseous N losses (NH3 and N2O) in flooded paddy soils. An important function was the effect of BC addition on NH4+ oxidation (ONH4). While ONH4 increased (4 %-19 %) in upland soils, it was inhibited (34 %-71 %) in paddy soils and did not show a response in forest soils. Overall, the BC amendment reduced the potential risk of N loss (PRL), especially in forest soils (82 %-98 %). This study also shows that the BC effect on soil N cycling is land-use specific. The suitability of practices including BC hinges on the effects on gaseous N losses.

Authors/Editors

- Uni.-Prof. Ph.D. Christoph Müller

Citation Styles

Harvard Citation style: Chu, C., Dai, S., Meng, L., Cai, Z., Zhang, J. and Müller, C. (2023) Biochar application can mitigate NH3 volatilization in acidic forest and upland soils but stimulates gaseous N losses in flooded acidic paddy soil, Science of the Total Environment, 864, Article 161099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161099

APA Citation style: Chu, C., Dai, S., Meng, L., Cai, Z., Zhang, J., & Müller, C. (2023). Biochar application can mitigate NH3 volatilization in acidic forest and upland soils but stimulates gaseous N losses in flooded acidic paddy soil. Science of the Total Environment. 864, Article 161099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161099

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