Biochar: References
This is a small selection of references on biochar (agrichar) to get familiar with the main findings, ordered by topic area:
Biochar effects on soil fertility
Glaser, B., Lehmann, J. and Zech, W.: 2002, ‘Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal - a review', Biology and Fertility of Soils 35 , 219-230.
Lehmann, J., da Silva Jr., J.P., Steiner, C., Nehls, T., Zech, W. and Glaser, B.: 2003a, ‘Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendments', Plant and Soil 249 , 343-357.
Lehmann, J. and Rondon M.: 2006, 'Bio-char soil management on highly weathered soils in the humid tropics', In: Uphoff N et al. (ed.) Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems. CRC Press, Boca Raton , FL. pp.517-530.
Liang, B. , Lehmann, J., Solomon, D., Kinyangi, J., Grossman, J., O'Neill, B., Skjemstad, J.O., Thies, J., Luizão, F.J., Petersen, J. and Neves, E.G.: 2006, 'Black carbon increases cation exchange capacity in soils', Soil Science Society of America Journal
70: 1719-1730.
Biochar and climate change
Lehmann, J. 2007 A handful of carbon. Nature 447, 143-144.
Lehmann, J., Gaunt, J. and Rondon, M.: 2006, 'Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems – a review', Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
11, 403-427.
Okimori, Y., Ogawa, M. and Takahashi, F.: 2003, ‘Potential of CO2 emission reductions by carbonizing biomass waste from industrial tree plantation in south Sumatra , Indonesia ', Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 8 , 261-280.
Seifritz, W.: 1993, ‘Should we store carbon in charcoal?', International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 18, 405-407.
Yanai, Y., Toyota, K. and Okazani, M.: 2007, 'Effects of charcoal addition on N2O emissions from soil resulting from rewetting air-dried soil in short-term laboratory experiments. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 53, 181-188.
A book on "Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology" (J. Lehmann and S. Joseph, eds.) is currently in progress and is scheduled to appear in late 2008. This book is intended to cover the widest possible range of science and application of biochar as a soil amendment.
Biochar effects on soil biology
Warnock, D.D., Lehmann, J., Kuyper, T.W. and Rillig, M.C.: 2007, 'Mycorrhizal responses to biochar in soil – concepts and mechanisms', Plant and Soil 300, 9-20.
Black carbon in general
Czimczik, C.I. and Masiello, C.A.: 2007, 'Controls on black carbon in soil', Global Biogeochemical Cycles 21, GB3005.
Masiello, C.A.: 2004, 'New directions in black carbon organic geochemistry', Marine Chemistry 92, 201-213.
Preston, C.M. and Schmidt, M.W.I.: 2006, 'Black (pyrogenic) carbon: a synthesis of current knowledge and uncertainties with special consideration of boreal regions', Biogeosciences 3, 397-420.
Schmidt, M.W.I. and Noack, A.G.: 2000, 'Black carbon in soils and sediments: Analysis, distribution, implications, and current challenge', Global Biogeochemical Cycles 14, 777-793.
Biochar symposia:
Symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on "Amazonian Dark Earths - New Discoveries" in February 2006.
Symposium and Workshop at the World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS) "Amazonian Dark Earth Soils (Terra Preta and Terra Preta Nova): A Tribute to Wim Sombroek" and Workshop "Bio-char as a Soil Amendment - Research Priorities and Challenges" in July 2006.
On April 29-May 2, 2007, the International Agri-char Initiative (IAI), founded at the WCSS in 2006, held its first international meeting in Terrigal, Australia. Read more about it under http://www.iaiconference.org/. Information about the presentations will be posted there and some information can be found here.
Biochar and Terra Preta in the popular press:
Numerous articles, radio and tv shows featured terra preta and biochar in recent years. A combined set of media coverage on biochar and Terra preta over the past years can be found on our web page On the Media. Especially in the wake of our presentations at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in January 2006 and at the World Congress of Soil Science in July 2006, several articles appeared in the press.
