Incorporating biochar into forest management practices to deliver carbon benefits

Abstract

Forests play a critical role in regulating global levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The carbon that trees absorb from the atmosphere provides the backbone for plant tissues, such as wood, leaves, roots, etc. However, as a fundamental part of the carbon cycle, when a tree or branch falls in the forest, the stored carbon is released back to the atmosphere through decomposition. Depending on the size and type of biomass, as well as climate, this decomposition process can take weeks to centuries. For common forms of woody slash, much of the stored carbon returns to the atmosphere in less than 10 years. This decadal timescale for decomposition may seem like an opportunity to bolster carbon storage. However, this timescale is still far too short to support our need for a sustained drawdown of atmospheric carbon.

Citation

Pierson, Derek. 2024. Incorporating biochar into forest management practices to deliver carbon benefits. Summer 2024. Western Forester. 69(2): 20-21.