Gross N transformations and N2O fluxes in biochar-amended soils

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Claudia Kammann
• Subject Area: Soil Sciences
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213625207

Recently, the application of biochar to soils has been discussed as a win-win-win strategy to improve soil fertility, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to enable CO2-negative energy production from renewable feedstock. First results suggest that biochar application affects the N transformations in the soil – The interactions between biochar and soil N transformations are still poorly understood. The aim of this project is to quantify the simultaneously occurring gross N transformations and sources of N2O fluxes in soils after biochar application. The methodology developed by C. Müller and established at the Department of Plant Ecology (15N labeling-tracing-modeling) [2-5] will be used to investigate the effect of biochar on soil N dynamics. Three 15N-tracing studies will be conducted to evaluate the short-term, intermediate and longer-term effects of biochar on N dynamics: (1) a study using 15N-labelled biochars (adapt technique for biochar); (2) a study examining intermediateterm effects in a biochar-hydrochar field study that started in April 2011 at the Dept. of Plant Ecology, and (3) a study in an European field experiment where fully randomized biochar plots were installed in 2009. The study is designed in such a way that Bachelor- and Master studies will address certain aspects in support of the main study. A process-based understanding of the soil N dynamics is key to evaluate if biochar may be a suitable global-change mitigation tool.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants