Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - 9:00 AM
10-03
Biochar for environmentally-friendly bioenergy
Johannes Lehmann, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, 909 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853
Incorporating biochar into soils that was produced during pyrolysis for bioenergy, offers a means of energy production with a net carbon removal from the atmosphere. As well as providing energy and a stable long term carbon sink, biochar is able to improve soils that are at risk of becoming degraded by maximizing biomass off-take. Biochar has properties that sets it apart from returns of uncharred plant litter or composts and manures. Biochar is able to retain nutrients better than other types of organic matter in soil, potentially improving soil productivity and additionally reducing emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide from agricultural soils. This presentation will give an introduction to biochar, covering the ancient carbon-rich soils of the Amazon as well as its potential future application within the context of modern bioenergy production.