Biochar application to temperate grasslands: challenges and opportunities for delivering multiple ecosystem services.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Soil Science

Background:

• Grasslands cover a significant portion of the Earth's land surface and are crucial for ecosystem services, including storing substantial soil organic carbon (SOC).
• While research on carbon sequestration often targets croplands, grasslands present a distinct opportunity for increasing carbon storage, particularly with emerging technologies like biochar.
• The global imperative to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 necessitates exploring all viable carbon sequestration strategies, including those in grassland ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the potential of biochar as a technology for enhancing carbon stocks in various grassland types (natural, semi-natural, improved).
• To identify and analyze the practical, economic, social, and legislative challenges hindering the widespread adoption of biochar in grasslands.
• To assess the impact of biochar application on ecosystem service provision across different grassland management and soil profiles.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of existing scientific literature on biochar application in grasslands.
• Assessment of biochar's applicability to diverse grassland types and its potential effects on ecosystem services.
• Analysis of various biochar application techniques, including topsoil and subsoil incorporation.

Main Results:

• Biochar presents a potential avenue for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in grasslands.
• Significant practical, economic, social, and legislative challenges impede the widespread implementation of biochar technology in these ecosystems.
• The net effect of biochar on ecosystem services requires careful consideration, especially in managed grasslands.

Conclusions:

• The central question remains whether managed grasslands can increase carbon storage without negatively impacting other ecosystem services.
• Future research must adopt a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to fully understand biochar's role in grassland carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation.
• Addressing the identified challenges is crucial for unlocking the potential of biochar as a climate change mitigation tool in grasslands.