Katie Cordrey
Edit
| Embed Video: |  |
|
Terra Preta is dark soil that was created when ancient Amazonians disposed of waste by slow burning. While it was not created with an aim to help crop production, the soil is extremely fertile. Modern farmers are reaping the benefits. Biochar is the modern application of the ancient methodology called slash and char. Biochar captures airborne carbon and stores it in the ground, thus reducing greenhouse gases. Methane and nitrous oxide soil emissions are dampened as well. Not to be confused with slash-and-burn, where farmers release greenhouse gases when they prepare fields by cutting and burning, slash-and-char depends on a low-heat smoldering burn. It also occurs after naturally-occurring fires as they slowly burn out. The excellent video above explains biochar in great detail.  Biochar could be a useful long-term carbon storage option, especially because it can improve the fertility of the soil and enhance crop yields, according to Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Lehmann proposes that plant residue or crops grown for bioenergy could deliberately be turned into biochar as a way to store carbon, while making energy in the process.
(biochar-international.org)References: dsc.discovery, biochar-international.org Filed In: |
| Related |
|
Favorited by 
;showNav();changeOption('login');)
Log In ;changeOption('guest');)
Guest
Facebook ;changeOption('twitter');)
Twitter 
