BioCharCrust – Application of Biocrust Inoculum and Biochar for Soil Bioremediation
Previously industrially developed land that is no longer in use and that may be potentially contaminated represents an increasing problem. In Europe and North America alone, 3.5 million of such ‘brownfield’ sites remain ignored. This is problematic not only because these sites are supposedly contaminated by hazardous waste but also because their abandonment means a significant loss of potentially productive land that may otherwise be used for sustainable agriculture, as a carbon sink or to host diverse wildlife. Brownfield land rehabilitation requires physical and biological regeneration of the local soils.
This project brings together scientists from the fields of physical soil amendments, namely, Biochar, and biological soil restoration in the context of induced biological soil crusts. Biological soil crusts are conglomerates of early successional organisms such as green algae, cyanobacteria, mosses, lichens, fungi and other soil microbiota. These communities play an important role in revitalising barren soil surfaces by enhancing water retention, stabilising loose soil particles and creating a fertile substrate for higher plants to thrive upon. Biochar, on the other hand, is a charcoal-like substance that is made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes. When incorporated into the soil, Biochar can improve the soil’s physical properties by enhancing soil structure, increasing water retention and aggregation, decreasing acidity and reducing soil salinity. Because Biochar is made from organic material, Biochar application is a carbon-negative process, which means that atmospheric CO2 is stored in the soil.
This project aims to investigate the potential of different soil amendments for the improvement of soil health and if they can be effectively combined and as a tool for ecosystem restoration.