Abstract:
Objective Effects of biochar addition on the soil aggregates were analyzed for controlling erosion, maintaining permeability, and retaining water and nitrogen fertilizer on forestland.
Method In a one-year pot experiment, soil sample from a forestland in Fujian was used in treatments applying either no extra materials as control (CK), a chemical fertilizer (F), wood biochar along with a chemical fertilizer (MC), or straw biochar with a chemical fertilizer (JC). The chemical fertilizer contained 1 g of urea, 2.19 g of superphosphate, and 0.44 g potassium chloride. Biochar was added at 140 g per pot. Nitrogen fertilizer distribution in soil was visualized by analytical data, and a topdressing of 5 g 15N-urea included to trace nitrogen movements. Soil aggregation and aggregate stability were monitored.
Results (1) The content of macroaggregates in soil was significantly raised by MC or JC over F with the greatest effect on the aggregates larger than 2 mm—a 108.92 % increase by MC and 119.11 % by JC. (2) In comparison to F, the presence of biochar under MC and JC stabilized the aggregation structure with significantly higher indexes on MWD, GMD, and R>0.25 mm and lower D. Between the MC and JC treatments, the latter was superior to the former. (3) The biochar addition also heightened the total nitrogen content in soil aggregates of different sizes. The MC-treated soil had a higher content than the JC counterpart. The nitrogen contribution rate by larger-than-2 mm aggregates was significantly 38.09% more under MC and 69.10 % under JC than F. (4) When biochar was added, more δ15N was detected in the >0.25–2 mm aggregates. MC resulted in 2.25-fold, and JC 3.89-fold, of that of F. The nitrogen retention in large aggregates significantly correlated with the aggregate stability of soil.
Conclusion Application of biochar not only enhanced the stability of aggregates but also reduced nitrogen loss in soil at forestland. Nitrogen fertilizer was retained more effectively in macro- than micro-aggregates in soil. The straw biochar appeared to improve more on aggregate stability, while wood biochar more so on nitrogen retention.