Biochar
Natural climate solutions are conservation, restoration, and improved land management actions that increase carbon storage or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in landscapes and wetlands across the globe.
Biochar is one of many natural climate solutions. It is solid carbon produced by the pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of oxygen. It stores carbon for millennia, increases water retention in soils, and increases soil microbes that are beneficial to plant growth.
Why It’s Important
The production of biochar from waste biomass through pyrolysis results in a beneficial soil amendment that sequesters carbon.
Pyrolyzing invasive Scotch broom, harvest slash, and young stand thinning biomass results in lower greenhouse gas and particulate (PM) emissions.
Practical Applications
The invasive plant, Scotch broom, has many highly flammable oils and resins. When combined with its ability to form dense monocultures, it presents a large fire hazard to our Pacific Northwest forests. Additionally, fire scarifies Scotch broom seeds and promotes germination. The clearing and subsequent conversion of Scotch broom into biochar reduces wildfire hazard and creates a sustainable soil amendment.
