Oil mallee biochar improves soil structural properties—A study with x-ray micro-CT
•An oil mallee (OM) biochar modified structure in a Ferralsol and a Vertisol.•An OM biochar had little influence on structure of an Arenosol.•A Ferralsol showed temporal increase in μ-CT porosity with OM biochar content.•An OM biochar improved drainage and reduced water filled pore space in a Vertis...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2014-06, Vol.191, p.142-149 |
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Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | •An oil mallee (OM) biochar modified structure in a Ferralsol and a Vertisol.•An OM biochar had little influence on structure of an Arenosol.•A Ferralsol showed temporal increase in μ-CT porosity with OM biochar content.•An OM biochar improved drainage and reduced water filled pore space in a Vertisol.•An OM biochar improved the water-holding capacity of an Arenosol.
Employing x-ray computed tomography (μ-CT), we examined the impact of an oil mallee (OM) biochar, at concentrations of 0%, 1% and 5% (w/w), on soil structural traits in three soil types (Vertisol, Ferralsol and Arenosol). The biochar was pyrolysed at a maximum temperature of 550°C, sieved to between 250μm and 2mm prior to amending the soils, had an internal porosity of 75% (v/v) and an organic carbon (Corg) content of 60%. Soil structure was quantified, at a resolution of 70μm, by measuring μ-CT porosity, mean pore radius, fractal dimension and connectivity of the pore space. Addition of 5% OM biochar resulted in higher μ-CT porosity (i.e. ≥70μm) in the Vertisol (p |
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ISSN: | 0167-8809 1873-2305 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.agee.2014.03.022 |