Biochar addition drives soil aggregation and carbon sequestration in aggregate fractions from an intensive agricultural system

Purpose Biochar application is deemed to modify soil properties, but current research has been mostly conducted on the degraded land in tropical regions. Using six consecutive years of biochar field trial, we investigated effects of biochar on soil aggregates, structural stability, and soil organic carbon (SOC) and black C (BC) concentrations in aggregate fractions. The findings have important implications in managing soil structure and SOC sequestration in high fertility soils of the temperate areas. Materials and methods The study had four treatments: control; biochar rate at 4.5 (B4.5) and biochar rate at 9.0 t ha −1 year −1 (B9.0); and straw return (SR). Soil samples were collected from 0–10-cm layer, and aggregate size distribution was determined with the wet-sieving method. Then, the mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates and the aggregate ratio (AR), i.e., the ratio of the >250 μm to the 53–250 μm size were calculated to assess the structural stability. Total SOC and BC concentrations in bulk soil (2000, 250–2000, 53–250, and 2000, 250–2000, and 53–250 μm) and BC in extracted fractions under biochar soils were observed. These results implied that biochar addition enhanced both native SOC and BC physical protection by aggregation. Conclusions Biochar application is effective in mediating soil aggregation, and thus improves both native SOC and BC stabilization in an intensive cropping system of North China.