Soil Hydraulic and Thermal Properties of a Highly Weathered Biochar Amended Soil.

The soils of the southeastern United States intrinsically exhibit little ability to retain nutrients due to their mineralogy. Furthermore, years of conventional tillage practices coupled with cropping practices that return low amounts of residue to the soil has led to a deterioration of soil health. Biochar, a product of the pyrolysis process, has been identified as a soil amendment and a potential tool for climate change mitigation through the sequestration of carbon in soil. The application of biochar, a black, low density material, could potentially impact soil physical properties that affect the movement of heat and water in soil. The effect of biochar on soil hydraulic and thermal properties has not been studied thoroughly. The objective of this experiment was to compare soil hydraulic and thermal properties for a highly weathered soil amended with different amounts of biochar. Measurements of soil thermal properties, saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, and soil water retention will be reported.