Does biochar contribute to close nutrient cycles of tree plantations on degraded Ultisols in the Ecuadorian Amazonia?

Abstract

The use of biochar is expected to improve soil fertility and close nutrient cycles in degraded strongly weathered tropical soils. We, therefore, hypothesized that biochar amendment to tree plantations (a) increases nutrient fluxes with litterfall alone and with mineral fertilizer plus lime and (b) reduces N losses reflected by lower δ15N values of litterfall and soils than in unamended controls. We grew the native leguminous Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Ducke) Barneby and the exotic Gmelina arborea Roxb at two sites. We used a replicated full factorial split–split plot design of amendment of mineral fertilizer plus lime, 3 and 6 t ha−1 biochar, and a control. We collected litterfall biweekly (2012–2013) and topsoil samples (0–0.25 m) in 2009 before tree planting, in 2011 and 2013. Fertilizer plus lime increased the mean annual concentrations of P, Ca and Zn in litterfall but decreased that of Mn. At the same time, fertilizer plus lime increased the annual fluxes of nutrients, Na and Al with litterfall. During the dry season, biochar decreased the N concentration in litterfall and the K flux with litterfall. During the rainy season, biochar increased the concentrations of Ca and Zn in litterfall and their fluxes with litterfall. Biochar did not influence the δ15N values of soil and litterfall after 51 months of tree growth. Fertilizer plus lime decreased the δ15N values of soil, because of the lower δ15N value of the used urea (−0.30‰) than the soil (4.5‰–7.8‰). Moreover, fertilizer plus lime increased the δ15N values of litterfall, possibly because of enhanced 14N leaching from the N-rich canopies. The amendment of up to 6 t ha−1 biochar did not contribute to close nutrient cycles.