Role of biochar in raising blue carbon stock capacity of salt marshes

Abstract

Salt marshes are an important blue carbon ecosystem, with surprisingly fast carbon accumulation rates that are 40 times higher than those of terrestrial forests. In recent decades, salt marshes have suffered great degradation and loss all over the world. The idea to enhance carbon stock in salt marshes (so-called blue carbon) using biochar (so-called black carbon) has recently been proposed. Although experiments and observations remain limited, significant enhancements in soil organic carbon and plant growth have been documented in most case studies. However, due to the limited number of observations and their relatively short time window ranging from months to less than one year, there still exists a knowledge gap regarding the process, mechanism, and effect of biochar in enhancing carbon stock in salt marshes. Future research is urgently needed in the following perspectives: 1) exploring the relationship between carbon stock enhancement efficiency and biochar properties, 2) optimizing the physical and chemical properties of biochar to boost its efficiency, and 3) studying the in-situ responses of complex carbon pools to biochar addition, especially under tidal conditions and over a longer period of time.