The effects of biochar on soil denitrification and n2o emissions from denitrification: a meta-analysis

ZHU Xun, LIU Qi, YUAN Xinyi, ZHOU Sijing, DAI Wenya, GUOYuyan

Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (Natural Sciences Edition） ›› 0

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南京林业大学学报（自然科学版）
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Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (Natural Sciences Edition） ›› 0 DOI: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202507031

The effects of biochar on soil denitrification and n2o emissions from denitrification: a meta-analysis

  • ZHU Xun, LIU Qi*, YUAN Xinyi, ZHOU Sijing, DAI Wenya, GUOYuyan
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Abstract

【Objective】Soil denitrification is a major source of global nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Although biochar, as an emerging soil amendment, has been shown to significantly influence soil denitrification, its effects on denitrification rates and the heterogeneous patterns of N2O emissions derived from denitrification remain unclear, limiting its scientific application in greenhouse gas mitigation practices.【Method】 Based on data extracted from 86 published research articles, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively assess the effects of biochar application on soil denitrification rate, the abundance of denitrification-related functional genes, and denitrification-derived N2O emissions.【Result】Compared with the control treatment without biochar application, biochar application significantly increased soil denitrification rate by 12%, and significantly enhanced the abundances of nirK and nirS genes by 20% and 26%, respectively. Moreover, biochar significantly increased the abundance of the nosZ gene, thereby promoting the reduction of N2O to N2, which led to a 54% decrease in the product ratio of N2O/(N2O+N2). Consequently, biochar application reduced average N2O emissions from denitrification by 45% and increased average N2 emissions by 48%. Further analysis revealed that the mitigation effect on denitrification-derived N2O emissions was more pronounced under the following conditions: biochar derived from wood or straw feedstock, produced via high-temperature pyrolysis (>400°C), applied at a rate of 20-80 t/ha, and added to soils with acidic pH (<7), loamy texture, or relatively high soil organic carbon content (SOC > 10 g/kg).【Conclusion】This study identifies the optimal combination of biochar properties and application conditions for mitigating denitrification-derived N2O emissions, providing a theoretical basis for the effective use of biochar in regulating agricultural soil N2O emissions.

Key words

biochar / denitrification rate / N2O / heterogeneity / Influencing factors

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ZHU Xun, LIU Qi, YUAN Xinyi, ZHOU Sijing, DAI Wenya, GUOYuyan. The effects of biochar on soil denitrification and n2o emissions from denitrification: a meta-analysis[J]. Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (Natural Sciences Edition）. 0 https://doi.org/10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202507031

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