Fire-derived organic carbon in soil turns over on a centennial scale

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Abstract

Pyrogenic carbon (PyC), the residue of an incomplete combustion of biomass, is considered as a carbon (C) sink due to its assumed stability in soil. PyC turnover time estimated using two modelling approaches, based on data from 16 published studies (n=54) on PyC degradation, ranged from a decadal to centennial time scale, varying with initial biomass type, pyrolysis temperature, and incubation or field study. The average turnover time using a one-pool approach was 88 y, and the best estimate using a two-pool approach was 3 y for a fast-cycling pool and 870 y for a slow-cycling pool. Based on this meta-analysis, PyC cannot be assumed to persist in soils for thousands of years, and its use as a strategy for offsetting carbon emissions requires prudence and further research. © 2012 Author(s). CC Attribution 3.0 License.

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Singh, N., Abiven, S., Torn, M. S., & Schmidt, M. W. I. (2012). Fire-derived organic carbon in soil turns over on a centennial scale. Biogeosciences, 9(8), 2847–2857. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-2847-2012

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