[Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil

[Richard Haard]

Hi Sean

This conversation got my interest because I am interested to learn  
what is the background  carbon as (C) in soils. I have yet to raise  
this question with my soil science lab , UMass but my soil analysis of  
the charcoal enriched replications of my experiment is showing higher  
numbers for soil OM. It will be nice to answer this question of where  
this is coming from.

I have run across a number of papers where they have done analysis of  
background soil carbon levels and even if it costs a few bucks this  
analysis would tell you where the soils you are treating are coming  
from. I visited a forest fire site in eastern Washington specifically  
to collect charcoal and to observe the conditions for my own interest.  
What happened though was this fire, in the very dry eastern Washington  
climate burned down to mineral soil, and the only charcoal was a thin  
crust on standing dead trees -essentially none.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rchaard/811783245/in/ 
set-72157594444994347/  {back to primary succession}

The same is true in prairie fires as when I was living in eastern  
Kansas where they did regular burns to stimulate growth for livestock  
forage , what I saw was ash and very little charcoal.

If you visit the hot, dry desert areas say the Sonoran desert of  
Arizona you will see the fate of dead plant material on the soil  
surface is different from cooler, temperate areas. It oxidizes on the  
surface and there is no zone of decomposition and enrichment of the  
upper soil horizons. This is likely the situation in hot, dry areas of  
Australia.

Rich

On Dec 1, 2007, at 7:36 AM, Sean K. Barry wrote:

> Hi Michael,
>
> Poor Mr. Skjemstad.  He must not be a soil scientists or a plant  
> physiologist (or a good one of either?).  Plants don't ever use  
> carbon from soil.  Plants only respire carbon in the form of Carbon  
> Dioxide-CO2 from the air.  Little does he realize that carbon in  
> soil in the form of charcoal in the soil is likely the best form it  
> could be in.  Charcoal in soil aids the fertility of the soil by  
> helping the microorganisms to hold more nutrients.  Charcoal in soil  
> is highly resilient.  By Mr. Skjemstad's account, charcoal is still  
> in the Australian soil from bushfires which occurred tens of  
> thousands of years ago!
>
> Perhaps Mr. Skjemstad would enjoy a subscription to the 'terrapreta'  
> list?  Maybe he could help us learn how to convert mere "charcoal in  
> soil" into Terra Preta soil, which is "ALIVE" and promotes the  
> growth of plants above.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael Bailes
> To: Sean K. Barry ; Terrapreta
> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil
>
> I posted this last June on the original Hypography TP thread
> "
> Famous last words??
>
> Quote:
> CSIRO MEDIA RELEASE 97/58
> 3 April 1997
>
> LEGACY OF A THOUSAND BUSHFIRES
>
> Australia's soil is even poorer than was thought, says CSIRO Land  
> and Water researcher Jan Skjemstad. Much of our small supply of  
> carbon - an essential element in fertile soil - is in the form of  
> useless charcoal, resulting from tens of thousands of years of  
> bushfires.
>
> "The charcoal is mostly carbon, but it is in a form which can't be  
> used by plants or soil organisms," said Mr Skjemstad. "
>
> So they must have away of measuring soil carbon?
>
> How do they distinguish from char and decaying vegetable matter?
>
> Perhaps you could Ask Adiana when she comes back.
>
>
> On 01/12/2007, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com> wrote:
> Hi Rick,
>
> I think you just weigh the biochar/agrichar/charcoal one would make,  
> estimate the carbon content at 90%.  Maybe the payer would then  
> certify that the charcoal was then put into soil before they pay the  
> amount of that weight?  Let's assume you could not get paid if you  
> put the charcoal in the soil first.  Paid only for the fixed carbon  
> weight in the raw charcoal (if it can be weighed first), and then  
> only when its verifiably buried.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
>
> Michael the Archangel
>
> "You can fix all the world's problems in a garden. . . .
> Most people don't know that"
> FROM
> http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf
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