Table 6 Dynamics of soil microbial communities with the application of biochar
Biomass for biochar synthesis | Biochar application rate/dose | Soil type | Dynamics of soil microorganisms | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bacteria | Fungi | Â | |||
Corn straw | 9.0 tons/hectare/year | Agricultural soil | Major bacterial phyla include Actinobacteria and Firmicutes | Major fungi phyla include Ascomycota and Basidiomycota | |
Fruit tree branches | 2% (w/w) | Agricultural soil | Dominant phyla: Actinobacteriota (38.0%), Proteobacteria (27.0%), Chloroflexi (11.0%), Acidobacteriota (6.1%), and Firmicutes (4.2%) | Dominant phyla: Ascomycota (50.0%), Olpidiomycota (26.0%), Basidiomycota (12.0%), and Mortierellomycota (8.9%) | |
Biogas residues | 4% (w/w) | Sandy loam Alfisol | Higher relative abundance (29.57–30.41%) of phyla Actinobacteria in biochar treated soil than control systems without biochar (16.64–24.80%) | NA | |
Walnut shells, corn cobs, corn stems, and rice straw | 2.5% (w/w, equivalent to 39 tons/hectare) | Surface soil from an indigenous coking area, unfavorable for growth of some plants | Top three phyla: Actinobacteria (29–52%), Proteobacteria (20–34%), Chloroflexi (12–24%) | Top three phyla: Ascomycota (73–96%), Ciliophora (1.0–13%) and Chytridiomycota (0.27–11%) | |
Corn cobs | 30 tons/hectare | Haplic Acrisols | Abundance of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria increased by 1.7 and 1.5 folds, respectively | Abundance of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi increased by 4.5 folds. Soil fungal abundance rose by 5.4 folds | |
Holm oak chips | 20 tons/hectare/year | Soil with a loam texture | Actinobacteria phylum was the most dominant (38.5%). Acidobacteria abundance was significantly reduced by biochar treatment | Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum (89.7%). Abundance of Chytridiomycota was significantly reduced by biochar treatment | |
Wheat straw | 20 or 40 tons/hectare | Agricultural soil | Dominant phyla: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria (total abundance: > 80%). Abundances of Actinobacteria and Chlorobi with 40 tons/hectare were significantly reduced by 21% and 35% | Ascomycota was dominant phylum in the non-treated soils with abundance of 74.5% and reduced to 66.3% in the biochar added soils at 40 tons/hectare. The phylum Zygomycota abundance rose by 43% and 147% in biochar applied soils at 20 and 40 tons/hectare | |
Wheat straw | 40 tons/hectare | Rice paddy soil (sandy loam soil) | Changes in abundance of Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria was observed | Changes of Ascomycota and Glomeromycota was observed | |
