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Biochar Properties Microbes & Climate Research report in professional journal Biogeochemistry Centre for Environmental Research, Switzerland Hyphomicrobium Helmholtz bacteria (yellow) grow on solid surfaces & Technical grains. University of Dresden, Germany University of Stockholm, Sweden When bacteria cells die, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany they deform or fragment Leibniz University, Hanover, Germany until only cell envelopes remain.remnants to soil fertility are underestimated Contributions of bacteria Most plant debris in fertile soil is rapidly processed by microbes (bacteria) Small fragment shells It was assumed Soil Organic Matter is thus, mostly decomposed plant matter leading to(red) more bacteria and more cell fragments. form This micro-particle matrix in soils. which converts to humic substances results in directly more Soil Organic Matter. Lab experiments and field tests refute this. Although most organic carbon is produced mainly by plants, Easily degradable plant matter is converted to microbe biomass, a large part is residues of bacteria and fungi. which then provides source material to Soil Organic Matter This underscores the importance of bacteria in all types of soil. 40% of microbe biomass is converted to Soil Organic Matter Further, of microbes are important global Remains dead bacteria are far for greater in climate: soils than previously assumed. Decay of organic matter results in mineralization + CO2 + H2O CO2Organic escapingMatter annually to the atmosphere from decaying Organic Matter Soil is the largest fraction of carbon in theSoil biosphere, is inplays the same range as and annual greenhouse gas emissions. and key roles in of soilscale fertility agricultural yields. Microbes also a key factor to control CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. PHOTO: Burkhard Schmidt-Brücken Thus, progress in climate protection isn’t achievable without first protecting soil. Material Science/TU Dresden Climatic change can be slowed or accelerated, according Institute to soilofmanagement COLOR: Christian Schurig/ UFZ Biochar Properties Bacteria & Biochar Spores of G. Margarita germination higher than on soil Dr. Makato Ogawa 1991 biochar provides preferred habitat for soil microbes residential refuges for micro-orgamisms PHOTO: Makato Ogawa, Japan, 1991 Biochar Properties Bacteria & Biochar 3-fold increase Bacteria populations show sharp increase after charcoal addition Beijerinckia & Ogawa 1992 Biochar Properties Bacteria & Nitrogen Cycle Molybdenum nitrogenase enzyme • Rhizobia (symbiotic) • Frankia (symbiotic) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria • Azotobacters (free-living) • Azospirilim (free-living) Amino Acid synthesis Amino Acid conversion Protein digestion: proteolase Reduction Oxidation Cation+/Anion− Conversion Biochar Properties Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria effect on soybean root growth & nodules PHOTO: M. Ogawa, Kansai Environmental, Japan Biochar Properties Microbial Colonization Diversity Down Below Andrew M. Sugden Ecology: Ecol. Monogr. 84, 3 (2014) Despite a surge of research recently, challenges to soil biologists remain daunting. Even basic biodiversity below ground—species diversity and distribution —remains far more obscure than for life above the soil surface. Soil fungi are a case in point: key component of soil ecosystems, its global species diversity has been estimated by various methods. Fungi communities are highly structured, based on pH, soil horizon, species, and other conditions of the understory plant community. Fungi study in Alaskan boreal forest soils suggests previous estimates of diversity at .5 to 1.5 million species need to be revised upward. DNA data from fungal samples found over 1000 discrete fungal taxa— many more than estimated from non-molecular data. A fungus:plant ratio of 17:1 extrapolates to at least 6 million fungal species globally. This suggests 98% of fungi have yet to be discovered.