Biochar and beneficial fungi work together to restore soils damaged by coal mining
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
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Synergistic enhancement of soil multifunctionality by biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi via improved nutrient supply in coal mining reclaimed soils
view moreCredit: Ying Dong, Lili Yang, Xia He, Yijie Quan, Yan Yang, Huijuan Bo, Wenjuan Jin, Dongsheng Jin, Jianghong Bo, Youcai Xiong, Bianhua Zhang, Wenjing Zhang, Qiang Zhang, Minggang Xu & Wei Wang
A three-year field study shows that pairing biochar with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can improve soil health, nutrient supply, microbial diversity, and maize productivity in reclaimed mining land
Coal mining can leave behind more than empty pits. It can strip land of vegetation, weaken soil structure, reduce organic matter, and make it difficult for crops and ecosystems to recover. A new three-year field study suggests that two nature-based tools, biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, may work together to help bring degraded mining soils back to life.
The study, published in Biochar, investigated how maize straw biochar and the beneficial fungus Funneliformis mosseae affected reclaimed coal-mining soil in Shanxi Province, China. The researchers compared four treatments: traditional planting without biochar or fungi, fungi alone, biochar alone, and a combined biochar plus fungi treatment.
Their results show that the combined treatment improved soil structure, increased nutrient availability, stimulated soil enzymes, reshaped microbial communities, and enhanced overall soil multifunctionality. The findings point to a practical strategy for restoring land that has been disturbed by mining and reused for agriculture.
“Mining reclamation is not only about covering disturbed land with soil. The real challenge is rebuilding a living soil system that can retain water, cycle nutrients, support microbes, and sustain crop growth,” said corresponding author Wei Wang. “Our study shows that biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can act together to accelerate that recovery.”
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating biomass under low-oxygen conditions. Because it is porous and chemically active, it can help soils hold water, improve aeration, and provide surfaces where nutrients and microbes can accumulate. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or AMF, form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, helping plants obtain nutrients and water while receiving carbon from the host plant.
In the field experiment, biochar was added to reclaimed soil and AMF was introduced around maize roots. The researchers found that the biochar plus AMF treatment reduced soil bulk density and increased soil porosity, creating a better physical environment for root growth. It also increased mycorrhizal colonization, fine root development, and soil pore volume.
The biological response was also striking. The combined treatment increased the activity of key soil enzymes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. Compared with untreated soil, the biochar plus AMF treatment increased sucrase, β-glucosidase, urease, cellulase, and other enzyme activities, indicating a more active soil biochemical environment.
The treatment also changed the soil microbiome. Bacterial and fungal diversity increased, and microbial groups associated with nutrient cycling became more abundant. These changes were closely linked with improvements in soil water content, porosity, organic carbon, available phosphorus, and enzyme activity.
Most importantly, the combined treatment produced the strongest gains in soil multifunctionality, a measure that integrates several soil functions such as productivity, structure, nutrient supply, microbial community performance, and enzyme activity. A random forest analysis showed that nutrient supply was the main driver of soil multifunctionality, while enzyme activity was the strongest contributor to maize productivity.
“Biochar creates a better habitat, while mycorrhizal fungi expand the plant’s ability to access nutrients,” said co-corresponding author Dongsheng Jin. “Together, they appear to build a stronger plant-soil-microbe network in reclaimed mining land.”
The authors note that coal gangue reclamation areas often face poor fertility, compacted soil, and unstable microbial communities. By combining biochar with AMF inoculation, land managers may be able to improve both crop production and ecological restoration.
The study provides evidence that integrated biochar and microbial approaches can serve as a sustainable, nature-based strategy for restoring degraded soils in mining regions.
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Journal Reference: Dong, Y., Yang, L., He, X. et al. Synergistic enhancement of soil multifunctionality by biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi via improved nutrient supply in coal mining reclaimed soils. Biochar 8, 104 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-026-00618-8
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About Biochar
Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.
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Journal
Biochar
Method of Research
Experimental study
Article Title
Synergistic enhancement of soil multifunctionality by biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi via improved nutrient supply in coal mining reclaimed soils
Article Publication Date
3-Jun-2026
Straw and biochar work together to reshape the molecular “architecture” of soil organic matter
A new study reveals how combining crop straw with biochar may help soils build humic substances that are both chemically active and structurally persistent
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Interactive effects of straw and biochar alter humic acid composition and component associations
view moreCredit: Rui Ma, Xiaodong Zheng, Yifeng Zhang, Xiang Li, Lan Wei, Lianxi Huang, Wenke Zhang, Qimei Lin, Zhenqing Shi & Zhongzhen Liu
Soil organic matter is often described as the foundation of soil fertility. It helps soils hold nutrients, retain water, support microbial life, and store carbon. Yet scientists are still working to understand how different farm-based carbon inputs, such as crop straw and biochar, change the molecular structure of soil organic matter over time.
A new study published in Biochar provides fresh insight into this question by focusing on humic acid, an important fraction of soil organic matter closely linked with soil fertility and long-term carbon stabilization. The research, led by Rui Ma and colleagues, examined how straw, biochar, and their combined application changed humic acid formation during a 180-day soil incubation experiment.
The results show that straw and biochar do more than simply add carbon to soil. Together, they reorganize the molecular building blocks of humic acid, creating a structure that combines chemical reactivity with potential persistence.
“Straw and biochar represent two very different carbon sources,” said the study’s corresponding authors. “Straw provides oxygen-rich and reactive compounds that can stimulate transformation, while biochar contributes more aromatic and persistent structures. Our findings show that their interaction can create a new humic acid architecture that is not achieved by either material alone.”
In the experiment, the researchers applied straw, biochar, or a straw-biochar mixture to agricultural soil and then extracted and analyzed humic acid after incubation. To capture its structure from multiple angles, the team used a suite of advanced tools, including elemental analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, solid-state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.
Biochar applied alone enriched humic acid in aromatic and structurally condensed components, features often associated with persistence. Straw applied alone increased oxygen-containing molecular groups, which are typically linked with higher chemical activity and biodegradability. When the two were applied together, however, the resulting humic acid showed a more complex and potentially beneficial balance.
The combined treatment enhanced radical concentration and chemical activity while shifting aromatic structures toward less highly condensed forms. This suggests that labile, oxygen-rich straw-derived components may be retained and reorganized within biochar-associated aromatic frameworks. In other words, straw contributed “active” molecular ingredients, while biochar helped provide a stabilizing matrix.
The study also used molecular network analysis to look beyond individual chemical indicators. This approach showed that straw-biochar co-application changed how humic acid components were connected and organized, indicating that the interaction between these materials reshapes the broader molecular network of soil organic matter.
These findings challenge the idea that soil organic matter must trade reactivity for stability. Instead, the study suggests that carefully combining organic inputs may help form humic materials that are both functionally active and more structurally persistent.
The authors note that the work was conducted under controlled incubation conditions using one soil type, so field validation across different soils, climates, and management systems will be important. Still, the findings provide a molecular-level explanation for why combining straw return with biochar amendment may be a promising strategy for improving soil quality and carbon management.
“Our study provides a new way to think about organic amendments,” the authors said. “Rather than treating straw and biochar as separate inputs, we can view them as interacting materials that jointly guide the formation of soil organic matter.”
The research offers theoretical support for designing soil management practices that improve fertility, enhance organic matter stability, and support more sustainable agricultural carbon cycling.
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Journal Reference: Ma, R., Zheng, X., Zhang, Y. et al. Interactive effects of straw and biochar alter humic acid composition and component associations. Biochar 8, 103 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-026-00622-y
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About Biochar
Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.
Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.
Journal
Biochar
Method of Research
Experimental study
Article Title
Interactive effects of straw and biochar alter humic acid composition and component associations
Article Publication Date
3-Jun-2026
From lavender waste to climate-smart carbon: New study maps practical windows for producing biochar
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
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Mechanism-resolved operating windows for biochar production from lavender distillation residue
view moreCredit: Ahsanullah Soomro, Anıl Tevfik Koçer, Mahdi Hassan & Didem Balkanlı
A new study shows how leftover lavender distillation residue can be converted into useful biochar through a science-guided process that balances product quality, energy use, and environmental impacts.
Lavender is widely known for its essential oil, used in fragrances, foods, cosmetics, and traditional products. Yet the oil extraction process leaves behind large amounts of solid plant residue. Much of this material is burned, landfilled, or used in low-value applications, despite its potential as a renewable carbon resource.
Now, researchers have developed a mechanism-resolved framework to help turn this underused lavender waste into biochar, a carbon-rich material with potential uses in soil improvement, carbon storage, renewable solid fuels, and environmental applications.
The study, published in Biochar, evaluated how different pyrolysis conditions affect biochar production from lavender distillation residue. Pyrolysis is a heating process carried out in limited oxygen. The team tested 13 operating conditions under nitrogen, covering temperatures from 200 to 600 °C, heating rates from 10 to 40 °C per minute, and holding times from 0 to 30 minutes.
Rather than choosing the “best” condition only by looking at final biochar yield, the researchers connected thermal behavior, kinetic analysis, energy demand, and life-cycle environmental indicators into one decision framework.
“Lavender distillation residue is often treated as a waste, but it still contains a valuable lignocellulosic structure,” said corresponding author Ahsanullah Soomro. “Our goal was to show not only that this residue can become biochar, but also how to choose production conditions in a transparent and defensible way.”
The results showed a clear trade-off. Higher temperatures generally reduced biochar yield but increased fixed carbon, meaning the material became more carbonized and potentially more stable. Across the experimental matrix, final temperature was the dominant factor controlling this balance. For example, raising the temperature from 200 to 600 °C lowered yield while increasing fixed carbon, reflecting stronger devolatilization and carbon formation.
Thermogravimetric analysis revealed how the lavender residue decomposes during heating. The main decomposition peak shifted from about 327 to 364 °C as the heating rate increased from 5 to 40 °C per minute, showing that heating history strongly affects the thermal pathway. Kinetic analysis further indicated that activation energy remained relatively stable during early to mid conversion, then rose sharply at high conversion, consistent with late-stage carbonization and structural rearrangement.
The team also examined the resulting biochar using chemical and structural characterization. The optimized biochar showed strong carbon enrichment, reduced oxygen and hydrogen content, increased fixed carbon, and a higher heating value. Scanning electron microscopy showed that pyrolysis transformed the dense plant structure into a more porous carbon skeleton, while FTIR analysis confirmed the loss of oxygen-rich functional groups and growth of more aromatic carbon structures.
To support practical decision-making, the researchers applied entropy-weighted TOPSIS, a multi-criteria ranking method, using yield, fixed carbon, electricity intensity, and five Environmental Footprint 3.0 midpoint indicators. This analysis identified Run 5 as the best overall compromise, with 48.94% yield, 0.85 kWh per kg biochar, and 2.05 kWh per kg fixed carbon. When a minimum fixed carbon requirement of 60% was imposed, the preferred condition shifted to Run 4, which reached 61.67% fixed carbon.
“This approach helps avoid selecting conditions that look good by one metric but are less attractive when energy and environmental burdens are included,” said Soomro. “It provides a pathway for designing biochar production that is both technically meaningful and sustainability-oriented.”
The study offers a reproducible strategy for converting aromatic-plant residues into value-added carbon materials and may support circular bioeconomy efforts in regions where lavender processing generates large quantities of biomass waste.
By linking how biochar forms with how production choices affect energy and environmental performance, the work provides a practical roadmap for lavender-residue valorization.
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Journal Reference: Soomro, A., Koçer, A.T., Hassan, M. et al. Mechanism-resolved operating windows for biochar production from lavender distillation residue. Biochar 8, 105 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-026-00617-9
===
About Biochar
Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.
Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.
Journal
Biochar
Method of Research
Experimental study
Article Title
Mechanism-resolved operating windows for biochar production from lavender distillation residue
Article Publication Date
3-Jun-2026
Carbon Research reaches new high in Scopus CiteScore rankings
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Carbon Research reaches new high in Scopus CiteScore rankings
view moreCredit: Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Carbon Research has achieved a new milestone in the latest Scopus CiteScore performance, with its 2025 CiteScore Tracker rising to 19.2, up from 14.0 in the 2024 CiteScore release. The new result reflects the journal’s growing visibility, strong citation performance, and expanding role in advancing carbon science for environmental sustainability, engineering innovation, and global change research.
Published by Springer Nature, Carbon Research focuses on carbonaceous materials, carbon cycling, renewable energy, greenhouse gases, carbon neutrality, and carbon-negative technologies. The journal provides an international platform for research that connects fundamental carbon science with real-world solutions for climate, energy, and environmental challenges.
In the latest Scopus rankings, Carbon Research improved its position across three major subject areas. In Environmental Sciences, the journal rose from 9th out of 271 journals to 7th out of 307 journals. In Engineering, it advanced from 14th out of 264 journals to 8th out of 300 journals. In Earth and Planetary Sciences, it climbed from 3rd out of 183 journals to 2nd out of 184 journals.
“These results highlight the increasing international recognition of Carbon Research and the strong support of our authors, reviewers, editors, and readers,” said the journal’s editorial team. “As carbon science becomes increasingly important for addressing climate change, sustainable energy, environmental remediation, and carbon neutrality, we are committed to publishing high-quality research with broad scientific and societal impact.”
The continued rise in CiteScore and subject rankings demonstrates that Carbon Research is becoming one of the leading journals at the intersection of environmental science, engineering, and Earth system research. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary studies that deepen understanding of carbon-related processes and accelerate the development of practical technologies for a more sustainable future.
For more information, visit: https://www.springer.com/journal/44246
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