February 2012
1 post
Researchers pin oil sands reclamation hopes on... →
Potential of biochar in Canadian Oil Sand reclamation
September 2011
1 post
“We live in an age and culture that is very sensitive to human rights, but does...”
August 2011
1 post
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May 2011
1 post
Application of biochar on mine tailings: Effects... →
Researchers from the University of Udine have recently published the following paper: Fellet et. al. (2011) Application of biochar on mine tailings: Effects and perspectives for land reclamation. Chemosphere 83, 1262-1267. The paper is an important contribution to the biochar in reclamation space and describes the interaction of four different rates of a single biochar applied to mine tailings...
February 2011
1 post
Examining Climate Change Effects on Wheat /... →
Researchers with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) installed infrared heaters in experimental wheat fields at the agency’s Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Ariz., to simulate growing conditions expected by 2050. As expected, the heaters accelerated growth, increased soil temperatures, reduced soil moisture, induced mild water stress on the crops and had...
December 2010
3 posts
Effects of Wood Bark and Fertilizer Amendment on... →
Abstract
Soil amendments can immobilize metals in soils, reducing the risks of metal exposure and associated impacts to flora, fauna and human health. In this study, soil amendments were compared, based on “closed system” water extracts, for reducing metal mobility in metal-contaminated soil from the Broken Hill mining center, Australia. Phosphate fertilizer (bovine bone meal, superphosphate,...
Water conservation in biofuels development:... →
Thesis by Villarreal Manzo, Luis Alberto, Ph.D., The University of Arizona, 2009, 253 pages; AAT 3350468
Copy can be ordered at link
Biochar incorporation in soils has the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere and to improve soil quality. This research focused on evaluation of the benefit of biochar incorporation in an Arizona soil. Different concentrations of biochar (charcoal from...
Soil Surveys with GPS-Enabled Smartphones →
I’ve just downloaded the app to my EVO - very cool
November 2010
1 post
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Biochar on the Radio →
Here is a radio report for the work we are doing using biocahr for the reclamation of an abandoned mine land in the Aspen Mining District of Colorado
September 2010
4 posts
1 tag
New Theory on Soil Remineralization
Remeineralization theory has been based on the nutritional value of the mine rock as a recent of minerals as a source of potassium shows (Manning, 2010). A recent paper published at the 19th World Congress of Soil Science (Kleber, 2010) has framed the role of soil minerals in a new light and in a way that I had to begun to think about as a result of my own research. Kleber’s theory includes the...
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Rock Dust Influences Soil Microbiology
Studies at the University of Western Australia examining the addition of silicate mineral powders (mica, basalt, rock phosphate) on microbial communities’ structure in soil found the following:
· Addition of minerals to pasture soil microcosms resulted in substantial changes in both bacterial and fungal community structure, dependent upon type of mineral applied and the plant species...
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Biochar Articles - Journal of Environmental...
Biochar and the Nitrogen Cycle: Introduction
Tim J. Clough and Leo M. Condron
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient, and research to date shows that biochar potentially has the ability to manipulate the rates of N cycling in soil systems by influencing nitrification rates and adsorption of ammonia and increasing NH4+ storage by enhancing cation exchange capacity in soils. Its influence...
Wildfire and Charcoal Enhance Nitrification and... →
I’m intrigued by the importance of charcaol (infer biochar) can have on maintaining soil nitrfication potential. The importance of this in degraded land reclamation is critical.
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Abstract
All forest fire events generate some quantity of charcoal, which may persist in soils for hundreds to thousands of years. However, few studies have effectively...
July 2010
2 posts
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Biochar in Reclamation
I recently participated in the US Biochar Conference held in Ames Iowa - the agenda and presentations can be found at http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010/conference-agenda/agenda-overview.html
I participated in the first session of the conference on the Assessment of Biochar’s Benefits for the United States of America, and gave a paper titled “The Role of Biochar in...
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Welcome to my blog - ASC explained
Ascension Soil Company was borne out my academic and personal research into methods, techniques and philosophies that helped bring life back to infertile and essentially sterile soils.
The journey began on a glorious spring afternoon in southwest Colorado in 1996. I was taking a sabbatical from environmental consulting to fulfill one of my lifes ambitions of learning to ski (90 ski days in...