TAKEAWAY
The simple process of biochar production has significant potential toward managing waste wood on Utah lands, benefiting soils, and reducing the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere from wildfire and natural decay.
This promising low-tech practice can actually remove existing carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils for the long term, while also managing fuel loads on Utah lands.
As society looks to reduce carbon output, one simple practice offers the dual benefit of capturing carbon and providing a tool for forest managers on Utah’s landscapes. Biochar production is the relatively simple process of converting waste wood into a charcoal-like product through low-oxygen burning. If downed wood burns or decays in open air, the carbon contained in that material is added to the carbon load of the atmosphere. But through the biochar process, about one third of that carbon can be preserved and stored in soils for centuries—and can immediately benefit soil productivity and water retention.
Biochar materials are around 85% pure carbon, and can be added to soil to increase plant productivity (in most cases) and significantly increase water holding capacity.
The Utah Biomass Resources Group (UBRG) has taught biochar production through workshops and demonstrations in 10 Utah counties and in four surrounding states over the last decade. The low-tech process of biochar production is possible for anyone who manages Utah’s lands—homeowners, farmers, ranchers, or forest managers—and training can help to inform on issues like air quality considerations, permissions, and risks. The entry cost is reasonable, and the process is easy to learn.
UBRG has focused on the on-site production of biochar, and has developed tools like the Big Box biochar kilns. These kilns are purpose-built metal boxes the size of dumpsters that can be used to burn forest waste in a controlled way, and then to completely extinguish the coals with water. While producing biochar is still more expensive than simply burning material in place, its widespread adoption could be a broadly accessible means of working toward a healthier climate and provide another marketable product from forest management.
References
- McAvoy, D., Dettenmaier, M., & Kuhns, M. (2018). Mobile Pyrolysis for Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Biochar Production in Western Forests. The Journal of Extension, 56(1), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.56.01.14