Sustainable biochar production and application in various agricultural systems are crucial for improving soil health, removing harmful pollutants, and climate change mitigation through long-term soil carbon capture and storage. The low cost and low energy requirement for installing small scale biochar has been found to be a significant success globally. A recent survey of forestry professionals in the Northeast has shown that there is high availability of sustainable forest biomass especially in Maine, which is the primary biochar feedstock in the region. Due to the lack of markets for such products, there is suboptimal management of such overstocked stands that are dominated by small diameter trees. The primary objective of the project would be to explore the perspectives, understanding, constraints, and awareness of farmers, local producers, and field professionals, regarding the biochar production technologies in the Northeastern United States. The second objective is to conduct a life-cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the impact of small-scale biochar on the environment. The third objective is to conduct a techno-economic analysis (TEA) of small-scale technologies for producing biochar by working with stakeholders and exploring the productivity, cost, and logistics of various socio-economic scenarios suitable for the Northeast United States. The results from the study will provide clear recommendations for policy and markets to ensure sustainable production and adoption of biochar to improve soil health on farms, improve water quality, and prevent leaching of chemicals from agricultural fields to nearby land uses.

Forest soils are one of the major carbon pools that stores more than half of the forest organic carbon and is considerably crucial in driving the productivity of forest site. It is essential to understand the impact of forest management, particularly timber harvesting and the characteristics of the stand and site, on the dynamics of soil carbon. The main objectives of the study are to i) Determine the relationship between various stand and site level factors that influence the dynamics and identify most crucial factors for soil carbon dynamics ii) Identify the relationship between timber harvest intensity on the long-term dynamics in forest soil carbon post-harvesting. The results from this research would have significant impacts on forest management practices in the region by providing future directions that can be used to evaluate various harvesting practices, stand characteristics, and management decisions, especially for maintaining or enhancing forest soil carbon in the region. The CFRU members can use the results of this study to explore alternative harvesting strategies for maximizing forest soil carbon in their stands. This would ultimately help landowners identify and implement silvicultural prescriptions and best management practices that have a positive effect on soil carbon.