Using Biochar to Alter Soil pH for Native Plant Restoration

Wildfire is a recurring problem in the sage steppe, allowing invasive plant species like Bromus tectorum to take over native plant habitat. Recurring fires as well as invasive plants have changed the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the soil, negatively impacting the growth of native plants. Biochar is used in an agricultural setting for soil amendment and has been shown to affect soil pH, but its application in restoration has not been evaluated. pH influences soil fertility and microbiome, which in turn affects plant health. Biochar’s impact on soil pH can be assessed for the restoration of native plants such as sagebrush. Nursery grown Artemisia tridentate spp. wyomingensis seedlings were replanted in a 1983 fire site in the Orchard Combat Training Center in Boise, Idaho. At the time of planting, three different kinds of Biochar were applied in order to see its effect on reestablishing the seedlings in two different zones: recovering sagebrush community and non-recovering. Plants were randomly selected and harvested nine months after planting and again eighteen months after planting. Soil was then sifted away from the roots and used to analyze pH. Two subsamples were taken per original soil sample and mixed with DI water into a slurry. pH was measured three times per subsample.