Biochar, Permaculture and Biomimicry

Biochar has been put on the front of the stage when large areas of Amazon were identified as fertile although tropical soil is usually poor. South American Indian civilization is the only to have increased soil fertility, Every other civilization in history has been responsible for soil depletion, often associated with civilization collapse.

The beneficial properties of Biochar identified till now are;

Soil texture modification improving water availability. Addition of biochar to clay improve drainage, addition of biochar to sand improve water retention
Creation of a stable environment for microorganisms and nutrients
Source of carbon for microorganisms
Modification of soil acidity

The objective of this video is to emphasize the idea that biochar production in a Permaculture food forest could be a step of a process, being a byproduct of food cooking or ceramic cooking more than the result of a main intend. In the process of reducing the number or the biomass of fast growing leguminous trees planted at the first stages of forest succession and the production of firewood as a way to maintain the forest in a pre-climax stage to optimize biomass production, biochar production is a continuous process of fertility development and carbon sequestration starting usually in Zone 1 and extending in consecutive zones.

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