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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Research Project #445939

Research Project: Can targeted biochar addition be used to promote precision restoration of sagebrush rangelands?

Location: Forage and Range Research

Project Number: 2080-21500-002-023-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 1, 2024
End Date: Mar 31, 2026

Objective:
The primary goal is to determine if targeted biochar addition can enhance the survival rates of seedling transplants of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), a cornerstonespecies in the rangelands of the Western U.S.

Approach:
1) Determine the impact and magnitude of biochar addition on soil moisture improvement; 2) Assess whether biochar addition, either as a subsurface mulch, mixed into the soil, or their combination, significantly enhances the survival rates of sagebrush-seedling transplants; and 3) Investigate the variability in the effectiveness of biochar addition across sites with different soil textures and precipitation levels.