The application of PL to field soils as a fertiliser can cause a
rapid decomposition of organic matter resulting in carbon dioxides
(CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions. The consequence is that
the bulk of carbon added as PL is rapidly released back to the atmosphere
as CO2. Adding carbon rich biochar made from PL to field
soils is a means of sequestering atmospheric CO2 because natural
soil degradation of biochar is an extremely slow process that
may last for hundreds of years [12]. Therefore, PL biochar increases
terrestrial carbon stocks and converting PL biomass carbon to biochar
carbon enables up to 50% of the initial organic carbon to be
sequestered in a much more stable form.