Published January 23, 2026 | Version 1
Preprint Open

Biochar improves the soil sponge and habitat functions of three Portuguese pasture soils according to their vulnerability to hardsetting

Authors/Creators

  • 1. ROR icon University of Aveiro
  • 2. EDMO icon University of Aveiro, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies
  • 3. Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University
  • 4. EDMO icon MARETEC , Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa

Files

Manuscript Campino et al. 2026.pdf

Files (1.8 MB)

Name Size Download all
md5:b314ef4363b990458662bcc36245d66d
79.0 kB Preview Download
md5:9f587b7acb1b1eb3aee65129cf9eea61
582.9 kB Preview Download
md5:9fa9834d5b70f765dbe10d5dbdc18305
1.1 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Software

Programming language
R

Biodiversity

Habitat
Biodiverse Sown Pastures , Habitat function , Pollinators
Environment medium
Hardsetting soils , Sponge function

References

  • Abrol V, Ben-Hur M, Verheijen F G A, et al (2016) Biochar effects on soil water infiltration and erosion under seal formation conditions: rainfall simulation experiment. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 16, 2709–2719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1448-8
  • AFJ (2010) Species diversity: David Crespo takes C3 pastures the next step to boost soil carbon. Aust Farm J 20:44-47.https://www.terraprima.pt/en/file_download/75
  • Aksoy E, Yigini Y, and Montanarella L (2016) Combining soil databases for topsoil organic carbon mapping in Europe. PLoS One, 11(3), e0152098. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152098
  • Antoine C M, and Forrest J R (2021) Nesting habitat of ground‐nesting bees: a review. Ecological Entomology, 46(2), 143-159. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12986
  • Ballabio C, Panagos P, and Monatanarella L (2016) Mapping topsoil physical properties at European scale using the LUCAS database. Geoderma, 261, 110-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.07.006
  • Basset C, Abou Najm M, Ghezzehei T, Hao X, and Daccache A (2023) How does soil structure affect water infiltration? A meta-data systematic review. Soil and Tillage Research, 226, 105577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2022.105577
  • Bavel C V (1950) Mean weight-diameter of soil aggregates as a statistical index of aggregation. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 17, 416–418. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1950.036159950014000C0005x
  • Bresson L M, Le Bissonnais Y, and Andrieux P (2006) Soil surface crusting and structure slumping in Europe. In J. Boardman and J. Poesen (Eds.), Soil erosion in Europe (Chapter 37). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/0470859202.ch37
  • Bresson L M, and Moran C J (2004) Micromorphological study of slumping in a hardsetting seedbed under various wetting conditions. Geoderma, 118(3-4), 277-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00212-X
  • Cane J H (2003) Annual displacement of soil in nest tumuli of alkali bees (Nomia melanderi) (Hymenoptera: Apiformes) across a Washington landscape. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 76(2), 172–176. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25086102
  • Cane J H, and Neff J L (2011) Predicted fates of ground-nesting bees in soil heated by wildfire: Thermal tolerances of life stages and a survey of nesting depths. Biological Conservation, 144(11), 2631–2636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.07.019
  • Chaney K, and Swift R S (1984) The influence of organic matter on aggregate stability in some British soils. Journal of Soil science, 35(2), 223-230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1984.tb00278.x
  • Danforth B N, Minckley R L, Neff J L, and Fawcett F (2019) The solitary bees: Biology, evolution, conservation. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvd1c929
  • Daniells I G (2012) Hardsetting soils: a review. Soil Research, 50(5), 349-359. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11102
  • De Deyn G B, and Kooistra L (2021) The role of soils in habitat creation, maintenance and restoration. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 376(1834), 20200170. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0170
  • Edeh I G, Mašek O, and Buss W (2020) A meta-analysis on biochar's effects on soil water properties – New insights and future research challenges. Science of the Total Environment, 714, 136857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136857
  • European Commission (EC) (2021) EU Soil Strategy for 2030: Reaping the Benefits of Healthy Soils for People, Food, Nature and Climate (COM(2021) 699 final). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52021DC0699
  • Garibaldi L A, Steffan-Dewenter I, Winfree R, Aizen M A, Bommarco R, Cunningham S A, et al Klein A M (2013) Wild pollinators enhance fruit set of crops regardless of honey bee abundance. Science, 339(6127), 1608–1611. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1230200
  • Gholamahmadi B, Jeffery S, Gonzalez-Pelayo O, Prats S A, Bastos A C, Keizer J J, and Verheijen F G (2023) Biochar impacts on runoff and soil erosion by water: A systematic global scale meta-analysis. Science of the Total Environment, 871, 161860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161860
  • Gholamahmadi B, Pelayo O G, Isaka S, Campos I, Martins M, Bastos A C and Verheijen F G (2025) The impact of biochar application on sponge function, water erosion, and vegetation cover in a Mediterranean vineyard soil. Journal of Environmental Management, 388, 125916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125916
  • Harmon-Threatt A N (2020) Influence of nesting characteristics on health of wild bee communities. Annual Review of Entomology, 65(1), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-024955
  • Huber S, Prokop G, Arrouays D, Banko G, Bispo A, Jones R J and Jones A R (2008) Environmental assessment of soil for monitoring: Volume I indicators & criteria. Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 339. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC47184
  • Jeffery S, Abalos D, Prodana M, Bastos A C, van Groenigen J W, Hungate B A, and Verheijen F G A (2017) Biochar boosts tropical but not temperate crop yields. Environmental Research Letters, 12(5), 053001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa67bd
  • Jiang Z, Huang S, and Meng Z (2025) Long-term effects of biochar on the hydraulic properties of soil: A meta-analysis based on 1–10 years field experiments. Geoderma, 458, 117318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117318
  • Klein A M, Vaissière B E, Cane J H, Steffan-Dewenter I, Cunningham S A, Kremen C, and Tscharntke T (2007) Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274(1608), 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.3721
  • Kleijn D, Winfree R, Bartomeus I, Carvalheiro L G, Henry M, Isaacs R, Potts S G (2015) Delivery of crop pollination services is an insufficient argument for wild pollinator conservation. Nature Communications, 6(1), 7414. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8414
  • Kwaad F J P M, and Mücher H J (1994) Degradation of soil structure by welding — a micromorphological study. Catena, 23 (3–4), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/0341-8162(94)90071-X
  • Laird D A, Fleming P, David D D, Horton R, Wang B, and Karlen D L (2010) Impact of biochar amendments on the quality of a typical Midwestern agricultural soil. Geoderma, 158(3–4), 443–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.05.013
  • Mullins C E, MacLeod D A, Northcote K H, Tisdall J M, and Young I M (1990) Hardsetting soils: Behaviour, occurrence, and management. Soil Use and Management, 6(2), 79–83.
  • Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S (2011) How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals? Oikos, 120(3), 321–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x
  • Omondi M O, Xia X, Nahayo A, Liu X, Korai P K, and Pan G (2016) Quantification of biochar effects on soil hydrological properties using meta-analysis of literature data. Geoderma, 274, 28-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.03.029
  • Potts S G, Vulliamy B, Roberts S, O'Toole C, Dafni A, Ne'eman G, and Willmer P (2005) Role of nesting resources in organising diverse bee communities in a Mediterranean landscape. Ecological Entomology, 30(1), 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0307-6946.2005.00662.x
  • Prodana M, Bastos A C, Amaro A, Cardoso D, Morgado R, Machado A L, et al (2019) Biomonitoring tools for biochar and biochar-compost amended soil under viticulture: Looking at exposure and effects. Applied Soil Ecology, 137, 120–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.01.007
  • Razzaghi F, Obour P B, and Arthur E (2020) Does biochar improve soil water retention? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Geoderma, 361, 114055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114055
  • Teixeira R F M, Proença V, Crespo D, Valada T, Domingos T (2015) A conceptual framework for the analysis of engineered biodiverse pastures. Ecol Eng 77:85–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.01.002
  • Tomaz A, Catarino A, Tomaz P, Fabião M, Palma P (2025) Patterns, Risks, and Forecasting of Irrigation Water Quality Under Drought Conditions in Mediterranean Regions. Water 2025, 17, 1783. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17121783
  • Tschanz P, Koestel J, Volpe V, Albrecht M, and Keller T (2023) Morphology and temporal evolution of ground-nesting bee burrows created by solitary and social species quantified through X-ray imaging. Geoderma, 438, 116655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116655
  • Unkovich M, McKenzie D, and Parker W (2023) New insights into high soil strength and crop plants; implications for grain crop production in the Australian environment. Plant and Soil, 486(1), 183-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05862-y
  • Van't Woudt B D (1959) Particle coatings affecting the wettability of soils. Journal of Geophysical Research 64: 263–267. https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ064i002p00263
  • Veihmeyer F J and Hendrickson A H (1949) Methods of measuring field capacity and permanent wilting percentage of soils. Soil Science, 68(1), 75–94. https://journals.lww.com/soilsci/citation/1949/07000/Methods_of_Measuring_Field_Capacity_and_Permanent.7.aspx
  • Verheijen F G A, and Cammeraat L H (2007) The association between three dominant shrub species and water repellent soils along a range of soil moisture contents in semi‐arid Spain. Hydrological Processes: An International Journal, 21(17), 2310-2316. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6760
  • Verheijen F G A, Jones R J A, Rickson R J, and Smith C J (2009) Tolerable versus actual soil erosion rates in Europe. Earth-Science Reviews, 94(1–4), 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.02.003
  • Verheijen F G A, Jeffery S, Bastos A C, van der Velde M, and Diafas I (2010) Biochar application to soils: A critical scientific review of effects on soil properties, processes, and functions. JRC Technical Report EUR 26566 EN. Publications Office of the European Union. DOI: 10.2788/472
  • Verheijen F G, Bastos A C, Schmidt H P, and Jeffery S (2019) Biochar and certification 1. In Sustainability Certification Schemes in the Agricultural and Natural Resource Sectors (pp. 113-136). Routledge.
  • Watanabe H (1998) Soil excavation by the deutzia andrenid bee (Andrena prostimias) in a temple garden in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Applied Soil Ecology, 9(1–3), 283–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1393(97)00054-1
  • Zhang R (1997) Determination of soil sorptivity and hydraulic conductivity from the disk infiltrometer. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 61(4), 1024–1030. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1997.03615995006100040005x
  • Zhou H, Fang H, Zhang Q, Wang Q, Chen C, Mooney S J, Peng X, and Du Z (2018) Biochar enhances soil hydraulic function but not soil aggregation in a sandy loam. European Journal of Soil Science, 70(2), 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12732