Biochar Suitability Assessment
Lane Co. spring biochar assessment
USDA NRCS supported
1 · Field readiness
Moderately suited · 51/100 response potential
Willamette silt loam is moderately suited to receive biochar — moderate headroom for biochar to improve its dynamic properties. No use-invariant site constraints flagged.
2 · Biochar suitability for selected goals
Goals: Improve water retention · Increase soil organic matter · Carbon sequestration
| Biochar | Feedstock · HTT | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas-fir slash, 550°C Best fit | Softwood · 550°C | 78/100 |
| Mixed hardwood, 650°C | Hardwood · 650°C | 64/100 |
Douglas-fir slash, 550°C is the better match for this field: its high porosity and a milder pH that better fits the Pachic Ultic Argixerolls profile edges out Mixed hardwood, 650°C, weighted toward your organic-matter building and carbon sequestration goals.
Why Douglas-fir slash, 550°C scores as it does
- Improve water retention — 73/100. Scores 73/100 for water retention, driven by its high porosity.
- Increase soil organic matter — 81/100. Scores 81/100 for organic-matter building, driven by its high fixed-carbon content.
- Carbon sequestration — 79/100. Scores 79/100 for carbon sequestration, driven by its stable, low-H:C carbon.
3 · Limitations & disclaimers
- Not a recommendation. This is advisory decision support to inform a conversation with an NRCS conservationist — not a prescription to apply biochar.
- Site constraints flagged above (e.g. ponding, flooding, karst) are conditions biochar cannot change; address them independently.
- Soil values are SSURGO-derived for the mapped field. A site-specific lab soil test or biochar analytical report should override these defaults where available.
- Prototype. All biochar and soil figures are mock; scoring is a deterministic stand-in for the USDA ARS algorithms.