Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-963-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-963-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| 
13 Oct 2026
Original research article |
| 13 Oct 2026
| 13 Oct 2026
Biochar addition enhances soil aggregate stability by modulating soil internal forces: the critical role of readily oxidized organic carbon and particulate organic carbon
Xiaoshuai Song
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Chenyang Xu
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Huanhuan Zhao
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Jiangwen Li
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Wei Du
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Wuquan Ding
Chongqing Key Laboratory of Environmental Materials & Remediation Technologies, Chongqing University of Arts and Science, Chongqing 402168, China
Zhenghong Yu
College of Desert Management, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010000, China
Fengbao Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Feinan Hu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, the Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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Yuyang Yan, Xinran Zhang, Chenyang Xu, Junjun Liu, Feinan Hu, and Zengchao Geng
SOIL, 11, 85–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-85-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-85-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The differences in organic matter contents and clay mineralogy are the fundamental reasons for the differences in colloidal suspension stability behind the size effects of Anthrosol and Calcisol colloids. The present study revealed the size effects of two alkaline soil colloids on carbon content, clay minerals, surface properties and suspension stability, emphasizing that soil nanoparticles are prone to be more stably dispersed instead of being aggregated.
Jian-Fang Wang, Bing Wang, Yan-Fen Yang, Guo-Bin Liu, Feng-Bao Zhang, and Nu-Fang Fang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-30, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-30, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
The effects of plant roots on soil detachment were detected at the species level. The efficiency of a fibrous root system in reducing soil detachment is 25 % higher than that of a tap root system. Root length density can effectively reflect the effects of root type on soil detachment.
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Short summary
Readily oxidized organic carbon and particulate organic carbon were the main factors affecting soil surface electrochemical properties. Biochar enhanced van der Waals attraction while reducing electrostatic repulsion and net repulsive forces, stabilizing soil aggregates. Soil aggregate stability increased with higher biochar application rates, and the beneficial effect of biochar on aggregate stability became increasingly pronounced over time.
Readily oxidized organic carbon and particulate organic carbon were the main factors affecting...
