A Critical Analysis of Meso- and Macrofauna Effects Following Biochar Supplementation

Despite the plausible role of soil microorganisms, fauna, and plant roots on the modulation of biochar addition on soil fertility and climate change mitigation, the focus of early research on biochar, the interactions with soil biota remained relatively unstudied until recently. Biochar application can influence faunal communities by direct and indirect mechanisms and affect the ecological functions they carry out. Moreover, soil fauna can, in turn, determine the fate and persistence of biochar particles in soil by fragmentation, microorganisms inoculation, occlusion within aggregates, or by redistribution in the soil profile. Studies on these topics are still scarce, but the initial inferences from charcoal-enriched soil layers after wildfires or slash-and-burn practices are currently complemented with some empirical studies. The available knowledge highlights the complexity of the interactions between biochar and soil fauna and the need for further research on this topic.