Institute of Hydrology
Topic
Evaluation of the biochar potential for the elimination of soil erosion
PhD. program
Water Resources Engineering
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Ing. Justína Vitková, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Civil Engineering STU
Annotation
Soil erosion is an environmental problem that significantly affects agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. In recent years, biochar, a carbon-rich product of biomass pyrolysis, has emerged as a promising soil amendment tool for erosion control due to its ability to improve soil quality and stability. Applying biochar to soil has the potential to influence soil and vegetation properties that are key to runoff and soil erosion processes. However, international studies addressing this topic in both field and laboratory settings show a wide range of effects, from a significant reduction to a significant increase in runoff and/or soil erosion. The aim of this dissertation will be to evaluate the effect of biochar on soil erosion by determining basic soil hydrophysical parameters of soils with and without biochar measured in the laboratory, modelling soil erosion and runoff at sites with and without biochar, and verifying the model under field conditions.