Charcoal Hearth Soils: Remnants of the Iron Industry in the Northeastern U. S

Abstract

Over the past years there has been an increasing interest in biochar. Research involving charcoal hearths may help to further illustrate the differences found among soils with charcoal amendments, and also provide information regarding the changes that occur with the presence of charcoal in the soil, thus contributing to the growing body of research surrounding biochar. This research focused on the historic charcoal sites in the Northeastern United States. Forested areas in the Northeast region of the United States were once heavily affected by the iron industry. In iron producing areas, charcoal was necessary to provide a fuel source for refining. Charcoal was itself, produced in order to meet this demand. Charcoaling spurs various changes within the soil. Our results showed that in charcoal hearths, there was an increase in cation exchange capacity (CEC), as well as higher pH and higher levels of soil respiration than non‐ hearth soils. Soil color was also examined and differences were found in relation to soil organic matter (SOM) and soil color.

Soils on Historic Charcoal Hearths: Terminology and Chemical Properties

“…This is most probably caused by the higher organic matter content of the charcoal hearth soil, promoting variable charge buffering (Knicker, 2011;Schwertmann et al, 1987). A slightly lower acidity of the charcoal hearth topsoil has also been noted for sites on acidic soils in Pennsylvania (Mikan and Abrams, 1995), New York (Hesson, 2016), Belgium (Hardy et al, 2016), and Germany (Borchard et al, 2014). On active or very young charcoal hearths (Hardy et al, 2016), the soil acidity in the substrate of the hearth is close to neutral.…”

An initiative for a morphologic‐genetic catalog of relict charcoal hearths from Central Europe

“…Today, charcoal production is important in some parts of Africa and Asia (Bolognesi, Vrieling, Rembold, & Gadain, 2015; Chidumayo & Gumbo, 2013). While RCHs are a widespread feature in Europe and northeastern America (Hart, Van De Gevel, Mann, & Clatterbuck, 2008; Hesson, 2016; Johnson, 2016; Mikan & Abrams, 1995), mapping of RCHs before the availability of digital high‐resolution elevation models (DEMs) was often limited to local studies or sporadic ground surveying; such efforts limited comprehensive, spatial analysis of these historic land‐use monuments. The application of modern, high‐resolution LiDAR‐data to RCH investigations has helped reveal the widespread presence of RCHs in regions where they had been unknown before.…”

“…Europe and northeastern America (Hart, Van De Gevel, Mann, & Clatterbuck, 2008;Hesson, 2016;Johnson, 2016;Mikan & Abrams, 1995), mapping of RCHs before the availability of digital high-resolution elevation models (DEMs) was often limited to local studies or sporadic ground surveying; such efforts limited comprehensive, spatial analysis of these historic land-use monuments.…”