Novel soil reconstruction leads to successful afforestation of a former asbestos mine in southern Quebec, Canada

Grimond, Laurence; Rivest, David; Bilodeau‐Gauthier, Simon; Khlifa, Rim; Elferjani, Raëd; Bélanger, Nicolas

doi:10.1007/s11056-023-09989-3

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…At an application rate of about 125 Mg ha −1 , the newly added carbon (approximately 50-60 Mg C ha −1 ) is anticipated to become a stable long-term storage in forest soils, similar to observations in ecological restoration projects, some being afforestation efforts, using MBs for soil reconstruction (Trlica and Teshima, 2011;Carbassa et al, 2020;Khlifa et al, 2023). These afforestation projects can also lead to significant tree growth and carbon sequestration as well (e.g., Grimond et al, 2023;Bélanger et al, 2024). Soil carbon improvement results from 'pockets' of PBs trapped at the base of the mounds during their creation and due to limited mixing, along with the aggregation of organic carbon to clay-mineral particulates.…”

Section: Paper Biosolids As Fertilizersmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…With the aim of developing a circular economy and mitigating climate change more efficiently, the pulp and paper industry has been looking at alternatives to landfilling and incineration of PBs. Notably, the industry has been using its biosolids as a soil amendment for silvicultural, agricultural and ecological restoration purposes, as well as for biorefinery products such as wood adhesives and fillers, thermoplastic composites, and sorbent materials (Pervaiz and Sain, 2015;Bilodeau-Gauthier et al, 2022;Chen et al, 2023;Grimond et al, 2023). Recycling of PBs in silviculture could increase carbon sequestration by maximizing tree growth (Bilodeau-Gauthier et al, 2022) and promoting a stable form of carbon in soils (Khlifa et al, 2023), as well as reducing GHG emissions compared to synthetic fertilizers (Chen et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Opportunities and challenges to improve carbon and greenhouse gas budgets of the forest industry through better management of pulp and paper by-products

Laberge,

Courcot,

Lagarde

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Developing land use strategies to optimize carbon sinks and improve carbon footprints involves proposing efficient nature-based solutions that industries and businesses can implement while considering financial and legislative constraints. The pulp and paper industry is associated with significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily due to the substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint of its mills. Also, some forestry operations contribute to the release of carbon to the atmosphere in the form of CO2 and methane (CH4). Conversely, this industry could potentially be a significant ally in the fight against climate change by favoring forestry practices that reduce carbon emissions and increase its sequestration, namely, by adding value to industrial by-products (e.g., biosolids) instead of treating them as wastes and landfilling them. Notably, the pulp and paper industry has been seeking alternative uses of its by-products, such as fertilizers to maximize tree growth. In this paper, we identify opportunities and challenges that exist for the pulp and paper industry in regard to recycling industrial by-products to: 1) lower GHG emissions directly at the mill and 2) improve its GHG budget by increasing carbon sequestration in forests and plantations. We illustrate our analyses by describing a case study of a pulp and paper mill in southern Quebec, Canada, that uses its biosolids and other by-products as fertilizers. This case study highlights that this strategy could not only contribute to the reduction of GHGs but could also create added value and improve economic returns of forest operations.

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Section: Paper Biosolids As Fertilizersmentioning

confidence: 71%