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<p>Hydroclimatic whiplash, characterised by rapid transitions between extreme dry and wet conditions, is intensifying under climate warming and increasingly influencing soil hydrological functioning, soil stability, and water regulation. Thermodynamic warming, described by the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship, increases atmospheric moisture-holding capacity, creating an expanding “atmospheric sponge” that amplifies both heavy precipitation and evaporative demand. While atmospheric drivers of hydroclimatic variability are well established, far less attention has been given to the capacity of soils to buffer these extremes. This study examines whether biochar enhances soil hydrological function and contributes to resilience under hydroclimatic whiplash by strengthening the terrestrial “soil sponge”. This study synthesises evidence from published meta-analyses and review studies, supported by laboratory and field experiments, on biochar effects on key soil physical and hydraulic properties, including infiltration, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention, runoff generation, and erosion across diverse climates, soil types, and rainfall regimes. Global syntheses indicate average reductions in runoff (25%) and soil erosion (16%), alongside increases in soil water retention up to 30%, with stronger responses in coarse-textured soils. Evidence also shows increased plant-available water during dry periods (e.g. up to 45%), highlighting the capacity to moderate both excess and deficit phases. Because infiltration rate controls whether intense rainfall enters the soil profile or is converted into surface runoff, it is treated here as a central process linking biochar-induced changes in pore structure to hydrological buffering. Field experiments under natural rainfall further show that biochar can reduce soil erosion during intense rainfall events and, in some context-specific cases, substantially increase soil water storage, although these responses depend strongly on soil texture, application rate, biochar properties, and event characteristics. These findings indicate enhanced soil-scale hydrological buffering and reduced soil moisture variability. This synthesis highlights soil management as a pathway for supporting climate-resilient land systems under increasing hydroclimatic variability.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Biochar enhances soil hydrological buffering under hydroclimatic whiplash

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Behrouz Gholamahmadi

摘要

Hydroclimatic whiplash, characterised by rapid transitions between extreme dry and wet conditions, is intensifying under climate warming and increasingly influencing soil hydrological functioning, soil stability, and water regulation. Thermodynamic warming, described by the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship, increases atmospheric moisture-holding capacity, creating an expanding “atmospheric sponge” that amplifies both heavy precipitation and evaporative demand. While atmospheric drivers of hydroclimatic variability are well established, far less attention has been given to the capacity of soils to buffer these extremes. This study examines whether biochar enhances soil hydrological function and contributes to resilience under hydroclimatic whiplash by strengthening the terrestrial “soil sponge”. This study synthesises evidence from published meta-analyses and review studies, supported by laboratory and field experiments, on biochar effects on key soil physical and hydraulic properties, including infiltration, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention, runoff generation, and erosion across diverse climates, soil types, and rainfall regimes. Global syntheses indicate average reductions in runoff (25%) and soil erosion (16%), alongside increases in soil water retention up to 30%, with stronger responses in coarse-textured soils. Evidence also shows increased plant-available water during dry periods (e.g. up to 45%), highlighting the capacity to moderate both excess and deficit phases. Because infiltration rate controls whether intense rainfall enters the soil profile or is converted into surface runoff, it is treated here as a central process linking biochar-induced changes in pore structure to hydrological buffering. Field experiments under natural rainfall further show that biochar can reduce soil erosion during intense rainfall events and, in some context-specific cases, substantially increase soil water storage, although these responses depend strongly on soil texture, application rate, biochar properties, and event characteristics. These findings indicate enhanced soil-scale hydrological buffering and reduced soil moisture variability. This synthesis highlights soil management as a pathway for supporting climate-resilient land systems under increasing hydroclimatic variability.

Graphical Abstract