Kyung Hee University · Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Professor Gayoung Yoo's research lab focuses on soil carbon dynamics, biochar applications, and sustainable agricultural practices, with an emphasis on understanding the mechanisms behind soil organic carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. The lab investigates how biochar and tillage management influence soil structure, fertility, and microbial activity across diverse soil types, particularly in agricultural systems. Key research directions include the role of soil physical properties—such as aggregate stability and water retention—in regulating carbon cycling and the long-term impacts of biochar on nitrogen leaching and carbon storage. The lab integrates field and laboratory studies to develop science-based strategies for climate change mitigation and soil health improvement.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Biochar application to soil has drawn much attention as a strategy to sequester atmospheric carbon in soil ecosystems. The applicability of this strategy as a climate change mitigation option is limited by our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the observed changes in greenhouse gas emissions from soils, microbial responses, and soil fertility changes. We conducted an 8-wk laboratory incubation using soils from PASTURE (silt loam) and RICE PADDY (silt loam) sites with and without tw
Nitrogen leaching from agricultural soils is a major source of pollution for adjacent water systems. Biochar application to agricultural soils was reported to manageably reduce N leaching. For the sustainable use of biochar application, a mechanistic understanding of the changes in N leaching induced by biochar treatment is urgently needed. In this study, the effects of biochar [rice (Oryza sativa L.) chaff] application to rice paddy soil (sandy loam) on leaching and soil structure were investig
The seasonal dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions and dry aggregates were investigated to determine whether aggregate turnover rates explain the variable influence of no‐till (NT) practices on SOC accrual in Illinois. Soils were collected (0–15 cm) of two 17‐yr‐old trials where NT and conventional tillage (CT) practices had variable effects on SOC sequestration in the 0‐ to 30‐cm depth. Soil was fractionated into loose particulate organic matter (LPOM), macroaggregate‐occluded particu
Carbon (C) sequestration potential of biochar should be considered together with emission of greenhouse gases when applied to soils. In this study, we investigated CO2 and N2O emissions following the application of rice husk biochars to cultivated grassland soils and related gas emissions tos oil C and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Treatments included biochar addition (CHAR, NO CHAR) and amendment (COMPOST, UREA, NO FERT). The biochar application rate was 0.3% by weight. The temporal pattern of CO2 emi
This work builds on a previous study of long-term tillage trials that found use of no-tillage (NT) practices increased soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration at Monmouth, IL (silt loam soil) by increasing the soil's protective capacity, but did not alter SOC storage in DeKalb, IL (silty clay loam), where higher clay contents provided a protective capacity not affected by tillage. The least limiting water range (LLWR), a multi-factor index of structural quality, predicted observed soil CO2 efflu
The influence of tillage practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is manifested indirectly through the modification of soil structure. This study was conducted at two sites in Illinois where long‐term use of conventional (CT) and no tillage (NT) practices has increased SOC at Monmouth, a silt loam, but not at DeKalb, a silty clay loam soil with higher SOC contents. We evaluated whether soil structural quality could be related to observed SOC mineralization and explain the inconsistent inf
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