Are the monitoring challenges of biochar carbon removal being underestimated?

Why is erosion a hidden challenge for monitoring biochar's carbon permanence?

The biggest overlooked monitoring challenge is that biochar's ability to reduce soil erosion is not yet counted in carbon removal frameworks. Soil erosion is a major pathway for losing stored carbon from the soil, but standard MRV methods treat biochar's hydrological benefits as 'co-benefits' rather than core mechanisms for carbon durability. A global meta-analysis of biochar studies found that biochar reduces runoff by 25% and soil erosion by 16% on average [1]. In long-term Mediterranean vineyard experiments, the effect was even larger: biochar reduced soil erosion rates by up to 65% and increased soil organic carbon by 85% with a 4% biochar amendment [1]. These are not small side effects—they are direct, measurable protections of the carbon stored in the soil. The authors argue that ignoring erosion-mediated carbon retention creates 'permanence uncertainty' that weakens the credibility of biochar carbon credits [1].

Can biochar actually reduce its own carbon removal efficiency?

Yes, and this is another monitoring challenge that is currently underestimated. Biochar has an inherent ability to lock away cations (positively charged nutrients like calcium and magnesium) and nitrogen that would otherwise be released into the environment. When these nutrients are trapped in the biochar instead of cycling through the soil-water system, it reduces the net carbon dioxide removal efficiency of the biochar. One study quantified this inefficiency and found it can range from having no impact up to roughly 40% inefficiency, depending on the biochar type and conditions [3]. This means that current MRV frameworks, which typically do not account for this 'cation trapping' effect, may be overestimating the actual carbon removal achieved by biochar. The authors explicitly argue that this effect 'will need to be incorporated into monitoring, reporting, and verification frameworks when biochar is being sold as a means of durable carbon removal' [3].

Are there broader regulatory and economic monitoring gaps?

Yes, the monitoring challenges extend beyond just scientific measurement into regulatory and economic frameworks. In Brazil, which is actively building a biochar value chain, experts identify three key unresolved challenges: scientific uncertainties in MRV, regulatory gaps in standardization and certification, and the lack of economic mechanisms to turn biochar into a credible climate asset [2]. Even with recent regulatory advances like the Brazilian Emissions Trading System, the authors warn that success depends on resolving these MRV limitations [2]. This means that even in a country with strong political momentum for biochar, the monitoring systems are not yet robust enough to support large-scale carbon crediting. The convergence of findings across these studies—from global meta-analyses to national policy analyses—reinforces that the monitoring challenges are real, multiple, and currently underestimated.

About These Sources

This answer is built on 3 peer-reviewed studies — published in 2026, 3 from 2024 or later — selected as the most relevant from 3 studies that passed quality screening, drawn from 60 papers retrieved from a database of over 500 million.

Sources used in this answer

Related research questions