[Enviro-lunch] This Friday 4/5: Sanjai J. Parikh

[Jing Yan]

Dear all,

We are pleased to announce that our collaborator, Dr. Sanjai J. Parikh, from University of California, Davis will be on campus this week to share his recent findings on biochar/pyrogenic carbon and thoughts about interdisciplinary research. The event is open to everyone interested in this topic. Please join us on Friday 4/5 at 12-1pm in room SE2-302.

If you would like to meet the speaker, please fill the google sheet given below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w3umokBRDMymikcq0JaaxpCftLKDWeXWzVX8DN3C4ok/edit?usp=sharing


Adventures in Biochar!
[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TXaH6qW9Rei8LaN8NK1MpP8TLy0Voso3cpz7mSA_AfXFiSRzIWowy4cGJZRoJmIZqRjOya6lT5GCR2r6aiIWY444h13QK3oGtPJdRQYTrBJYdthzpjhVNpyp0G8Edg9DYNp9R5J5]
Abstract: The search for simple solutions to complicated problems is a constant throughout the human experience. Today's pressing problems regarding food production, climate change mitigation, and environmental pollution likely do not have easy solutions, yet biochar has often been promoted as a panacea for many of our global ailments. Biochar is not a singular product but rather a category of soil amendments, produced via the thermal conversion of biomass, which has been proposed for myriads of agricultural and environmental uses. While there are potential benefit from using biochar, it is not a one size fits all product that delivers benefits all the time. Research is demonstrating that prescribed use of biochar through consideration of biomass feedstock, production parameters, soil type, climate, and anticipated outcome are needed to increase the overall efficacy of biochars. Data from a wide range of biochars will be presented, to demonstrate a range of outcomes for soil fertility, plant growth, soil-water relations, soil aggregation, and contaminant fate for different biochars and application parameters. Although biochar is not a magical solution, the prudent use of biochar holds promise as a valuable tool for agricultural and environmental practitioners.

Bio: Dr. Sanjai J. Parikh has been a faculty member in in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis since 2009. He is currently Associate Professor of Soil Chemistry<http://parikh.lawr.ucdavis.edu/> and Program Chair of the Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group<http://soilhealth.ucdavis.edu/> at UC Davis. His research soil chemistry program strives to address both agricultural and environmental challenges. His lab investigates a wide-range of biogeochemical processes at solid-liquid interfaces in soil and water environments, with particular emphasis on molecular-level interactions on mineral surfaces which can have profound impacts on nutrient availability, contaminant fate, and carbon storage. Additional service related appointments include: Chair of the Soil Chemistry Division of the Soil Science Society of America, Technical Editor (Soil Chemistry) for the Soil Science Society of America Journal, Co-Chair of the Biochar Research Advisory Committee to the CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research.  Dr. Parikh also runs the UC Davis Biochar Database<http://biochar.ucdavis.edu/>, which is an open-access database of biochar chemical and physical properties.


When: Friday 4/5, 12pm - 1pm

Where: SE2-302

Coffee will be provided, please bring your own mugs.

We look forward to seeing you,

Jing Yan & Fernanda Santos

On behalf of faculty members on the interdisciplinary collaborative project: Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Teamrat Ghezzehei and Francois Blanchette

Event Sponsorship: Graduate Division Interdisciplinary Small Grants Program, Graduate Division, University of California, Merced

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