Charcoal Hearth Soils: Remnants of the Iron Industry in the Northeastern U. S

Over the past years there has been an increasing interest in biochar. Research involving charcoal hearths may help to further illustrate the differences found among soils with charcoal amendments, and also provide information regarding the changes that occur with the presence of charcoal in the soil, thus contributing to the growing body of research surrounding biochar. This research focused on the historic charcoal sites in the Northeastern United States. Forested areas in the Northeast region of the United States were once heavily affected by the iron industry. In iron producing areas, charcoal was necessary to provide a fuel source for refining. Charcoal was itself, produced in order to meet this demand. Charcoaling spurs various changes within the soil. Our results showed that in charcoal hearths, there was an increase in cation exchange capacity (CEC), as well as higher pH and higher levels of soil respiration than non‐ hearth soils. Soil color was also examined and differences were found in relation to soil organic matter (SOM) and soil color.