ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain.
Sec. Nature-Based Solutions
Producer Knowledge and Perceptions of Biochar for Eastern Redcedar Management
Provisionally accepted
- The University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
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Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), a conifer native to the eastern United States, poses a significant threat to the grasslands of the U.S. Great Plains due to its invasive characteristics and broad environmental tolerance. Current management strategies typically involve mechanical removal of established trees, generating substantial amounts of organic waste that is rarely repurposed. Converting this biomass into biochar presents a sustainable alternative, offering a value-added product that can enhance soil fertility, improve water retention, and sequester carbon—thereby addressing both ecological degradation and climate change while potentially creating new revenue streams for landowners. Despite these benefits, the practice of producing biochar from Eastern redcedar waste remains uncommon in the Great Plains. This study explores the factors contributing to limited adoption by assessing landowner knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward biochar, redcedar encroachment, and interest in using and/or producing biochar out of redcedar waste.
Keywords: Nature-based solutions, biochar, Eastern redcedar, Woody plant encroachment, Waste Management
Received: 03 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Han, Bray, Prigmore, Busuioc and Nairn. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lori A. Han, lhan@ou.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.