or s os CIAT), AA

exchange capacitites (Glaser, 2007) and both earthworms and biochar influence soil organic matter dynamics, the release of mineral nutriments and their retention. While studying the effect of biochar on plant growth is a fairly new field of researches ring the underlyingmechanisms. Moreover, comparing biochar and earthworm effects that influence soil properties and plant growth partially (and only partially) through the samemechanisms, should throw new lights on this broad subject. The application of biochar, i.e. incompletely combusted organic matter, (Glaser et al., 2002; Lehmann et al., 2003c) is historically not a new practice. It has re-emerged after the study of the Terra Preta do Indio, which are highly fertile soils (Lehmann et al., 2003c). These soils were created by Amerindian populations i