The role of biochar in alleviating soil drought stress in urban roadside greenery

Abstract Soil structure degradation is a major obstacle to vegetation growth in urban roadside greenery, particularly under drought conditions. Biochar application can improve soil structure and water retention; however, the mechanisms linking changes in soil aggregation with those in pore size distribution, and how they interactively influence plant growth remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of biochar in improving soil structure and water retention under drought stress in urban roadside greenery. In a field study, plots (2 m × 2 m) were established on roadside greenery in Suwon, Korea, in which 2.5% wt bochar was mixed with surface soil (