A scenario-based economic valuation framework for ecosystem service benefits of biochar-mediated soil erosion control

Abstract This study quantifies the gross ecosystem-service benefits of biochar-mediated soil erosion control across climate, agricultural, and water-system pathways, while treating runoff reduction as a non-monetised hydrological co-benefit. Soil erosion is a major driver of land degradation, with global losses exceeding billions of tonnes annually and affecting approximately 24% of European land. Meta-analytical evidence indicates that biochar application reduces soil erosion by 16% and surface runoff by 25% on average, with stronger effects observed in erosion-prone environments. Using this evidence, three baseline erosion scenarios were evaluated. Under low, moderate, and high baseline erosion scenarios, central gross benefits were €2.80, €9.33, and €24.19 ha⁻ 1 yr⁻ 1 , respectively. Monte Carlo analysis yielded median total values of €2.95 (95% uncertainty interval: €1.36–€7.48), €9.85 (€4.54–€24.92), and €25.52 (€13.81–€56.21) ha⁻ 1 yr⁻ 1 , respectively. These estimates exclude biochar production, transport, and application costs and therefore represent gross co-benefits rather than net economic returns. Mediterranean experiments reported erosion reductions of up to 67%, substantially above the global mean, illustrating the strong context dependence of biochar responses but not providing a basis for regional economic extrapolation. The results identify soil erosion control as a potentially measurable co-benefit of biochar deployment across climate, agricultural, and water systems. The framework provides a transparent basis for future site- and region-specific valuation while explicitly accounting for uncertainty in biophysical and economic parameters.