Dr. Thomas Goreau's Study on Restoring Soil Fertility with Basalt Powder in Panama Authors: Thomas J. Goreau, Marina Goreau, Felix Lufkin, Carlos A. Arango, Gabriel Despaigne-Matchett, Gabriel Despaigne-Ceballos, Roque Solis, & Joanna Campe

1. Remineralize the Earth is a nonprofit organization assisting the worldwide movement of remineralizing soils with finely ground rock dust, sea minerals and other natural and sustainable means to increase the growth, health, and nutrient value of all plant life. Adding minerals and trace elements is vital to the creation of fertile soils, healthy crops and forests, and is a key strategy to stabilize the climate. http://remineralize.org

2. Costa Rica Agroforestry Project 2008 Designed by John Todd of Ocean Arks International Over 20 species of trees, intercropped to provide food (fruit and nut trees), fuel (jatropha) and income (native hardwoods) to sustain local communities Remineralization significantly increased plant growth, health and carbon sequestration Remineralized Jatropha produces a higher yield of oil-bearing seeds

3. Symposium on Soil Ecology and Restoration August 22 2011 Basalt Powder Restores Soil Fertility and Greatly Accelerates Tree Growth on Impoverished Tropical Soils in Panama Thomas J. Goreau, Marina Goreau, Felix Lufkin, Carlos A. Arango, Gabriel Despaigne-Matchett, Gabriel Despaigne-Ceballos,RoqueSolis, & Joanna Campe

4. THE SITE: PANAMA Mitigation for clearance of basalt quarry Geology: Pleistocene pyroclastic ashes, volcanic tuffs, with basalt lava outcrop Agricultural Soil Capacity: Highly infertile, not arable with severe nutrient limitations Vegetation: Secondary pioneer scrub following deforestation for pasture Precipitation: 2500 mm/yr Elevation: 600 m

5. THE TREE: ACACIA MANGIUM Planted in basalt quarry rock powder (H), local soil (L), and transition zone (M) No fertilizer added Nitrogen fixing tree Height measured by video after 19 and 59 months Soil samples analyzed

6. LOCAL SOILS 19 months 59 months

7. TRANSITION SOILS 19 months 59 months

8. BASALT POWDER 19 months 59 months

9. TREE HEIGHT VS TIME

10. TREE SURVIVAL VS HEIGHT

11. TREE HEIGHT VS SOIL

12. BIOMASS VS TREE HEIGHT

13. BIOMASS PER TREE VS SOIL

14. PHOSPHORUS

15. IRON

16. ZINC

17. MANGANESE

18. POTASSIUM

19. MAGNESIUM

20. CALCIUM

21. ORGANIC MATTER

22. COPPER

23. pH

24. ALUMINUM

25. CONCLUSIONS Rock powders alone greatly increase plant biomass and survival They provide a wide range of essential minerals as slow release fertilizers Rock weathering by roots provides a sink of atmospheric CO2 The effects could be greatly increased by addition of Biochar

26. RECOMMENDATIONS Rock powders could be widely used as natural slow release fertilizers They can greatly aid restoration of forest and agricultural productivity in poor soils if matched to plant needs They can contribute to removal of CO2 Research is needed to optimize use of various rock powders, plants, soil types, climate regimes, and management practices

28. sequester carbon