This study explores the relationship between land use and land cover (LULC) changes and a significant cyclogenesis event that occurred in Alabama’s Black Belt region from 6 to 7 October 2021. Utilizing the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, two scenarios were analyzed: the WRF Control Run, which maintained unchanged LULC, and the WRF Sensitivity Experiment, which converted 56.5% of forested areas into cropland to assess the impact on storm dynamics. Quantitative comparisons of predicted rainfall from both simulations were conducted against observed data. The control run demonstrated a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1.64, indicating accurate rainfall predictions. In contrast, the modified scenario yielded an RMSE of 2.01, suggesting lower reliability. The Mean Bias (MB) values were 1.32 for the control run and 1.58 for the modified scenario, revealing notable discrepancies in accuracy. The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.247 for the control run and 0.270 for the modified scenario. The Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) value was 0.1567 for the control run but dropped to −0.2257 following LULC modifications. Sensitivity analyses revealed a 60% increase in heat flux and a 36% rise in precipitation, underscoring the significant impact of LULC on meteorological outcomes. While this study concentrated on the Black Belt region, the methodologies employed could apply to various other areas, though caution is advised when generalizing these results to different climates and socio-economic contexts. Further research is necessary to enhance the model’s applicability across diverse environments.

Soil salinization presents a significant challenge, driven by factors such as inadequate drainage, shallow aquifers, and high evaporation rates, threatening global food security. The sunflower emerges as a key cash crop in such areas, providing the opportunity to convert its straw into biochar, which offers additional agronomic and environmental benefits. This study investigates the effectiveness of biochar interlayers in enhancing salt leaching and suppressing upward salt migration through integrated laboratory and field experiments. The effectiveness of varying biochar interlayer application rates was assessed in promoting salt leaching, decreasing soil electrical conductivity (EC), and enhancing crop performance in saline soils through a systematic approach that combines laboratory and field experiments. The biochar treatments included a control (CK) and different applications of 20 (BL20), 40 (BL40), 60 (BL60), and 80 (BL80) tons of biochar per hectare, all applied below a depth of 20 cm, with each treatment replicated three times. The laboratory and field experimental setups maintained consistency in terms of biochar treatments and interlayer placement methodology. During the laboratory column experiments, the soil columns were treated with deionized water, and their leachates were analyzed for EC and major ionic components. The results showed that columns with biochar interlayers exhibited significantly higher efflux rates compared to those of the control and notably accelerated the time required for the effluent EC to decrease to 2 dS m⁻¹. The CK required 43 days for full discharge and 38 days for EC stabilization below 2 dS m⁻¹. In contrast, biochar treatments notably reduced these times, with BL80 achieving discharge in just 7 days and EC stabilization in 10 days. Elution events occurred 20–36 days earlier in the biochar-treated columns, confirming biochar’s effectiveness in enhancing leaching efficiency in saline soils. The field experiment results supported the laboratory findings, indicating that increased biochar application rates significantly reduced soil EC and ion concentrations at depths of 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm, lowering the EC from 7.12 to 2.25 dS m⁻¹ and from 6.30 to 2.41 dS m⁻¹ in their respective layers. The application of biochar interlayers resulted in significant reductions in Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, and HCO₃⁻ concentrations across both soil layers. In the 0–20 cm layer, Na⁺ decreased from 3.44 to 2.75 mg·g⁻¹, K⁺ from 0.24 to 0.11 mg·g⁻¹, Ca²⁺ from 0.35 to 0.20 mg·g⁻¹, Mg²⁺ from 0.31 to 0.24 mg·g⁻¹, Cl⁻ from 1.22 to 0.88 mg·g⁻¹, SO₄²⁻ from 1.91 to 1.30 mg·g⁻¹ and HCO₃⁻ from 0.39 to 0.18 mg·g⁻¹, respectively. Similarly, in the 20–40 cm layer, Na⁺ declined from 3.62 to 3.05 mg·g⁻¹, K⁺ from 0.28 to 0.12 mg·g⁻¹, Ca²⁺ from 0.39 to 0.26 mg·g⁻¹, Mg²⁺ from 0.36 to 0.27 mg·g⁻¹, Cl⁻ from 1.18 to 0.80 mg·g⁻¹, SO₄²⁻ from 1.95 to 1.33 mg·g⁻¹ and HCO₃⁻ from 0.42 to 0.21 mg·g⁻¹ under increasing biochar rates. Moreover, the use of biochar interlayers significantly improved the physiological traits of sunflowers, including their photosynthesis rates, stomatal conductance, and transpiration efficiency, thereby boosting biomass and achene yield. These results highlight the potential of biochar interlayers as a sustainable strategy for soil desalination, water conservation, and enhanced crop productivity. This approach is especially promising for managing salt-affected soils in regions like California, where soil salinization represents a considerable threat to agricultural sustainability.

It is essential to emphasize the significant impacts of climate change, which are evident in the form of severe and prolonged droughts, hurricanes, snowstorms, and other climatic disturbances. These challenges are particularly pronounced in urban environments and among human populations. The situation is further aggravated by the increasing utilization of available open spaces for residential and industrial development, leading to heightened energy consumption, elevated pollution levels, and increased carbon emissions, all of which negatively affect public health. The primary objective of this review article is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of current research, with a particular focus on the innovative use of residual biomass from urban vegetation for biochar production in the United States. This research entails an exhaustive review of existing literature to assess the implementation of a carbon-negative wood biomass biochar system as a strategic approach to sustainable urban management. By transforming urban wood waste—including tree trimmings, construction debris, and storm-damaged timber—into biochar through pyrolysis, a thermochemical process that sequesters carbon while generating renewable energy, we can leverage this valuable resource. The resulting biochar offers a range of co-benefits: it enhances soil health, improves water retention, reduces stormwater runoff, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions when applied in urban green spaces, agriculture, and land restoration projects. This review highlights the advantages and potential of converting urban wood waste into biochar while exploring how municipalities can strengthen their green ecosystems. Furthermore, it aims to provide a thorough understanding of how the utilization of woody biomass biochar can contribute to mitigating urban carbon emissions across the United States.

Climate-induced drought and intensifying land-use pressures threaten ecosystem services and agricultural productivity, particularly in regions with distinctive soil and ecological characteristics. Alabama’s Black Belt, defined by its clay-rich soils and shaped by a legacy of plantation agriculture, uneven land tenure, and persistent socioeconomic disadvantage, is increasingly vulnerable to these interacting stressors. This study analyzes long-term (2000–2023) spatiotemporal patterns of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change and vegetation response to drought to inform sustainable resource management. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery and National Land Cover Database (NLCD) products were used to quantify LULC dynamics. At the same time, vegetation condition and moisture stress were assessed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI). Drought conditions were evaluated using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), which incorporates temperature-driven evaporative demand. Results indicate substantial landscape change, including declines in deciduous forest (−17.78%) and pasture/hay (−13.17%), alongside increases in medium-intensity developed land (+20.25%) and evergreen forest (+10.62%). Declining NDVI and NDMI values indicate increasing vegetation stress, particularly during prolonged droughts. Vegetation response exhibited a weak relationship with SPI (R = 0.37) but a stronger association with SPEI (R = 0.59), underscoring the importance of accounting for atmospheric water demand. These findings highlight the growing vulnerability of Black Belt ecosystems to coupled climate and land-use pressures and provide insights to strengthen climate-resilient agricultural management.