The Restorative Power of Amazonian Dark Earth for Global Forests.

Adding Amazonian dark earth (ADE) to soil can significantly boost plant growth and support greater biodiversity of bacteria and archaea, according to a study by Brazilian scientists. ADE, also known as terra preta, is highly fertile due to its richness in nutrients and stable organic matter. The study suggests that ADE could be utilized to speed up ecological restoration projects around the world, but the authors caution against using ADE itself, which has taken thousands of years to accumulate, and recommend copying its characteristics, particularly its microorganisms, for use in future ecological restoration projects.