Urban Soil Functions

2022 ◽  
pp. 89-120
Author(s):  
Andrew W. Rate
Keyword(s):  
Urban Soil ◽  
Soil Functions

scholarly journals The effects of sealing on urban soil carbon and nutrients

SOIL ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 661-675
Author(s):  
Roisin O'Riordan ◽  
Jess Davies ◽  
Carly Stevens ◽  
John N. Quinton
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Soil Sealing ◽  
Nutrient Stocks

Abstract. Urban soils are of increasing interest for their potential to provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage and nutrient cycling. Despite this, there is limited knowledge on how soil sealing with impervious surfaces, a common disturbance in urban environments, affects these important ecosystem services. In this paper, we investigate the effect of soil sealing on soil properties, soil carbon and soil nutrient stocks. We undertook a comparative survey of sealed and unsealed green space soils across the UK city of Manchester. Our results reveal that the context of urban soil and the anthropogenic artefacts added to soil have a great influence on soil properties and functions. In general, sealing reduced soil carbon and nutrient stocks compared to green space soil; however, where there were anthropogenic additions of organic and mineral artefacts, this led to increases in soil carbon and nitrate content. Anthropogenic additions led to carbon stocks equivalent to or larger than those in green spaces; this was likely a result of charcoal additions, leading to carbon stores with long residence times. This suggests that in areas with an industrial past, anthropogenic additions can lead to a legacy carbon store in urban soil and make important contributions to urban soil carbon budgets. These findings shed light on the heterogeneity of urban sealed soil and the influence of anthropogenic artefacts on soil functions. Our research highlights the need to gain a further understanding of urban soil processes, in both sealed and unsealed soils, and of the influence and legacy of anthropogenic additions for soil functions and important ecosystem services.

scholarly journals The effects of sealing on urban soil carbon and nutrients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin O'Riordan ◽  
Jess Davies ◽  
Carly Stevens ◽  
John N. Quinton
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Soil Sealing ◽  
Nutrient Stocks

Abstract. Urban soils are of increasing interest for their potential to provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage and nutrient cycling. Despite this, there is limited knowledge on how soil sealing with impervious surfaces, a common disturbance in urban environments, affects these important ecosystem services. In this paper, we investigate the effect of soil sealing on soil properties, soil carbon and soil nutrient stocks. We undertook a comparative survey of sealed and unsealed greenspace soils across the UK city of Manchester. Our results reveal that the context of urban soil and the anthropogenic artefacts added to soil have a great influence on soil properties and functions. In general, sealing reduced soil carbon and nutrient stocks compared to greenspace soil, however, where there were anthropogenic additions of organic and mineral artefacts this led to increases in soil carbon and nitrate content. Anthropogenic additions led to carbon stocks equivalent to or larger than those in greenspaces, potentially of a stable nature with long residence times. This suggests that in areas with an industrial past, anthropogenic additions can lead to a legacy carbon store in urban soil and make important contributions to urban soil carbon budgets. These findings shed light on the heterogeneity of urban sealed soil and the influence of anthropogenic artefacts on soil functions. Our research highlights the need to gain further understanding into urban soil processes, in both sealed and unsealed soils, and the influence and legacy of anthropogenic additions on soil functions and important ecosystem services.

Soil functions – Today’s situation and further development under climate change

Erdkunde ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 221-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Madena ◽  
Helge Bormann ◽  
Luise Giani
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Further Development

Biotic and abiotic treatments as a bet‐hedging approach to restoring plant communities and soil functions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey J. Rader ◽  
Lindsay P. Chiquoine ◽  
James F. Weigand ◽  
Judy L. Perkins ◽  
Seth M. Munson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Bet Hedging

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution and Evaluation of Arsenic and Zinc Content in the Soil of a Karst Landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6976
Author(s):  
Dimitrios E. Alexakis ◽  
George D. Bathrellos ◽  
Hariklia D. Skilodimou ◽  
Dimitra E. Gamvroula
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Agricultural Soil ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
North West ◽  
Total Study Area

Karst features such as polje are highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic pollution. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the soil quality in the Ioannina polje (north-west Greece) concerning arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn), and delineate their origin as well as compare the As and Zn content in soil with criteria recorded in the literature. For this purpose, the geomorphological settings, the land use, and the soil physicochemical properties were mapped and evaluated, including soil texture and concentrations of aqua-regia extractable As and Zn. The concentration of elements was spatially correlated with the land use and the geology of the study area, while screening values were applied to assess land suitability. The results reveal that 72% of the total study area has a very gentle slope. This relief favors urban and agricultural activity. Thus, the urban and agricultural land used cover 92% of the total area. The spatial distribution for As and Zn in the soil of the study area is located on very gentle slopes and is strongly correlated with the geological parent materials and human-induced contamination sources. Arsenic and Zn can be considered enriched in the soil of the area studied. The median topsoil contents (in mg kg−1) for As (agricultural soil 16.0; urban soil 17.8) and Zn (agricultural soil 92.0; urban soil 95.0) are higher compared to the corresponding median values of European topsoils. Land evaluation suitability concerning criteria given from the literature is discussed. The proposed work may be helpful in the project of land use planning and the protection of the natural environment.

scholarly journals C and N urban soil budget and its spatial differentiation in comparison with natural areas in the Wroclaw region of Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 00085
Author(s):  
Izabela Sówka ◽  
Yaroslav Bezyk ◽  
Maxim Dorodnikov
Keyword(s):  
Urban Soil ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N ◽  
Natural Grassland

An assessment of C and N balance in urban soil compared to the natural environment was carried out to evaluate the influence of biological processes along with human-induced forcing. Soil C and N stocks were quantified on the samples (n=18) collected at 5 - 10 cm depth from dominated green areas and arable lands in the city of Wroclaw (Poland) and the relatively natural grassland located ca. 36 km south-west. Higher soil carbon and nitrogen levels (C/N ratio = 11.8) and greater microbial biomass C and N values (MBC = 95.3, MBN = 14.4 mg N kg-1) were measured in natural grassland compared with the citywide lawn sites (C/N ratio = 15.17, MBC = 84.3 mg C kg-1, MBN = 11.9 mg N kg-1), respectively. In contrast to the natural areas, the higher C and N concentration was measured in urban grass dominated soils (C = 2.7 % and N = 0.18 % of dry mass), which can be explained mainly due to the high soil bulk density and water holding capacity (13.8 % clay content). The limited availability of soil C and N content was seen under the arable soil (C = 1.23 %, N = 0.13 %) than in the studied grasslands. In fact, the significantly increased C/N ratios in urban grasslands are largely associated with land conversion and demonstrate that urban soils have the potential to be an important reservoir of C.

scholarly journals Effects of glyphosate-based herbicides and their active ingredients on earthworms, water infiltration and glyphosate leaching are influenced by soil properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann G. Zaller ◽  
Maureen Weber ◽  
Michael Maderthaner ◽  
Edith Gruber ◽  
Eszter Takács ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Amaranthus Retroflexus ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Hand Weeding ◽  
Earthworm Activity

Abstract Background Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are among the most often used pesticides. The hundreds of GBHs used worldwide consist of the active ingredient (AI) glyphosate in form of different salts, possibly other AIs, and various mostly undisclosed co-formulants. Pesticide risk assessments are commonly performed using single AIs or GBHs at standard soil conditions without vegetation. In a greenhouse experiment, we established a weed population with common amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) to examine the effects of three GBHs (Roundup LB Plus, Roundup PowerFlex, Touchdown Quattro) and their corresponding AIs (salts of glyphosate isopropylammonium, potassium, diammonium) on the activity and physiological biomarkers (glutathione S-transferase, GST; acetylcholine esterase, AChE) of an ecologically relevant earthworm species (Lumbricus terrestris). GBHs and AIs were applied at recommended doses; hand weeding served as control. Experiments were established with two soil types differing in organic matter content (SOM; 3.0% vs. 4.1%) and other properties. Results Earthworm activity (casting and movement activity) decreased after application of glyphosate formulations or active ingredients compared to hand weeding. We found no consistent pattern that formulations had either higher or lower effects on earthworm activity than their active ingredients; rather, differences were substance-specific. Earthworm activity was little affected by soil organic matter levels. Biomarkers remained unaffected by weed control types; GST but not AChE was decreased under high SOM. Water infiltration after a simulated heavy rainfall was interactively affected by weed control types and SOM. Leachate amount was higher after application of formulations than active ingredients and was higher under low SOM. Glyphosate concentrations in soil and leachate were strongly affected by application of formulations or active ingredients and varied with SOM (significant weed control type x SOM interaction). Conclusions We found that both commercial formulations and pure active ingredients can influence earthworms with consequences on important soil functions. Glyphosate products showed increased, reduced or similar effects than pure glyphosate on particular soil functions; soil properties can substantially alter this. Especially at lower SOM, heavy rainfalls could lead to more glyphosate leaching into water bodies. A full disclosure of co-formulants would be necessary to further decipher their specific contributions to these inconsistent effects.

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