Are soils in urban ecosystems compacted? A citywide analysis

Edmondson, Jill L.; Davies, Zoe G.; McCormack, Sarah A.; Gaston, Kevin J.; Leake, Jonathan R.

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0260

Cited by 61 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…This is a first approximation, assuming SRC is used to substitute natural gas in domestic heating, and is based on 10Á3 odt ha À1 year À1 SRC yield (Aylott et al 2010), rather than the 6 odt ha À1 year À1 value of Strohbach et al (2012). In Leicester, soil quality data (Edmondson et al 2011(Edmondson et al , 2012(Edmondson et al , 2014 justify the higher yield value.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is a conservative approach as citywide analysis of soil properties in Leicester found that in most greenspaces, the soil quality matches or exceeds that of agricultural land (Edmondson et al 2011(Edmondson et al , 2012(Edmondson et al , 2014. A series of spatial restriction criteria, based on UK Energy Crop Scheme guidance (Natural England 2013b) and findings of biofuels research (Renewable Fuels Agency 2008; Aylott et al 2010), was developed (Table S2) to identify suitable planting sites and the annual yield possible across the study area was calculated.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Modelling Short-Rotation Coppice and Tree Planting for Urban Carbon Management—A Citywide Analysis

2016

Urban Forests

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Summary1. The capacity of urban areas to deliver provisioning ecosystem services is commonly overlooked and underutilized. Urban populations have globally increased fivefold since 1950, and they disproportionately consume ecosystem services and contribute to carbon emissions, highlighting the need to increase urban sustainability and reduce environmental impacts of urban dwellers. Here, we investigated the potential for increasing carbon sequestration, and biomass fuel production, by planting trees and short-rotation coppice (SRC), respectively, in a midsized UK city as a contribution to meeting national commitments to reduce CO 2 emissions. 2. Iterative GIS models were developed using high-resolution spatial data. The models were applied to patches of public and privately owned urban greenspace suitable for planting trees and SRC, across the 73 km 2 area of the city of Leicester. We modelled tree planting with a species mix based on the existing tree populations, and SRC with willow and poplar to calculate biomass production in new trees, and carbon sequestration into harvested biomass over 25 years.3. An area of 11 km 2 comprising 15% of the city met criteria for tree planting and had the potential over 25 years to sequester 4200 tonnes of carbon above-ground. Of this area, 5Á8 km 2 also met criteria for SRC planting and over the same period this could yield 71 800 tonnes of carbon in harvested biomass. 4. The harvested biomass could supply energy to over 1566 domestic homes or 30 municipal buildings, resulting in avoided carbon emissions of 29 236 tonnes of carbon over 25 years when compared to heating by natural gas. Together with the net carbon sequestration into trees, a total reduction of 33 419 tonnes of carbon in the atmosphere could be achieved in 25 years by combined SRC and tree planting across the city. 5. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that urban greenspaces in a typical UK city are underutilized for provisioning ecosystem services by trees and especially SRC, which has high biomass production potential. For urban greenspace management, we recommend that planting SRC in urban areas can contribute to reducing food-fuel conflicts on agricultural land and produce renewable energy sources close to centres of population and demand.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling Short-Rotation Coppice and Tree Planting for Urban Carbon Management—A Citywide Analysis

2016

Urban Forests

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“…It also provides a good estimate of soil compaction due to reduced total porosity. Compaction is generally associated with land degradation (the inverse of soil quality, Huber et al, 2008) and can result in decreases in water holding capacity, water infiltration, microbial functions and biogeochemical cycling (Edmondson et al, 2011;Gregory et al, 2015a). It is derived by measuring dry bulk density (BD) modified by clay content (C) and is a very useful parameter for spatial interpretations that require a measure of the compactive state of soils (Jones et al, 2003).…”

Section: Packing Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Soil condition or quality determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs) for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change, e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs was tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Seven SQIs were prioritised: soil packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, depth of soil, soil structure (assessed by visual soil evaluation) and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programmes.

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“…In all plots, duplicate soil cores were taken under annual vegetable crops and, where available, another duplicate set of samples were taken under woody fruit bushes or trees. Samples were taken from the topsoil layer in two depth increments (0-7 cm and 7-14 cm), using specialist corer that removes undisturbed soil samples for BD analysis (Edmondson et al 2011). Sample locations for soils in other urban greenspaces were generated in a GIS using two high spatial resolution data sets.…”

Section: S O I L S U R V E Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soils in urban greenspaces have recently been shown to make an important contribution to provision of ecosystem goods and services especially in holding large stocks of SOC (Pouyat, Yesilonis & Nowak 2006;Churkina, Brown & Keoleian 2010;Edmondson et al 2011Edmondson et al , 2012Edmondson et al , 2014. However, we currently know nothing about how soil management for own-growing in allotments impacts on the main soil quality indicators.…”

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Urban Cultivation in Allotments Maintains Soil Qualities Adversely Affected by Conventional Agriculture

2016

Urban Horticulture

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Summary1. Modern agriculture, in seeking to maximize yields to meet growing global food demand, has caused loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and compaction, impairing critical regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which humans also depend. Own-growing makes an important contribution to food security in urban areas globally, but its effects on soil qualities that underpin ecosystem service provision are currently unknown. 2. We compared the main indicators of soil quality; SOC storage, total nitrogen (TN), C : N ratio and bulk density (BD) in urban allotments to soils from the surrounding agricultural region, and between the allotments and other urban greenspaces in a typical UK city. A questionnaire was used to investigate allotment management practices that influence soil properties. 3. Allotment soils had 32% higher SOC concentrations and 36% higher C : N ratios than pastures and arable fields and 25% higher TN and 10% lower BD than arable soils. 4. There was no significant difference between SOC concentration in allotments and urban non-domestic greenspaces, but it was higher in domestic gardens beneath woody vegetation. Allotment soil C : N ratio exceeded that in non-domestic greenspaces, but was lower than that in garden soil. 5. Three-quarters of surveyed allotment plot holders added manure, 95% composted biomass on-site, and many added organic-based fertilizers and commercial composts. This may explain the maintenance of SOC, C : N ratios, TN and low BD, which are positively associated with soil functioning. 6. Synthesis and applications. Maintenance and protection of the quality of our soil resource is essential for sustainable food production and for regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which we depend. Our study establishes, for the first time, that small-scale urban food production can occur without the penalty of soil degradation seen in conventional agriculture, and maintains the high soil quality seen in urban greenspaces. Given the involvement of over 800 million people in urban agriculture globally, and its important contribution to food security, our findings suggest that to better protect soil functions, local, national and international urban planning and policy making should promote more urban own-growing in preference to further intensification of conventional agriculture to meet increasing food demand.

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Are soils in urban ecosystems compacted? A citywide analysis

Cited by 61 publications

References 18 publications

Modelling Short-Rotation Coppice and Tree Planting for Urban Carbon Management—A Citywide Analysis

Modelling Short-Rotation Coppice and Tree Planting for Urban Carbon Management—A Citywide Analysis

Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

Urban Cultivation in Allotments Maintains Soil Qualities Adversely Affected by Conventional Agriculture

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