Moving beyond the Udorthent—A Proposed Protocol for Assessing Urban Soils to Service Data Needs for Contemporary Urban Ecosystem Management

Abstract

County‐level, Order 2 soil surveys have been used for decades to illustrate the spatial distribution of soils and communicate the utility and limitations of soil series. For the vast majority of these soil surveys, however, there is a distinct lack of resolution of soil series and associated data for urban or highly developed areas of the United States. Yet, with unprecedented vacancy and demolitions in major U.S. cities, the availability of large tracts of open and relatively inexpensive urban land suggests that there are many prospects for using these soils for something other than redevelopment. Therefore, current public interests center on how urban soils may be used to provide a myriad of ecosystem services. Due to the different emphasis, data needs are different than for past soil surveys and we therefore suggest an approach and protocol that was employed in Cleveland, OH in 2010. This work is centered on the possibility of using vacant land mass to infiltrate and otherwise absorb excess stormwater runoff quantity as a sustainable and putatively cost‐effective way of managing combined sewer overflows (CSO). We examined a sample set of 56 vacant lots and 14 city parks or cemeteries located in the drainage areas of relatively small‐volume, high frequency CSOs. This paper details the survey approach rationale, methods, and level of effort required and presents a case study. Overall, this work is submitted as a proposal to the soil survey community for a soil survey protocol aimed at servicing emergent environmental management data needs in urban core areas of the United States.

Anthropogenic effects on the physical and chemical properties of subtropical coastal urban soils

“…Since much of Tampa is low lying, the exclusion of wetland soils from our analyses may also have affected our interpretation. Shuster et al. (2011) propose a protocol for sampling urban parks and vacant lots that could perhaps be applicable in future studies like this.…”

“…water infiltration and purification) that could be potentially compromised by urbanization (Dobbs, 2009; Dobbs et al. , 2011; Shuster et al. , 2011).…”

Experimental Order 1 soil survey of vacant urban land, Detroit, Michigan, USA

“…This open space has attracted considerable interest as a natural resource for urban agriculture, green infrastructure, etc. (Shuster et al, 2011(Shuster et al, , 2014. However, demolition site soils are usually in need of revitalization because of excessive compaction, low organic matter content, contamination, and an overabundance of artifacts (USEPA, 2011).…”

Storm Water Planning from the Ground Up—Connecting Plant–Soil System Best Management Practices to Site and Soil Conditions

“…This manual further describes that fi eld investigation "shall include an evaluation of the normal and seasonal high groundwater levels." In keeping with this, when Shuster et al (2011) studied vacant lots and parks within the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area they reported that "urban soil surveys should be focused at Order 1 mapping and to service very specifi c objectives." When the objective for BMP planning includes ensuring that desired treatment functions are achievable over time, the variability of soils, especially high variability among urban soils, needs to be known.…”

“…For example, Chapter 2.7, “Post‐Construction Stormwater Practices—Infiltration Trench” of Ohio's Rainwater and Land Development manual (Mathews, 2006), states that a “certified Soil Scientist or other trained professional shall perform one test hole…with a minimum of two borings within the planned facility location” for an infiltration‐type practice (p. 43). This manual further describes that field investigation “shall include an evaluation of the normal and seasonal high groundwater levels.” In keeping with this, when Shuster et al (2011) studied vacant lots and parks within the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area they reported that “urban soil surveys should be focused at Order 1 mapping and to service very specific objectives.” When the objective for BMP planning includes ensuring that desired treatment functions are achievable over time, the variability of soils, especially high variability among urban soils, needs to be known.…”