Simplified performance assessment methodology for addressing soil quality of nature-based solutions

Abstract

Purpose In urban areas, soil functions are deeply impacted by all human activities, e.g., water infiltration, carbon storage, and chemical substances degradation potential. In this context, nature-based solutions (NBS) are assumed to deliver multiple environmental benefits for soil quality improvement. The H2020 Nature4Cities project (N4C) offers the framework to develop physical, chemical, and microbiological indicators to the performance assessment for addressing NBS soil quality (performance assessment of soil quality) to be included in a toolbox designed for architects or municipalities. Materials and methods A simplified performance assessment methodology was developed for addressing NBS soil quality. It is based on the comparison of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics to soil reference baseline. In this setting, we present here the results obtained from case studies selected in three European cities (Nantes (F), Nancy (F), Bustehrad (CR)) to test the methodology. The case studies correspond to three different NBSs: former market turned into gardening areas (FMG), green roofs (GR), and urban allotment gardens (UAG). The performance assessment was based on two criteria: (1) soil fertility and (2) soil contamination. Results and discussion The basic soil properties (e.g., pH, bulk density) and soil fertility (e.g., soil organic matter (SOM)) for the two open soil NBS (FMG and UAGs) are equivalent to cultivated soils. Those of GR are highly controlled by the type of natural materials used in the substrate. Concerning contamination, the soil quality of FMG was shown to be significantly impacted by former agricultural practices (pesticide residues, trace metals (TE)). Measured molecular biomass of FMG was compared with

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“…However, recent studies are challenging this assumption. Urban horticultural soils (especially gardens) can be highly fertile; have greater soil biological diversity, nutrients, and organic carbon contents compared to rural or non-horticulture urban soils (Vauramo and Setälä, 2010;Edmondson et al, 2012Edmondson et al, , 2014Tresch et al, 2018;Ziter and Turner, 2018;Bouzouidja et al, 2021;Dobson et al, 2021). Under the assumption that anthropogenic soils are highly degraded, these findings might be surprising; but, on the other hand, it is not entirely unexpected.…”

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“…Authors suggest starting by evaluating areas with the greatest direct exposure of the most sensitive population (playgrounds, hospitals, schools) (Li et al, 2018 ), as well as soils with possible presence of contaminants with higher level of health hazard (industrial or polluting activities) and estimating bioavailability (Guillén et al, 2021 ). Another reasonable approach to tackle this issue could be to enlarge upon key issues, as improving soil organic carbon storage (Cambou et al, 2021 ; Montanarella & Panagos, 2021 ; Navarro-Pedreño et al, 2020 ; Rees et al, 2019 ), sealed soils restoration (Tobias et al, 2018 ) and to achieve GI and NBS on the premise of resource sustainability (Bouzouidja et al, 2020 ). It is also worth monitoring pollution or degradation sources and establishing programs for reduction or elimination.…”

“…Another reasonable approach to tackle this issue could be to enlarge upon key issues, as improving soil organic carbon storage (Cambou et al, 2021 ; Montanarella & Panagos, 2021 ; Navarro-Pedreño et al, 2020 ; Rees et al, 2019 ), sealed soils restoration (Tobias et al, 2018 ) and to achieve GI and NBS on the premise of resource sustainability (Bouzouidja et al, 2020 ).…”

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“…Currently, the main methods of improving soil are the guest soil method [4] and the soil substrate improvement method [5]. L.C.…”