Soil health as a predictor of lettuce productivity and quality: A case study of urban vacant lots

Knight, Alexandra; Cheng, Zhiqiang; Grewal, Sharanbir S.; Islam, Rafiq; Kleinhenz, Matthew D.; Grewal, Parwinder S.

doi:10.1007/s11252-013-0288-1

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…For example, one low-input means of managing insect pests affecting urban agriculture is through the use of natural biocontrol services, which have been found to vary depending upon the plant heterogeneity of the urban habitat (Yadav et al, 2012). Additionally, both nematode population density and microbial biomass nitrogen, two measures of ecosystem productivity that contribute to soil fertility services, have been found to be higher in urban vacant lots than nearby agricultural soils (Knight et al, 2013).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem services and land sparing potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture: A review

Wilhelm

Smith

2017

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Agricultural expansion contributes to the degradation of biodiverse ecosystems and the services these systems provide. Expansion of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), on the other hand, may hold promise to both expand the portfolio of ecosystem services (ES) available in built environments, where ES are typically low and to reduce pressure to convert sensitive non-urban, non-agricultural ecosystems to agriculture. However, few data are available to support these hypotheses. Here we review and summarize the research conducted on UPA from 320 peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2014. Specifically, we explored the availability of data regarding UPA's impact on ES and disservices. We also assessed the literature for evidence that UPA can contribute to land sparing. We find that the growth in UPA research over this time period points to the emerging recognition of the potential role that UPA systems play in food production worldwide. However, few studies (n = 15) place UPA in the context of ES, and no studies in our review explicitly quantify the land sparing potential of UPA. Additionally, while few studies (n = 19) quantify production potential of UPA, data that are necessary to accurately quantify the role these systems can play in land sparing, our rough estimates suggest that agricultural extensification into the world's urban environments via UPA could spare an area approximately twice the size of the US state of Massachusetts. Expanding future UPA research to include quantification of ES and functions would shed light on the ecological tradeoffs associated with agricultural production in the built environment. As food demand increases and urban populations continue to grow, it will be critical to better understand the role urban environments can play in global agricultural production and ecosystem preservation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem services and land sparing potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture: A review

Wilhelm

Smith

2017

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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“…Various forms of human activity serve to alter soil properties. For example, the demolition of buildings and vehicle emissions pollute the environment with lead (Knight et al 2013). Soil contamination is a crucial factor to be considered when creating gardens in and around slums, because:…”

Section: Possible Problems Facing Community Gardens In Slums and Its mentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive Urbanism: Advances in research, education and practice

Wende¹,

Nijhuis²,

Jong³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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RiUS is a peer-reviewed and indexed academic publication series that deals with dynamics, planning and design in contemporary urban areas. It provides an outlet for investigation, analysis, and exploration in the overlapping fields of urban design, urban planning, regional planning, metropolitan design, spatial planning, urban renewal, urban management, landscape architecture, environmental design, sustainability, urban technology, urban mobility housing and cultural heritage.RiUS is aimed at designers, researchers, planners, consultants, decision-makers and politicians. It pays special attention to design, research, techniques, methodology and theory. RiUS laboratory facilitates a dialogue between the community and society at large through high-quality publications focusing on transformation and sustainability.

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“…Urbanisation causes the urban heat island (UHI) effect, whereby cities can be several degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas as a result of increased convection and re-radiation of heat by the replacement of vegetation with impervious surfaces such as concrete, asphalt and bricks (Armson et al, 2012;Hardin and Jensen, 2007;Onishi et al, 2010). The removal of trees can also have adverse effects on biodiversity (Davis et al, 2012;Heterick et al, 2012;Stagoll et al, 2012), soil health (Knight et al, 2013;Rao et al, 2013), air quality (Martins, 2012), carbon sequestration (Liu and Li, 2012) and human health (Donovan et al, 2013). It is therefore very important that we conserve and sustainably manage the vegetation that remains within the urban forest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%