Investigating Soil Quality and Carbon Balance for Ohio State University Soils.

It is important to understand the function of urban soils. Urban soils are highly disturbed by anthropogenic activity; previous activities that took place on urban soils may be completely hidden or buried and it is not a simple task to identify them. Collection and mapping of urban soils data is needed to understand the ecological function of urban soils. A soil inventory and soil maps of Ohio State University will be created to determine if there still is an area that has not been disturbed. The undisturbed area will serve as a base of how the soils in the area were compared to current soil profiles. Data of OSU soils will be compiled and the pattern and processes (establishing critical soil and carbon cycling) will be linked to soil sustainability. The characterization of soils at OSU adds important information to understand the value of natural resources on campus. Soils do not just serve as a foundation for building development, but along with water and vegetation, it also serves economic, ecologic and social functions to OSU. Studying the quality of soil and function helps not only scientists understand urban soil relationships but also will aid planning to protect and better utilize soils with high functionality in a sustainable way. The data gathered in this research will provide information about how to protect OSU soils and to define the role of OSU soils in the carbon cycle. This will aid planning to protect and sustainably utilize soils with high functionality.