Quantifying Changes of Soil Properties in Urban and Rural Landscapes in Kentucky.

Quantifying Changes of Soil Properties in Urban and Rural Landscapes in Kentucky

Gavin Davis and I.P. Handayani

Murray State University, Hutson School of Agriculture, Kentucky

ABSTRACT

Determining urban soil properties is essential for understanding urban ecosystem functions and services. In this study, we investigated the impact of land uses in urban landscapes on soil properties in Lexington and Louisville, KY.  In addition, soils from rural landscapes were used as a reference to quantify the degradation index in urban soils. Surface soils from depth interval 0-15 cm were collected from urban landscapes (i.e., golf courses, parks, residential areas, urban gardens and play grounds) and rural landscapes (i.e., pasture, forest, no-till fields and conventional till fields). Soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties such as soil color, pH, soil organic C (SOC), Total N (TN), C/N ratio, Pb, Cu, soil texture, bulk density (BD), aggregate stability (AS), water holding capacity (WHC), available water content (AWC), and soil compaction.  The results showed that soil properties varied considerably among land uses. The magnitudes of physical properties generally varied more than the chemical properties. The spatial variability of soil properties in rural landscapes is less than in urban landscapes.  Better knowledge about soil properties changes among land uses in urban areas is important for improving urban ecosystem management.

Keywords: Kentucky, organic carbon, soil properties, urban soils.