Assessing Urban and Rural Soil Characteristics in Various Ecosystems.

Alteration of the ecosystem in urban and rural areas can significantly affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. In this study, changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic matter carbon (POM-C), bulk density, water stable aggregates (WAS), water retention, and soil pH were determined in urban areas under various land covers. Soil samples from Tennessee’s urban areas were collected from school yards and parks; samples were taken from the A Horizon. Soil samples from Kentucky’s rural areas were taken from crop fields and a woodland area from the depth of 0-7.5 cm and 7.5 to 15 cm. For comparison, soil samples from rural areas were also taken from no-till and conventional tillage plots. The results show that land covers in urban areas significantly affect soil properties, however the magnitude differs. The soil pH ranged from 5.3 to 7.8. The urban areas had more basic pH range and the rural areas tended to be more acidic. The SOC in the woodland ranged from 4 to 6%, the till plot varied from 4.5 to 4.6%, the no-till ranged from 3 to 3.5%, and the urban area ranged from 1.9 to 4.7%. These show that the urban areas have the highest variability of SOC. The lowest POM-C was observed in the urban soil of 0.9% and the highest was in the rural area of the woods (5.1%). The soil water holding capacity and field capacity ranged from 55 to 75% and 30 to 50%, respectively. More results will be presented in the poster.