Table Of ContentUrban Soils
Advances in Soil Science
Series Editors: Rattan Lal and B.A. Stewart
Assessment Methods for Soil Carbon
R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, and B.A. Stewart
Food Security and Soil Quality
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Global Climate Change: Cold Regions Ecosystems
R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, and B.A. Stewart
Interacting Processes in Soil Science
R.J. Wagenet, P. Baveye, and B.A. Stewart
Methods for Assessment of Soil Degradation
R. Lal, W.H. Blum, C. Valentine, and B.A. Stewart
Principles of Sustainable Soil Management in Agroecosystems
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil Erosion and Carbon Dynamics
E.J. Roose, R. Lal, C. Feller, B. Barthès, and B.A. Stewart
Soil Management and Greenhouse Effect
R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, E. Levine, and B.A. Stewart
Soil Management: Experimental Basis for Sustainability
and Environmental Quality
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil Management of Smallholder Agriculture
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil Phosphorus
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle
R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett, and B.A. Stewart
Soil Quality and Biofuel Production
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil-Specific Farming: Precision
Agriculture
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soil Structure: Its Development
and Function
B.A. Stewart and K.H. Hartge
Soil Water and Agronomic Productivity
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Soils and Global Change
R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, E. Levine, and B.A. Stewart
Structure and Organic Matter Storage in Agricultural Soils
M.R. Carter and B.A. Stewart
World Soil Resources and Food Security
R. Lal and B.A. Stewart
Urban Soils
Edited by
Rattan Lal and B.A. Stewart
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Lal, R., author. | Stewart, B. A. (Bobby Alton), 1932- author.
Title: Urban soils / authors: Rattan Lal, and B.A. Stewart.
Other titles: Advances in soil science (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Description: Boca Raton : Taylor & Francis, 2017. | Series: Advances in soil
science
Identifiers: LCCN 2017004393 | ISBN 9781498770095 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Urban soils.
Classification: LCC S592.17.U73 L35 2017 | DDC 577.5/6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017004393
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Contents
Preface...............................................................................................................................................ix
Editors ...............................................................................................................................................xi
Contributors ...................................................................................................................................xiii
Chapter 1 Urban Agriculture in the 21st Century .........................................................................1
Rattan Lal
Chapter 2 Urban Soil Mapping through the United States National Cooperative
Soil Survey .................................................................................................................15
Luis Hernandez, Maxine Levin, Joe Calus, John Galbraith, Edwin Muñiz,
Kristine Ryan, Randy Riddle, Richard K. Shaw, Robert Dobos, Steve Peaslee,
Susan Southard, Debbie Surabian, and David Lindbo
Chapter 3 Changes in Soil Organic Carbon Stocks by Urbanization .........................................61
V.I. Vasenev, J.J. Stoorvogel, A.V. Dolgikh, N.D. Ananyeva, K.V. Ivashchenko,
and R. Valentini
Chapter 4 Drivers of Urban Soil Carbon Dynamics ...................................................................93
Tara L.E. Trammell, Susan Day, Richard V. Pouyat, Carl Rosier,
Bryant Scharenbroch, and Ian Yesilonis
Chapter 5 Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling and Ecosystem Service in Cities ......................121
Weixing Zhu, Beth A. Egitto, Ian D. Yesilonis, and Richard V. Pouyat
Chapter 6 Urban Soil Carbon Storage ......................................................................................137
Bryant Scharenbroch, Susan Day, Tara Trammell, and Richard Pouyat
Chapter 7 Sealing Effects on Properties of Urban Soils ...........................................................155
Przemysław Charzyn´ski, Piotr Hulisz, Anna Piotrowska-Długosz, Dariusz
Kamin´ski, and Andrzej Plak
Chapter 8 Contaminants in Urban Soils: Bioavailability and Transfer ....................................175
Dorothy S. Menefee and Ganga M. Hettiarachchi
Chapter 9 Optimizing the Hydrologic Properties of Urban Soils .............................................199
Mary G. Lusk and Gurpal S. Toor
vii
viii Contents
Chapter 10 Making Soils from Urban Wastes ............................................................................215
Sally Brown
Chapter 11 Properties of Soils Affected by Highways ...............................................................229
Michele Bigger
Chapter 12 An Applied Hydropedological Perspective on the Rendering of Ecosystem
Services from Urban Soils .......................................................................................261
William D. Shuster and Stephen Dadio
Chapter 13 Biogeochemistry of Rooftop Farm Soils ..................................................................275
Yoshiki Harada, Thomas H. Whitlow, Nina L Bassuk, and
Jonathan Russell-Anelli
Chapter 14 Managing Urban Soils for Food Production ............................................................295
Klaus Lorenz
Chapter 15 Vertical Farming Using Hydroponics and Aeroponics ............................................313
Dickson Despommier
Chapter 16 Soils and Waste Management in Urban India ..........................................................329
Simi Mehta, Arjun Kumar, and Rattan Lal
Chapter 17 Enhancing Awareness about the Importance of Urban Soils ...................................351
Christina Siebe, Silke Cram, and Lucy Mora Palomino
Chapter 18 Feeding Megacities by Urban Agriculture ...............................................................375
Rattan Lal
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................391
Index ..............................................................................................................................................401
Preface
The twenty-first century is the era of urbanization. Global urban population has increased from
746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014 and is expected to add another 2.5 billion (with a total
of 6.4 billion) by 2050. Globally, 54% of the world population lives in urban areas compared with
30% in 1950 and the projected 66% by 2050. At present, the most urbanized regions include North
America (82%), Latin America (80%), and Europe (73%). In comparison, the urban population
is 48% in Asia and 40% in Africa. However, these regions are also undergoing the urban revo-
lution. About 90% of the expected increase of 2.5 billion will occur in Asia and Africa. India,
China, and Nigeria will account for 37% of the projected growth with addition to urban population
of 404 m illion, 292 m illion, and 212 million, respectively. At present, 2.7% of the world’s land
(excluding Antarctica) or 350 million ha (Mha) is under urban development. Similar to the world’s
area, ~2.6% of the land area of the United States is under urban centers (75.4 Mha). Estimates of
rate of growth and land area under urban centers vary widely with estimated increase of land area
between 2015 and 2030 of 34 Mha (2.25 Mha/yr) to 120 Mha. With removal of vegetation cover
and use of asphalt and cement, urbanization strongly impacts numerous ecosystem properties and
processes including soil biodiversity. Global hot spots of biodiversity threatened by urbanization,
include the Eastern Afromontane, Guinea forests of West Africa, Western Ghats of India and the
adjacent regions of Sri Lanka, and Central and South America. Urban encroachment also impacts
the terrestrial carbon pool, including the soil carbon and the aboveground biomass carbon pool.
Urbanization may enhance the flux of carbon from soil and vegetation into the atmosphere. There
are also strong impacts on surface and subsurface hydrology. By drastically transforming the world’s
land sequence, urbanization has exacerbated ecological and environmental problems. Increase in
artificial surfaces (build-up or impervious surface areas) has a strong impact on soil, soil carbon
pool and flux, hydrology, and energy balance. Of the 2.7% of the global urban areas in 2010, 0.65% is
build-up and 0.45% is impervious (sealed). Thus, 1.9% of the urban area is partly vegetated and can
be managed. However, the manageable soil area is anthropic and comprised of drastically disturbed
soils. Several abandoned urban areas can be restored for agricultural, forestry, and recreational
uses. Judicious management of urban soils to improve their functionality and ecosystem services
can lead to carbon sequestration, increased food production from urban agriculture, and restora-
tion of the environment. The latter encompasses improvement of air quality, water quality, greens-
pace, and biodiversity, and use of urban soils for food production. Thus, sustainable management
of urban soils is among the major challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. Urban
ecology is an emerging science, and urban soils are an essential component of urban ecosystems.
The focus of this book is on “urban soils,” which are composed of geological material that has
been drastically disturbed by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, physical, chemical, biological,
and ecological properties of urban soils have been severely altered. In general, properties of urban
soils are not favorable to plant growth. Most soils are highly compacted, contaminated by heavy
metals, and contain aromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, the quality of urban soils must be restored. This
18-chapter volume addresses these issues and presents innovative ideas on food production (e.g., sky
farming) and ecological restoration.
The editors thank all the authors for their outstanding contributions and for sharing their knowl-
edge and experiences. Despite busy schedules and numerous commitments, preparation of
manuscripts in a timely manner by all authors is greatly appreciated. The editors also thank the
editorial staff of Taylor & Francis for their help and support in publishing this volume. The office
staff of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, who facilitated the flow of manu-
scripts between authors and editors and made valuable contributions, is greatly appreciated for their
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