Science Seminar: Urban Soils

Urban Soils: The role of soils in urban ecology, conservation, and sustainable development

Speaker: George Lozefski, Laboratory Manager and Field & Education/Outreach Coordinator, Urban Soils Institute

Soil is the subsurface foundation of all natural ecosystems such as forests, as well as human developed areas like farms. But soil also exists beneath all cities and urban areas. For humans, birds, and trees alike, these “urban soils” provide many of the same functions in cities. Soils embody the complex workings of nature that sustain ecosystems and biodiversity in cities. Soil is a dynamic living matrix of flora and fauna, of the myriad microbes and earth materials that can simultaneously reduce flooding, break down hydrocarbon pollution, sequester toxic metals and sustain robust harvests from local community gardens year after year. This talk will explore the characteristics of urban soils, some of the issues and challenges in sustainable use, and the connections between “urban soils” and the many “ecosystem services” we rely upon every day.

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