urban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture（城市种植分配维护土壤品质传统农业的不利影响）.pdfVIP

Journal of Applied Ecology 2014, 51, 880–889 doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12254 Urban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture 1 2 3 1 Jill L. Edmondson *, Zoe G. Davies , Kevin J. Gaston and Jonathan R. Leake 1Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; 2Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury Kent CT2 7NR, UK; and 3Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK Summary 1. Modern agriculture, in seeking to maximize yields to meet growing global food demand, has caused loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and compaction, impairing critical regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which humans also depend. Own-growing makes an important contribution to food security in urban areas globally, but its effects on soil quali- ties that underpin ecosystem service provision are currently unknown. 2. We compared the main indicators of soil quality; SOC storage, total nitrogen (TN), C : N ratio and bulk density (BD) in urban allotments to soils from the surrounding agricultural region, and between the allotments and other urban greenspaces in a typical UK city. A ques- tionnaire was used to investigate allotment management practices that influence soil properties. 3. Allotment soils had 32% higher SOC concentrations and 36% higher C : N ratios than pastures and arable fields and 25% higher TN and 10% lower BD than arable soils. 4. There was no s