Land-cover effects on soil organic carbon stocks in a European city

Urban Farm DB summary

A study of Leicester, a mid-sized city in the United Kingdom (73 km², 56% greenspace), analyzing how land-cover type (herbaceous, shrub or tree cover) affects soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Topsoil SOC was measured in domestic gardens and non-domestic greenspaces and compared with surrounding extra-urban agricultural land, then mapped citywide. Average SOC storage across the city's greenspace was 9.9 kg/m² to 21 cm depth; SOC under trees and shrubs in domestic gardens exceeded all other land-cover types, with median total storage of 13.5 kg/m² to 21 cm depth — more than 3 kg/m² higher than any other land-cover class in domestic or non-domestic greenspace, and 5 kg/m² higher than arable land. Land-cover did not significantly affect SOC in non-domestic greenspace overall, though values under trees were higher than under pasture and arable land, while shrub and herbaceous cover were higher only than arable land. The study concludes that greenspace management affects SOC stocks, that trees only marginally increase stocks in non-domestic greenspaces but may enhance them in domestic gardens, and that greenspace topsoils hold substantial SOC stores requiring protection from further expansion of artificial surfaces such as patios and driveways.