Soil Health Indicators and Sustainable Practices on Indy Urban Farms: An Investigation of Ecosystem Functionality

Urban Farm DB summary

This project aimed to test if common urban farming management processes increase soil ecosystem health in Indianapolis. Researchers analyzed organic matter composition, carbon and nitrogen percentages, carbon-nitrogen ratio, soil pH, and bulk density from soil samples collected at multiple sites across the city. The study hypothesized that soil samples from actively farmed land would show increased health indicators, making them more similar to naturally established ecosystems than unfarmed controls.