Research & reports

Joshua Garcia, Mariel Mondragon-Becerra, Ivan Moya martinez, Connie Tsz Fai Wong, Zoe Caron, Katherine Kravitz, Elaine Owyang, Olukayode Jegede, Rebecca Ryals, Cristina Lazcano · Discover Sustainability · United States

A 2026 study conducted with Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF), a small urban farm in the San Francisco Bay Area, US, tests whether regenerative agriculture can support soil health and biodiversity in an urban landscape, comparing uncultivated soils, soils managed regeneratively for four years (Regen.4), and soils managed regeneratively for 10 years (Regen.10). Soil chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, and lead concentration differed significantly between plots, likely reflecting each plot's management and land-use history. While total soil carbon did not differ between plots, Regen.4 had a higher proportion of labile carbon than the uncultivated plot along with a greater abundance of soil microorganisms and nematodes, and Regen.4 soils also showed improved physical properties — higher aggregate stability and lower compaction — compared with both the uncultivated plot and the Regen.10 plot.

Karina Corada, Caroline Nash, Prashant Kumar, Stuart Connop, Laura Wendling · Nature-Based Solutions · Global

A synthesis paper on the largely unexplored role of domestic gardens in influencing local air quality. While gardens are widely recognized for cultural and health benefits, particularly mental well-being and everyday contact with nature, the paper states few studies have examined air quality dynamics within residential garden settings. It notes that general urban green infrastructure research suggests vegetation structure, plant traits, and spatial configuration shape pollutant capture, but these findings have not been tested in domestic gardens, where microclimates and spatial constraints differ markedly. Evidence from food-growing gardens and allotments further suggests edible crops cultivated near roads may accumulate airborne pollutants, particularly metals, underscoring the need for research on exposure pathways and allotment locations. The paper identifies a significant gap in current green infrastructure and air-pollution research: the lack of empirical evidence on how domestic gardens function as socio-ecological systems with implications for air-quality regulation.

Elaheh Jalilzadehazhari · Sustainable Development · Global

This study analyses research trends at the intersection of nature-based solutions (NbS), food systems and the SDGs using a multi-method approach combining a systematic literature review, betweenness centrality analysis and fuzzy logic. It identifies growing interest in climate change and urban agriculture and expanding European-led international collaboration, and names five major trends -- land-water-food nexus, urban farming and green infrastructure, governance and policy, community readiness and indigenous knowledge, and soil health and regenerative techniques -- finding the governance/policy trend has the highest betweenness centrality for bridging SDGs and the community-readiness trend shows the strongest convergence of social, urban and ecological goals.

Subin Babu Neupane, Pedro F S Toledo, Katerina Velasco-Graham, Felipe N. Soto‐Adames, Arash Kheirodin · Journal of Integrated Pest Management · United States

This is the first report documenting the invasive thrips species Thrips parvispinus, native to Southeast Asia, in Texas, USA. Samples collected from 12 locations across Texas -- including greenhouse facilities, large retail outlets and community gardens -- from plants showing foliage injury confirmed the species' presence in November 2025, and detections across multiple counties suggest it has been introduced to multiple locations and may be widely distributed in the state.

Ane Novianty, Agus Fernando · MAHATANI Jurnal Agribisnis (Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics Journal) · Indonesia

A qualitative literature study examined forms of environmental damage caused by industrial activity in Cikarang, Indonesia—where industrial sector growth has contributed significantly to the economy while also bringing serious environmental degradation—and assessed the role sustainable agriculture can play in environmental recovery. Analysis of national and international scientific literature found that sustainable agriculture, particularly urban agriculture and environmentally friendly farming around industrial areas, has strategic potential as part of green infrastructure, functioning not only as a food source but also contributing to pollutant absorption, rainwater management, temperature control in the area, and improved soil quality and biodiversity.

Brenda B. Lin, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Stacy M. Philpott · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Global

Drawing on a long-term, multidisciplinary research program conducted since 2013 on urban community gardens in the California Central Coast, this paper uses that program as a lens to explore how community gardens may function as a form of green infrastructure within increasingly compact urban development, while grounded in a specific regional context.

Phạm Trung Kiên, Liliane Jean-Soro, Huong Le Thi Thu, Bernard De-Gouvello, Béatrice Bechet · Earth Environmental Sustainability · Global

Arguing that existing "Water-Energy-Food" nexus thinking fails to capture the complexity of urban nature-based solutions such as urban gardens, this perspective paper proposes a "Food-Water-Soil (FWS) nexus" framework analyzed through the dual lens of ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS), which arise together with ES rather than as mere byproducts. It positions ES and EDS as the core mediating functions that define a system's potential and limits, and conceptualizes soil as a "living infrastructure" whose management-driven dynamic properties govern the trade-offs and synergies between food production and water dynamics.

Sonia, Malti, Lavi Sharma · Journal of Science Innovations and Nature of Earth · India

A bird community survey around the town border and surrounding agricultural land of Baraut, Baghpat District, western Uttar Pradesh, India, used point-count arrays and random line transects across four habitat types: agricultural, woodland/orchard, urban and wetland. After filtering out domesticated livestock and urban feral populations from 21 field surveys, the study identified 16 "true wild" bird species spanning 10 orders and 15 families, with Passeriformes dominant at 43.75% (n=7) while the other nine orders each accounted for 6.25% (n=1) with no species shared across them. Foraging guild composition was 37.50% generalist omnivores (n=6), 26.25% carnivores (n=4), 18.75% insectivores (n=3), 12.50% frugivores (n=2) and 6.25% granivores (n=1). Habitat affinity was highest for agricultural farmland (37.50%, n=6), followed by woodland/orchard (25.00%, n=4), with urban and wetland tied at 18.75% (n=3) each. All species recorded are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Joan Casanelles-Abella, Monika Egerer · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Global

A perspective article discusses biodiversity conservation in cities as often afflicted by "suboptimal" situations where human needs and nature's needs are imbalanced or in conflict. In human-dominated landscapes, land use intensification often replaces large habitat patches critical for metapopulation stability with smaller, isolated patches, a pattern Island Biogeography Theory predicts will reduce biodiversity; this may be most extreme in cities experiencing rapid population growth and infrastructure densification, where small urban green spaces, balconies, home and allotment gardens, small forest patches and green walls, become the primary compensatory interventions for retaining habitat. However, under certain conservation frameworks (land-sparing vs. land-sharing, the SLOSS debate), such small, scattered urban green spaces may be predicted to produce suboptimal or even detrimental biodiversity outcomes if their size and isolation prevent them from sustaining viable population sizes. The article notes this "ecology of suboptimals" framing risks a futile perspective on nature conservation in densifying cities, while also considering how rethinking urban environments in light of this situation might be approached.

Isabelle van der Zanden, Lieke Moereels, Stephanie Schelfhout, Pallieter De Smedt, Koen Lock, Wouter Dekoninck, G.W. Korthals, Wim H. van der Putten, Kris Verheyen, G. F. Veen · npj Biodiversity · Global

Communities of 12 taxonomic groups of soil organisms were compared between 15 food forests and nearby grasslands, croplands and forests in Northwest Europe. Food forest soil communities differed from grassland and cropland communities and more closely resembled forest communities in biomass and number of individuals for most taxonomic groups, with especially higher numbers of macroarthropods. In composition, food forest communities were overall intermediate between grassland/cropland and forest for most groups, but microorganismal and microfaunal groups more closely resembled grassland and cropland communities than forest communities. Alpha-diversity was higher for non-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and certain macroarthropod groups in food forests, though overall differences in alpha- and beta-diversity were limited. Planting food forests was concluded to be able to increase soil biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

Dorothee Benkowitz · International explorations in outdoor and environmental education · Global

A book chapter on biodiversity education centered on seeds and plant life cycles. It states that industrial agriculture has reduced genetic diversity through monocultures and patented hybrid varieties, making small farmers dependent on large seed companies. F1 hybrids, while high-yielding, are not seed-proof — saved seed from them does not reproduce the parent traits — and this contributes to genetic erosion, limiting plants' ability to adapt to climate change and disease. The chapter notes that many people lack an in-depth understanding of plant cycles, and that studies show deficits among students specifically in classifying and explaining seeds and their role in a plant's life cycle. Hands-on experiences such as those in school gardens are said to foster better understanding and a sustainable connection to nature. Knowledge of biodiversity and plant cycles is described as crucial for topics such as healthy diets, regionality, and climate adaptation, and integrating this content into education is presented as contributing to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) goals.

Galang Aulia Prasetya, Agus Yadi Ismail, Nurdin · Journal of Forestry And Environment · Indonesia

This study evaluates bird diversity and conservation status in the Tundagan Village Forest, Indonesia, identified as an important avian habitat. Using an exploration method with identification based on a Mackinnon bird list, the study analyzed diversity, evenness, and dominance indices, plus a one-way ANOVA testing differences among three land-cover types. Overall diversity across natural forest, pine forest, and community garden land covers fell in the moderate category, with evenness close to even in natural and pine forests but uneven in community gardens. The dominant species were Psilopogon australis in natural forest, Cinnyris ornatus in pine forest, and Lonchura leucogastroides in community gardens. Community conservation efforts use a zoning strategy distinguishing a main "prohibited forest" from secondary "baladan forest" designated for economic use.

Chaturangi Wickramaratne, Avinandan Taron, Mark Mulligan, Sophia Burke, Matthew McCartney · · Global

A valuation study of the Kalu Oya and Mudun Ela basins, peri-urban sub-catchments of the Kelani River Basin in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka (78 km², population 548,232, with 10.50 km² of wetlands providing services including flood mitigation, water purification, biodiversity support, carbon storage, and urban agriculture), used market-price and benefit-transfer methods to value 13 wetland services at a total economic value (TEV) of USD 25.1-27.6 million for 2025 (USD 12.98-14.45 million/year when excluding static carbon stock). A separate Co$tingNature model assessed 11 ecosystem services across the basin at 30 m resolution, estimating a 25-year TEV of USD 1.67 billion (USD 66.8 million/year); wetlands accounted for only 2.7% of basin-wide TEV but showed the highest per-hectare value (USD 6,807/ha/year). Conservation investment returns were estimated at 23-341% depending on which costs were included, and the study notes that different valuation methods produced varying results depending on their conceptual foundations and data sources.

Ligia Tobar, César Augusto Gutiérrez, Leidy Yurani Villa García, Jonathan S. Pelegrin · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Colombia

This study examined how a school garden in Vijes, Colombia, functions as a habitat for pollinators and a space for experiential education. Primary school students recorded 208 floral visits across four plots (ornamental, medicinal, fruit, and crop) over three weeks of limited observation time. Visiting activity was dominated by the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula (49%) and the honeybee Apis mellifera (36%). Pollinators mainly visited the ornamental plot, particularly Zinnia peruviana, and Cucurbita maxima in the crop plot. Participation in the monitoring fostered ecological awareness, teamwork, and appreciation of biodiversity among the students.

Mary T Nguyen, Carleen Rauh, Shelby Gresch, Charlotte Correiro, Heidi Elmendorf, Adriane Fugh-Berman, Gina Wimp, Alexandra L. DeCandia · ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University) · United States

Plant, animal, bacterial and fungal diversity were examined across three distinct urban habitats — a turf lawn, a forb garden and a farming space — using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 sequencing, soil nutrient analyses, and vegetation and wildlife surveys. Bacterial community abundance was relatively even across garden types, but site-specific management style significantly shaped which fungal taxa dominated: Leotiomycetes in the farming space, Sordariomycetes in the forb garden, and Tremellomycetes in the turf lawn, indicating that distinct urban agricultural practices strongly shape fungal communities. Gardens with greater plant diversity also supported higher wildlife and fungal richness.

Nicholas Balfour, Johnstone Caitlyn, Emma Bush · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United Kingdom

A 2025 survey of 31 green spaces in central Edinburgh, UK, including allotments, public gardens, cemeteries and roof gardens, assessed pollinator diversity and resource availability. The pollinator community was a generalist assemblage dominated by bumble bees (45%) and honey bees (26%), while butterflies, moths and beetles were notably scarce. Semi-natural areas, allotments and cemeteries sustained the highest pollinator diversity, linked to native vegetation and rich floral resources. Two-thirds of the plant species recorded were non-native horticultural varieties, yet 87% of recorded plants were visited by pollinators, and the three plant species attracting the widest range of pollinator taxa were all indigenous.

Dominik Bittner, Joanne U Smith, Georgios Leontidis, Grant Campbell, Jeanne Biegel, Pete Smith, Matthias Kuhnert, Rastislav Skalský, Licida M. Maria Giuliani, Abdul Walid Walid Salik, Paul Hallett, D Burslem, Getahun Yakob, Wolde Mekuria, Euan Phimister, Amare Haileslassie, Desalegn Tegegne, sarem norouzi, Heyu Chen, Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Adnan Khan · Environmental Research Letters · Sub-Saharan Africa

A narrative review examines tools for assessing soil health and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for soil quality in sub-Saharan Africa, drawing primarily on examples from Ethiopia but intended for farmers and advisors across the region and other developing countries. It reviews physical, biological, chemical, functional, and service-related soil tests, noting that science-based tests require expertise, equipment, and cost, while locally-derived tests are affordable and readily applicable. NbS practices are assessed against labor, cost, and crop-production factors, and the review concludes there is no single universally applicable practice — suitability depends on farmers' priorities and circumstances. It also examines predictive methods, including mechanistic soil models, AI, and hybrid approaches combining data, physics, and knowledge such as digital soil mapping.

Hoque MN, Rana ML, Gilman MAA, Pramanik PK, Islam MS, Punom SA, Rahman R, Hassan J, Rahman MS, Ramasamy S, Schreinemachers P, Oliva R, Rahman MT · Environmental Monitoring and Assessment · バングラデシュ・ダッカ／ガジプール

A shotgun metagenomic study motivated by how little is known about the microbial communities and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of rooftop and surface garden soils in Bangladesh, and their potential role as reservoirs and disseminators of AMR, despite the growing expansion of urban agriculture. Twenty-seven soil samples were sequenced — 7 from Dhaka rooftop gardens, 6 from Dhaka surface gardens, 8 from Gazipur rooftop gardens and 6 from Gazipur surface gardens. The work identified 88 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), of which 19 (21.6%) were shared across all sites, and found significant differences in resistome composition by garden type (p = 0.04). Rooftop soils harboured more ARGs (Dhaka 50, Gazipur 48) than surface soils (Dhaka 40, Gazipur 41) and were dominated by glycopeptide resistance genes, collectively 62.43-74.07% of ARGs; rooftop soils were also enriched in efflux pumps (adeF, 45.21% of rooftop ARGs) and the ribosomal-protection oxazolidinone resistance gene O23S (62.13% in Gazipur rooftops). Surface soils instead featured more genes mediating antibiotic inactivation, such as CATA (11.64% in Dhaka surface gardens) and fosBx1 (5.94% of surface ARGs).

Florio Furno M, Tramontini M, Gaggero E, Rigoletto M, Fabbri D, Malandrino M, Calza P, Varese GC, Spina F · Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · Europe

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) persist in soil and resist common recovery strategies, which matters for urban agriculture because such sites are highly exposed to varied pollution sources — and because that exposure shapes how urban growing is perceived. This study examined the fungi already present in polluted soil intended for urban agriculture, aiming to build an active microbial consortium able to transform the pollutants and lower site toxicity. The mycobiota was dominated by Ascomycota; among 28 isolated taxa across 16 genera, Aspergillus, Scedosporium, Trichoderma and Fusarium were the most abundant. Isolates differed markedly, between and within species, in their ability to grow in the presence of low- and high-molecular-weight PAHs, and some produced biosurfactants. Combining this with the ability to grow on carriers, six fungi were selected for in situ soil remediation, and biostimulation was compared with bioaugmentation using strains in co-culture. The best results came from a consortium that also showed high tolerance to high-molecular-weight PAHs. Chronic ecotoxicity testing showed no effect on Eisenia fetida except under biostimulation, which produced a 44 per cent decrease in toxicity. A mix of millet and canary seeds worked as an efficient fungal carrier.

· Wikipedia (italiano) · Italy

An Italian Wikipedia article on Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, established on 23 April 1990 under Lombardy regional law (LR 24), covering 46,300 hectares across roughly 60 municipalities. More than 1,400 farms operate within the park, with cereals accounting for 43% of cultivation, rice 22%, and forage 16%. Forty-one traditional irrigated meadows (marcite) are protected within the park, alongside native mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, plus reported invasive species such as nutria.

· Wikipedia · Global

This article describes green roofs as roof structures covered with vegetation and growing media that provide stormwater retention, insulation, urban heat island mitigation, and biodiversity benefits. Installation costs vary widely by system type, from $108-248/m2 for extensive systems to $355-2,368/m2 for intensive systems, with long-term economic benefits such as extended roof lifespan and increased property value offsetting high upfront costs.

· Wikipedia · United Kingdom

Kensington Roof Gardens is a roughly 6,000 sq m garden atop the former Derry & Toms department store building, designed and built between 1936 and 1938 by landscape architect Ralph Hancock, comprising three themed gardens: a Spanish garden, a Tudor-style garden, and an English woodland garden with a stream and pond. The trees received a tree preservation order in 1976, the garden was Grade II listed in 1998, but public access ended in 2018; after a 2021 acquisition, it reopened in 2024 as a private members' club.

· Wikipedia (ja) · Japan

The Ginza Honeybee Project began on March 28, 2006, keeping Western and Japanese honeybees on Ginza building rooftops, producing and selling honey-based sweets, cocktails, and soap, greening over 1,000 sqm of rooftop space, and providing environmental education to local kindergartens and schools. Honey production grew from 150 kg in 2006 to 800 kg in 2009, and an agricultural production corporation, Ginza Mitsubachi, was established in 2010.

United States Environmental Protection Agency · US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

The EPA's Soak Up the Rain page states that green roofs can significantly reduce the amount of rainwater that would otherwise run off an impervious roof surface, and can also help reduce building energy usage and noise while increasing roof durability and lifespan compared to conventional roofs. It explicitly notes that structures must be able to support the loading of green roof materials under fully saturated conditions.

· Wikipedia · Global

The English Wikipedia article 'Permaculture' defines it as an approach to land management and design based on observing flourishing natural ecosystems. Franklin Hiram King introduced the term 'permanent agriculture' in 1911, and Bill Mollison and David Holmgren coined 'permaculture' with the 1978 publication of 'Permaculture One'. It outlines three core ethics (care of the earth, care of people, and setting limits to population and consumption), Holmgren's twelve design principles, and practices such as hugelkultur, sheet mulching, and companion planting.