The Role of Soil Management in Minimizing Water and Nutrient Losses from the Urban Landscape

Abstract

Soil is the most important building block of a healthy, attractive landscape, serving many important physical, chemical, and biological functions. Soil provides a physical substrate for plant support and holds nutrients and water for plant use. It also facilitates groundwater recharge (water moving from surface water to groundwater) and provides long-term storage for organic matter. Soil also provides a habitat for microorganisms that aid in the transformation and availability of nutrients. Soil is an integral part of any ecosystem, but urbanization often changes soils in ways that negatively affect plant development. Soils in urban areas may have reduced water infiltration, resulting in increased runoff and increased potential for nutrient losses. Homeowners in urban areas often overcompensate for poor planting conditions by applying inappropriate amounts of fertilizer and water. These practices eventually lead to nutrient losses through stormwater runoff or soil leaching, and these lost nutrients negatively impact groundwater and ecosystems in nearby springs, streams, and water bodies. This 6-page fact sheet was written by George Hochmuth, Laurie Trenholm, Esen Momol, Don Rainey, Claire Lewis, and Brian Niemann, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, November 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss593

Dry‐Out Periods of Rain Sensors vs. Soil Dry‐Out: Water Saving Potential and Recommendations

“…Deep sands are the most common topsoil in Florida, often limited underneath by clayey soil (Milavarapu et al, 2016). Less common are clayey textures found in urban settings as a topsoil, either occurring naturally or brought up by soil movement during housing developments (Hochmuth et al, 2016).…”

“…). Less common are clayey textures found in urban settings as a topsoil, either occurring naturally or brought up by soil movement during housing developments (Hochmuth et al, 2016).…”

Salvaging Native Plants from Sites Slated for Development: Stop Wasting Resources

“…During the construction phase, the landscape is altered as the site's elevation is typically raised by using multiple layers of soil fill, which is spread across the site. The soil fill is typically sterile and nutrient-poor sandy soils from different locations and/or dense and water-logged clay soils from onsite excavated stormwater ponds (Hochmuth et al 2013). Once distributed across a site, fill is usually compressed due to heavy construction equipment (Hochmuth et al 2013;Shober et al 2010).…”

“…The soil fill is typically sterile and nutrient-poor sandy soils from different locations and/or dense and water-logged clay soils from onsite excavated stormwater ponds (Hochmuth et al 2013). Once distributed across a site, fill is usually compressed due to heavy construction equipment (Hochmuth et al 2013;Shober et al 2010). These sterile, nutrient-poor, and compressed soil conditions can prevent many native plant species from establishing and thriving due to the plants not receiving adequate nutrients and/or the root space to grow (Hochmuth et al 2013).…”

“…Once distributed across a site, fill is usually compressed due to heavy construction equipment (Hochmuth et al 2013;Shober et al 2010). These sterile, nutrient-poor, and compressed soil conditions can prevent many native plant species from establishing and thriving due to the plants not receiving adequate nutrients and/or the root space to grow (Hochmuth et al 2013). These conditions can even hinder the growth on nonnative species.…”