Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Impact of urbanisation on soil characteristics

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Environmental Chemistry Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Six forest locations were chosen from urban (U) and semi-urban (SU) zones of Sofia, Bulgaria. Soil profiles characterised for their generic physico-chemical properties: particle size distribution, pH, C-content (%) and N-content (%). From the ratio silt/clay and C/N, significant differences were observed for the Ah horizon in the urban and semi-urban locations. Clay formation appeared to be reduced in this horizon in the urban soils and the C-content is higher in semi-urban soils in comparison with the urban soils. On the base of the results obtained, a reduction of the buffering capability is noted for the topsoil of the urban sites compared to the semi-urban sites.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beyer L, Kahle P, Kretschmer H, Wu Q (2001). Soil organic matter composition of man-impacted urban sites in North Germany. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 164:359–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO, ISSS, ISRIC (1994) World reference base for soil resources. Wageningen, Rome, p. 161

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO-UNESCO (1991) World soil resources. An explanatory note on the FAO World Resources Map at 1: 25 000 000 scale. Rome, p. 58

  • Hursthouse AS, Tognarelli D, Tucker P, Marsan FA, Martini C, Madrid L (2004) A pilot study of the metal content of surface soils in parks and allotments from three European Cities. Land Contamin Reclam 12(3):189–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias A, Pendias H (1992) Trace elements in soils and plants, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, p. 365

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz K, Kandeler E (2005) Biochemical characterisation of urban soil profiles from Stuttgart, Germany. Soil Biol Biochem 37:1373–1385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markiewicz-Patkowska J, Hursthouse A, Przybyla-Kij H (2005) The interaction of heavy metals with urban soils: sorption behaviour of Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn with a typical mixed brownfield deposit. Environ Int 31:513–521

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niemelä J, Kotze J, Ashworth A, Brandmayr P, Desender K, New T, Penev L, Samways M, Spence J (2000) The search for common anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity: a global network. J Insect Conserv 4:3–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum MS, McMillan AA, Powell JH, Cooper AH, Culshaw MG, Northmore KD (2003) Classification of artificial (man-made) ground. Eng Geol 69:399–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scharenbroch BC, Lloyd JE, Johnson-Maynard JL (1995) Distinguishing urban soils with physical, chemical and biological properties. Pedobiologia 49:283–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson T (1996) Urban soils. In: McCall GJH, De Mulder EFJ, Marker BR (ed) Urban geoscience. pp. 35–60

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew Hursthouse.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Doichinova, V., Zhiyanski, M. & Hursthouse, A. Impact of urbanisation on soil characteristics. Environ Chem Lett 3, 160–163 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-005-0024-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-005-0024-z

Keywords

Navigation