Chapter 10 - Climate change and urban forest soils

Abstract

Abstract With the proportion of the global population living in urban areas expected to reach 67% by 2040, soils located in these areas, or urban soils, will become increasingly important, particularly with regards to how these soils respond to climate change and their ability to provide ecosystem services. Moreover, urban areas to a large degree have already experienced elevated air temperatures, carbon dioxide concentrations, and increased variability in precipitation, and thus can serve as analogs for how forest soils will respond to climate change. This chapter reviews the wide range of soil characteristics in urban landscapes, their response to both urban environments and changes in climate, their potential to serve as analogs for understanding the future effects of climate change on soils, and how they provide ecosystem services including those that assist in mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.