Ecological and Soil Data Applied to Conservation Management of an Urban Forest

Abstract

Urban ecosystems have great potential for urban biodiversity conservation, but achieving conservation goals relies on comprehensive ecological assessments to assist in active management practices; however, land use changes in urban ecosystems have led to unique abiotic and biotic inputs that have affected and altered below-ground soil composition, with potentially negative implications across trophic levels. We investigated the relationships between soil attributes and key indicators of forest health, specifically the composition and condition of vegetation and soils in an urban remnant forest area. The major findings revealed a dominance of native plant species, with some invasion by non-native plants, and acidic high-carbon soils sufficient in most plant available nutrients. Moreover, stepwise regression analysis showed significant relationships between soil attributes and native species diversity and abundance; prevalence of invasive plants (Lonicera maackii, Pueraria montana, Albizia julibrissin, Ligustrum sinense, Lonicera japonica, Ailanthus altissima, and Paulownia tomentosa); forest canopy gaps; and fine woody debris on the forest floor. These findings identified attributes of urban soils affecting forest health and biodiversity conservation, with broad implications for the long-term monitoring of urban forests.