Physicochemical Property and Nutrient Status of Soils in Urban Green Spaces in Xuzhou, China

Abstract

Soil physicochemical properties and the nutrient status of urban green spaces (UGS) in Xuzhou were analyzed. The results show that the soil pH is neutral to alkaline. Influenced by alkaline chemical fertilizer and some building materials, the soil pH presents a rising tendency. The content of soil organic matter (SOM) content was low but variable, which is mainly attributed to the disturbance of anthropogenic activity. The distributions of total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are relatively uniform but those of alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium are highly dispersed. In addition, available phosphorus shows the most significant variation. The contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are lower than in the natural cinnamon soils, and their deficiencies will occur if no effective measures are taken in the near future.