Dreaming of Sustainable Urban Ecosystems: resilience of garden, park and forests soils in contaminated landscapes

Description

The pressure on urban ecosystems to function under increased urban development is a widely appreciated factor in modern urban management. However the beneficial impacts from “nature based solutions” NBS are difficult to untangle when it comes directly to human health beyond the direct mechanism of exposure to potentially harmful substances. In some situations it appears that our traditional approach to remediation through development can clash with ecosystem principles and sustainability is widely used but seldom confirmed. At the centre of the story are soil services performed under natural conditions or formed synthetically in response to urban disruption. Green space is the key land uses where human interaction is most intense and is a strong component for development of NBS in the future. This presentation will review aspects of soil quality as part of international studies on the resilience and use of urban soils, highlighting lessons from marginal land, public open spaces and woodland as part of our pursuit of reliable and resilient urban infrastructure.

Central Scotland Section of the Geological Society - University of Strathclyde.

Period	23 Jan 2018
Held at	Geological Society of London, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	National