Project
Living Technosols: Earthworms’ contribution to urban soils
With increasing urbanization, development of urban ecosystems coincides with constructing Technosols – man-made soil constructions which “properties and functions are dominated by technical human activity”. Soil macrofauna such as earthworms may play a key role in soil formation of Technosols. The project aims to understand the dynamics of earthworm community structure and activities in Technosols, study its role in soil formation, and finally develop management recommendations for earthworm-based solutions to stimulate C storage, water infiltration, and water storage in Technosols.
Urbanization increases worldwide and in the Netherlands urban areas are projected to cover more than 17% of the territory by 2040. Development of urban ecosystems coincides with constructing Technosols – man-made soil constructions which “properties and functions are dominated by technical human activity”. The choice of materials used for their construction as well as the factors and processes of Technosols’ formation and evolution under different environmental management conditions may be crucial to the delivery of ecosystem services and urban sustainability. However, sustainable development strategies for urban soils are not yet supported by soil data.
Soil macrofauna such as earthworms may play a key role in soil formation of Technosols. As active ecosystem engineers, earthworms are linked to many physicochemical soil properties and multiple soil processes including the development of a good soil structure, homogenization, and soil organic matter dynamics that are essential for ecosystem service delivery (plant productivity, water infiltration and water storage).
In newly constructed Technosols earthworms have been found to influence soil formation. Technosols’ construction and management, on the other hand, may greatly impact earthworm communities in place. Management practices creating favorable habitat conditions for earthworms will likely enhance ecosystem services delivery by Technosols, whereas negative anthropogenic impacts on earthworms will result in ecosystem services depletion.
Using complementary soil survey, laboratory/greenhouse and field experiments, as well as citizen science, we propose to use the ‘city of life sciences’ Wageningen to systematically analyze the role of earthworms in evolution and spatial variability of Technosols’ ecosystem services. The project aims to understand the dynamics of earthworm community structure and activities in Technosols, study its role in soil formation, and finally develop management recommendations for earthworm-based solutions to stimulate C storage, water infiltration, and water storage in Technosols.