by RM Layman, SD Day, DK Mitchell, Y Chen, JR Harris, WL Daniels
Resource Type: Journal article
Source: Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (2016) 16:25-35
Grades: Middle School and High School
Urban development is no friend to trees – it decimates soil structure and strips away all that precious organic matter, leaving city trees high and dry. But this study unearthed a game-changing solution: soil rehabilitation. The researchers found that by amending and loosening up the soil, they were able to turbocharge tree growth, with some species seeing an 84% boost in canopy size after just six years. And get this – the soil rehab even improved the trees’ water-handling abilities, making them better equipped to handle stormwater. The takeaway? Focusing on the hidden world beneath our feet could be the key to helping urban trees truly thrive.
Phenomena:
Anthropogenic change
Human impacts on environment
Plant growth
DCIs:
LS1.B: Growth and development of organisms
LS2.C: Ecosystems dynamics, functioning, and resilience
ESS3.C: Human impacts on earth’s systems
Notes:
- Easy-to-understand experiment showing that urban soils can be rehabilitated.
- Figures are clear and show clear differences among treatments.
Driving questions:
- How does soil quality affect plant growth? (MS)
- How did differences in physical environment affect the different species? (HS)
- How have humans altered the urban environment and how can those changes be ameliorated? (MS/HS)
Topics: growth, plant water needs, and soil quality
Features: data table, line graph, and p values