by LV Beaudet, G Galopin, C Grosbellet
Resource Type: Journal article
Source: European Journal of Horticultural Science (2018) 83(3):173-186
Grades: Middle School and High School
This study dug deep into a major challenge facing cities – getting trees to actually take root and thrive! The researchers found that amping up the organic matter content of urban soils can work wonders, leading to bigger tree trunks and a huge boost in fine root development. And get this – those hardy tree roots even helped improve the soil’s structure and drainage, creating the kind of fertile, healthy urban ecosystem that city trees need to really flourish. The key? Pairing all that tree-planting with some strategic soil amendments to give those roots the boost they’re craving.
Phenomena:
Anthropogenic change
Competition for resources
Plant growth
DCIs:
LS1.B: Growth and development of organisms
LS2.A: Interdependent relationships in ecosystems
LS2.C: Ecosystems dynamics, functioning, and resilience
Notes:
- Helpful section describing the significance of the paper.
- Easy-to-understand and relatively easy-to-replicate study in which easy-to-find amendments were added to urban soil to see if plant and root growth improved.
- Easy-to-understand math equations to calculate, e.g., soil density
- Figure 2 is especially good
Driving questions:
- How do local conditions affect the size of the adult plant? (MS)
- If urban soils offer limited resources for plants, how can they be improved? (MS)
- How are anthropogenic changes in urban soil disrupting plant growth? (HS)
Topics: growth and soil quality
Features: charts, data table, line graph, p values, and statistical tests