Common challenges and potential approaches in urban soil physics research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19568898 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara E Acevedo (0000-0003-3203-2106, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Beverly Alvarez-Torres (4Mapchine, Fargo, ND, USA), Beverly Alvarez‐Torres (Wells Fargo (United States)), Geoffroy Séré (0000-0003-4310-6115, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement), Moreen Willaredt (0000-0002-0081-3170, Carnegie Department of Plant Biology) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Elementa Science of the Anthropocene (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2325-1026 • E-ISSN: 2325-1026 |
| Publisher | University of California Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1525/elementa.2025.00099 |
| OpenAlex | W7161132898 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 173 |
Soil physics directly influences environmental health and quality by determining the exchange, movement, and retention of water, gas, and solutes in soils. Despite this key role, soil physical properties in urban environments remain understudied and frequently overlooked in urban planning and sustainable design, leading to missed opportunities for enhancing beneficial urban soil functioning, for example, for stormwater runoff management. Due to the ongoing climate crisis, urban water-soil management is becoming relevant for improving ecosystem services, including resilience to water scarcity, droughts, and flooding. Thus, the potential of urban soil physical studies, for example, mapping, modeling, and in situ characterization, for promoting healthier urban environments is discussed in this review. The focus is set on 3 current challenges in urban soil physical studies: (1) degradation of soil physical functions in the urban context, (2) lack of data on urban soil physical properties, and (3) the lack of a standardized taxonomy for urban soils classification. These challenges obscure the understanding of hydrological ecosystem services and urban soil functioning. Conversely, this review identifies key opportunities to advance the field, including (1) multiscale analysis of urban soils, (2) new technologies for determining soil hydraulic properties, and (3) the development of hydraulic functional soils. These advancements could improve urban soil management and enhance the climate change resilience of cities, contributing to healthier urban environments
Ecosystem services · Green infrastructure · Soil functions · Soil health · Soil Quality · Stormwater · Surface runoff · Urban ecosystem · Urban planning · Urban runoff · Fecal contamination and water quality · Urban Heat Island Mitigation · Urban Stormwater Management Solutions
The anthropogenic sealing of soils in urban areas
Remote sensing of impervious surfaces in the urban areas
How does building healthy soils impact sustainable use of water resources in irrigated agriculture
Soil compaction. An ecological risk in urban forests
Terrain and tree stand effect on the spatial variation of the soil penetration resistance in an Urban Park
Urbanization drives convergence in soil profile texture and carbon content
Are soil sealing indicators sufficient to guide urban planning? Insights from an ecosystem services assessment in the Paris metropolitan area
Assessing soil ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas
Effects of urbanisation on the water balance – A long-term trajectory
| Highly cited | No |
|---|