Soil function assessment of urban prairie restoration.

Soil function assessment of urban prairie restoration. Sarah Benton and Sarah Emery PhD. Department of Biology Prairies restoration entails the rehabilitation of the plant and animal communities in addition to the biogeochemical processes needed to maintain the health of the prairie. Soils play important roles in regulating ecosystem processes in these restoration but are not widely studied. Understanding the drivers of soil health are key to the development of best management restoration practices. We evaluated biotic and landscape factors influencing soil health in urban prairie restoration. Seventeen restored prairie sites in and surrounding Jefferson County were selected to assess soil health and function. Soil samples collected were tested for differences in water holding capacity (WHC), total nitrogen, total phosphorus, average organic matter, pH, and abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A field survey of prairie vegetation was conducted using total diversity of plant species and average m2 plant diversity. Landscape factors were calculated using soils data in ArcGIS. AMF was found to not be related to differences in soil function. Plant diversity was positively correlated to higher WHC but not higher organic matter. Landscape factors like impervious surface and parent material were found to be more important predictors of soil function. Land managers interested in restoring soil health should note that some biotic factors do appear to have an effect in the short term in addition to landscape and local geology. However, the development of long term restoration practices will require continued inquiry to better understand the synergistic effects of both biotic and landscape factors