The Effects of Plant Diversity on Soil in Urban Environments

Abstract

With the increase of urban areas across the United States, there is an increase in lawns, parks, and other green spaces. These green spaces are often monoculture grass environments. However, urban areas use fertilizers and pesticides to maintain picturesque yards. This management approach can result in leaching of both pesticides and fertilizers into waterways. Soil microorganisms assist plants in many ways and are an essential part of the soil microbiome. Therefore, my research aims to understand how plant diversity affects these soil microbes and if an increase in soil microorganism diversity aids in the reduction of water and fertilizer use. To understand the relationship between plant diversity and soil microbes, I examined 33 peer-reviewed articles from 2013 to 2023. I found that in 51% of articles reviewed soil microbes and microbial diversity not only improve plant-resource acquisition but also assist in periods of drought stress. The research identifies 24% of the articles reviewed detailing the consequences of conventional lawn management through the application of chemicals decreasing populations of soil microorganisms. Plant diversity led to an increase in microbial diversity and authors suggested increasing diversity of both plants and microbes could potentially assist in the reduction of fertilizers and irrigation frequency in urban areas. Although several management trends within urban communities promote urban plant diversification, more community education and research in urban areas would be needed to see diverse lawn plantings.