Woody Vegetation and Soil Characteristics of Residential Forest Patches and Open Spaces along an Urban-to-Rural Gradient
Read full paper at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53471#.VMX5gyzQrzE Author(s) Benjamin L. Reichert 1* , Sharon R. Jean-Philippe 1 , Christopher Oswalt 2 , Jennifer Franklin 1 , Mark Radosevich 3 Affiliation(s) 1 Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA . 2 USDA-Forest Service, FIA, Knoxville, USA . 3 Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA . ABSTRACT As the process of urbanization advances across the country, so does the importance of urban forests, which include both trees and the soils in which they grow. Soil microbial biomass, which plays a critical role in nutrient transformation in urban ecosystems, is affected by factors such as soil type and the availability of water, carbon, and nitrogen. The aim of this study was to characterize residual forest patches and open fields in residential areas...