Urban Underground: Agroecological Functions of Soils in the City
More people around the world now live in cities than in rural areas. While cities have long been economic and cultural centers, there is increasing demand for ecological and environmental services from urban spaces. Urban agriculture, which utilizes local soils and nutrient rich organic amendments, is recognized for the ability to provide products, income, social benefits, and ecological services. Best management practices for anthropogenic soils (anthrosoils) and metrics to describe and evaluate their health are evolving.
Dr. Collins will share results from a National Urban Research & Extension Fellowship which included an observational study of soil parameters in farmed soils in urban and peri-urban environments in three different urban areas: 1) Medellin, Colombia; 2) Chicago, IL, USA; and 3) Seattle, WA, USA. While soil contaminants (e.g. heavy metals) are a concern in urban agriculture, the physical, hydrological, and biological parameters of urban soils are equally important but less studied. These three urban areas provided a diversity of cultural-industrial histories to evaluate anthropogenic influences. The study compared farmed soils in urban and peri-urban environments to characterize soil formation, soil foodwebs, carbon dynamics, soil nutrients, and contaminants along a gradient of anthropogenic influence (less disturbed to highly disturbed).
Presenter Bios
Doug Collins
Phone: (253) 445-4658
Email: dpcollins@wsu.edu
Doug Collins is an Extension Faculty with the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources and an affiliate faculty with the WSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. His extension programs and research focus on soil quality and vegetable and fruit production for small farms. Doug has a Ph.D. in soil science from Washington State University, an M.S. in Plant Pathology from Montana State University, and a B.A. in biology from Colorado College. He previously worked for Ribeiro Plant Lab, Inc., Seattle Tilth Association and the Washington Toxics Coalition and served on the board of directors of Tilth Producers of Washington. He currently serves on the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Advisory Board.
Doug is an active instructor in Ecological Soil Management for beginning and advanced producers. He conducts workshops at area conferences and for Cultivating Success™ classes. Doug’s research program is focused on organic vegetable cropping systems and managing and monitoring soil fertility.
