Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices
Urban soils are vital components of urban ecosystems, significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities and environmental factors. Despite misconceptions about their quality, urban soils play a pivotal role in carbon (C) cycling and storage, impacting global emissions and sequestration. However,...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/546 |
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| author | Antonino Fiorentino Farah Zahoor Rajput Annamaria Di Serio Vincenzo Baldi Francesco Guarino Daniela Baldantoni Domenico Ronga Pierluigi Mazzei Oriana Motta Mariarosaria Falanga Angela Cicatelli Stefano Castiglione |
| author_facet | Antonino Fiorentino Farah Zahoor Rajput Annamaria Di Serio Vincenzo Baldi Francesco Guarino Daniela Baldantoni Domenico Ronga Pierluigi Mazzei Oriana Motta Mariarosaria Falanga Angela Cicatelli Stefano Castiglione |
| author_sort | Antonino Fiorentino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban soils are vital components of urban ecosystems, significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities and environmental factors. Despite misconceptions about their quality, urban soils play a pivotal role in carbon (C) cycling and storage, impacting global emissions and sequestration. However, challenges such as soil contamination, land use changes, and urban expansion pose significant threats to soil quality and C storage capacity. Over the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the C storage potential of soils as part of climate change mitigation strategies. In this review, a bibliometric analysis covering the last twenty years (2004–2024) was performed to offer insights into global research trends, mainly in urban soils of the Mediterranean region. This paper also identifies research gaps and proposes essential solutions for mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization on soil biodiversity and functions. Key modulators, including plants, microbes, and soil features, are highlighted for their role in C dynamics, emphasizing the importance of effective soil and vegetation management to enhance C sequestration and ecosystem services. Strategies such as reintroducing nature into urban areas and applying organic amendments are promising in improving soil quality and microbial diversity. Further research and awareness are essential to maximize the effectiveness of these strategies, ensuring sustainable urban soil management and climate resilience. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b775cf0ea2fb436dbf00a9a0dadf2f2d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-b775cf0ea2fb436dbf00a9a0dadf2f2d2025-08-20T02:44:47ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-02-0114454610.3390/plants14040546Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management PracticesAntonino Fiorentino0Farah Zahoor Rajput1Annamaria Di Serio2Vincenzo Baldi3Francesco Guarino4Daniela Baldantoni5Domenico Ronga6Pierluigi Mazzei7Oriana Motta8Mariarosaria Falanga9Angela Cicatelli10Stefano Castiglione11Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyNational Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, ItalyUrban soils are vital components of urban ecosystems, significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities and environmental factors. Despite misconceptions about their quality, urban soils play a pivotal role in carbon (C) cycling and storage, impacting global emissions and sequestration. However, challenges such as soil contamination, land use changes, and urban expansion pose significant threats to soil quality and C storage capacity. Over the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the C storage potential of soils as part of climate change mitigation strategies. In this review, a bibliometric analysis covering the last twenty years (2004–2024) was performed to offer insights into global research trends, mainly in urban soils of the Mediterranean region. This paper also identifies research gaps and proposes essential solutions for mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization on soil biodiversity and functions. Key modulators, including plants, microbes, and soil features, are highlighted for their role in C dynamics, emphasizing the importance of effective soil and vegetation management to enhance C sequestration and ecosystem services. Strategies such as reintroducing nature into urban areas and applying organic amendments are promising in improving soil quality and microbial diversity. Further research and awareness are essential to maximize the effectiveness of these strategies, ensuring sustainable urban soil management and climate resilience.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/546soil C cycleurban soilsurban vegetationbiocharcompostclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Antonino Fiorentino Farah Zahoor Rajput Annamaria Di Serio Vincenzo Baldi Francesco Guarino Daniela Baldantoni Domenico Ronga Pierluigi Mazzei Oriana Motta Mariarosaria Falanga Angela Cicatelli Stefano Castiglione Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices Plants soil C cycle urban soils urban vegetation biochar compost climate change |
| title | Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices |
| title_full | Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices |
| title_fullStr | Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices |
| title_short | Role of Plants and Urban Soils in Carbon Stock: Status, Modulators, and Sustainable Management Practices |
| title_sort | role of plants and urban soils in carbon stock status modulators and sustainable management practices |
| topic | soil C cycle urban soils urban vegetation biochar compost climate change |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/546 |
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