Media Invitation

Contact: Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org. Please RSVP by October 10, 2017.

Oct. 3, 2017—Eighty percent of the world’s population live in cities. Helping those soils stay healthy helps keep the water clean and provides green spaces for people to get exercise, among other benefits.

The “Sustainable Soils in Urban Environments” symposium planned at the Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, will address this important topic. The symposium will be held Monday, October 23, 2017, 10:30 AM. The meeting is sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.

Eduardo Arellano will address the growing conditions of urban trees in his presentation. He will present findings that give insight for improving soil management of urban green spaces in order to maximize urban tree health. Arellano is a researcher with the Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Santiago, Chile.

Urban trees experience site and soil-induced stress, leading to reduced growth and health. Bryant Scharenbroch, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, developed a “rapid urban site index” to help predict urban tree performance. Scharenbroch will discuss the parameters of his index and address future uses.

Siti Jariani Mohd Jani and colleagues at the University of Florida studied various sources of nitrogen in urban locations. “Nitrogen input from residential stormwater runoff has been recognized for causing nutrient enrichment in coast water,” says Jani.  Jani will present findings about the sources, and suggestions for best management practices.

For more information about the 2017 meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/. Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by Oct. 10, 2017 is required. Visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/media for registration information. For information about the “Sustainable Soils in Urban Environments” symposium, visit https://scisoc.confex.com/crops/2017am/webprogram/Session16923.html.

To speak with one of the scientists, contact Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org to arrange an interview.