%0 Journal Article
%T Urban soil carbon and nitrogen converge at a continental scale
%A Carl Rosier
%A Christopher Neill
%A Diane E. Pataki
%A James Heffernan
%A Jeannine Cavender©\Bares
%A Jennifer L. Morse
%A Meredith Steele
%A Morgan J. Grove
%A Neil Bettez
%A Peter M. Groffman
%A Richard V. Pouyat
%A Sarah E. Hobbie
%A Sharon J. Hall
%A Tara L. E. Trammell
%J Ecological Monographs - Wiley Online Library
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1401
%X In urban areas, anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem structure and function are thought to predominate over larger©\scale biophysical drivers. Residential yards are influenced by individual homeowner preferences and actions, and these factors are hypothesized to converge yard structure across broad scales. We examined soil total C and total ¦Ä13C, organic C and organic ¦Ä13C, total N, and ¦Ä15N in residential yards and corresponding reference ecosystems in six cities across the United States that span major climates and ecological biomes (Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis©\St. Paul, Minnesota; and Phoenix, Arizona). Across the cities, we found soil C and N concentrations and soil ¦Ä15N were less variable in residential yards compared to reference sites supporting the hypothesis that soil C, N, and ¦Ä15N converge across these cities. Increases in organic soil C, soil N, and soil ¦Ä15N across urban, suburban, and rural residential yards in several cities supported the hypothesis that soils responded similarly to altered resource inputs across cities, contributing to convergence of soil C and N in yards compared to natural systems. Soil C and N dynamics in residential yards showed evidence of increasing C and N inputs to urban soils or dampened decomposition rates over time that are influenced by climate and/or housing age across the cities. In the warmest cities (Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix), greater organic soil C and higher soil ¦Ä13C in yards compared to reference sites reflected the greater proportion of C4 plants in these yards. In the two warm arid cities (Los Angeles, Phoenix), total soil ¦Ä13C increased and organic soil ¦Ä13C decreased with increasing home age indicating greater inorganic C in the yards around newer homes. In general, soil organic C and ¦Ä13C, soil N, and soil ¦Ä15N increased with increasing home age suggesting increased soil C and N cycling rates and associated 12C and 14N losses over time control yard soil C and N dynamics. This study provides evidence that conversion of native reference ecosystems to residential areas results in convergence of soil C and N at a continental scale. The mechanisms underlying these effects are complex and vary spatially and temporally. Data are available from the EDI Data Portal: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/a8feb9c66e6a3cb6a7e628076fbc51ad Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the
%U https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecm.1401