The residential landscape: Fluxes of elements and the role of household decisions

Cinzia Fissore; Sarah E. Hobbie; Jennifer Y. King; Joseph P. McFadden; Kristen C. Nelson; Lawrence A. Baker

doi:10.1007/s11252-011-0189-0

The residential landscape: Fluxes of elements and the role of household decisions

Cinzia Fissore, Sarah E. Hobbie, Jennifer Y. King, Joseph P. McFadden, Kristen C. Nelson, Lawrence A. Baker

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Abstract

We assessed biogeochemical cycling of elements through residential household landscapes to evaluate the importance of annual to decadal household-level decisions for element fluxes that contribute to urban and regional pollution. We combined a mailed survey, vegetation measurements, and allometric and biogeochemical models to estimate fluxes and accumulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in landscapes of 360 single-family homes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Carbon inputs and accumulation were strongly influenced by the presence of trees on the property. Nitrogen inputs to the landscape exceeded estimated ecosystem demand for N on average by 51% and were dominated by N fertilizer application. Because Minnesota state law restricts the use of P fertilizer, pet waste was responsible for 84% of P inputs to the landscape. The results have implications for understanding sources of urban pollution and the potential flexibility (i. e., the potential for change) in household behaviors such as tree planting, fertilization, and pet waste management that contribute to such pollution.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
Journal	Urban Ecosystems
Volume	15
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0189-0
State	Published - Mar 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program (BCS-0709581, BCS-0908549, BCS-0908998) and Long-Term Ecological Research Program (DEB-0620652). We thank the large number of homeowners who responded to our survey and gave us permission to make measurements on their property. We thank our geographic information systems and database specialists, Ina Jakobsdottir and A. Slaats, for their invaluable support, our field crew: B. Bobbitt, C. Buyarski, M. Kemp, T. Knudson, P. Koenig, T. Kraft, M. Ranniger, G. Rubenstein, J. Schubert, and A. Thone, and C. Lee, S. Grayzeck, and A. Woodside for survey coordination and data entry. We also thank D. Nidzgorski and S. Panzer Wein for their useful comments.

Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Biogeochemistry
Carbon
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Turfgrass lawn
Urban ecology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s11252-011-0189-0

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title = "The residential landscape: Fluxes of elements and the role of household decisions",

abstract = "We assessed biogeochemical cycling of elements through residential household landscapes to evaluate the importance of annual to decadal household-level decisions for element fluxes that contribute to urban and regional pollution. We combined a mailed survey, vegetation measurements, and allometric and biogeochemical models to estimate fluxes and accumulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in landscapes of 360 single-family homes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Carbon inputs and accumulation were strongly influenced by the presence of trees on the property. Nitrogen inputs to the landscape exceeded estimated ecosystem demand for N on average by 51% and were dominated by N fertilizer application. Because Minnesota state law restricts the use of P fertilizer, pet waste was responsible for 84% of P inputs to the landscape. The results have implications for understanding sources of urban pollution and the potential flexibility (i. e., the potential for change) in household behaviors such as tree planting, fertilization, and pet waste management that contribute to such pollution.",

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note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program (BCS-0709581, BCS-0908549, BCS-0908998) and Long-Term Ecological Research Program (DEB-0620652). We thank the large number of homeowners who responded to our survey and gave us permission to make measurements on their property. We thank our geographic information systems and database specialists, Ina Jakobsdottir and A. Slaats, for their invaluable support, our field crew: B. Bobbitt, C. Buyarski, M. Kemp, T. Knudson, P. Koenig, T. Kraft, M. Ranniger, G. Rubenstein, J. Schubert, and A. Thone, and C. Lee, S. Grayzeck, and A. Woodside for survey coordination and data entry. We also thank D. Nidzgorski and S. Panzer Wein for their useful comments. Copyright: Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - Baker, Lawrence A.

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PY - 2012/3

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N2 - We assessed biogeochemical cycling of elements through residential household landscapes to evaluate the importance of annual to decadal household-level decisions for element fluxes that contribute to urban and regional pollution. We combined a mailed survey, vegetation measurements, and allometric and biogeochemical models to estimate fluxes and accumulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in landscapes of 360 single-family homes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Carbon inputs and accumulation were strongly influenced by the presence of trees on the property. Nitrogen inputs to the landscape exceeded estimated ecosystem demand for N on average by 51% and were dominated by N fertilizer application. Because Minnesota state law restricts the use of P fertilizer, pet waste was responsible for 84% of P inputs to the landscape. The results have implications for understanding sources of urban pollution and the potential flexibility (i. e., the potential for change) in household behaviors such as tree planting, fertilization, and pet waste management that contribute to such pollution.

AB - We assessed biogeochemical cycling of elements through residential household landscapes to evaluate the importance of annual to decadal household-level decisions for element fluxes that contribute to urban and regional pollution. We combined a mailed survey, vegetation measurements, and allometric and biogeochemical models to estimate fluxes and accumulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in landscapes of 360 single-family homes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Carbon inputs and accumulation were strongly influenced by the presence of trees on the property. Nitrogen inputs to the landscape exceeded estimated ecosystem demand for N on average by 51% and were dominated by N fertilizer application. Because Minnesota state law restricts the use of P fertilizer, pet waste was responsible for 84% of P inputs to the landscape. The results have implications for understanding sources of urban pollution and the potential flexibility (i. e., the potential for change) in household behaviors such as tree planting, fertilization, and pet waste management that contribute to such pollution.

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The residential landscape: Fluxes of elements and the role of household decisions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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