OOS 52
Assessing Urban Agriculture: Ecosystem Services and Ecological Consequences

Wednesday, August 12, 2015: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
328, Baltimore Convention Center
Organizer:
Sam E. Wortman, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
Co-organizers:
Adam Kay, University of St. Thomas; and Gaston Small, University of St. Thomas
Moderator:
Kristen Bastug, University of St. Thomas
Many cities have seen a rapid expansion of urban agriculture in recent years, between commercial farms, community and home gardens, and backyard animal husbandry. Previous research on urban agriculture has largely focused on social benefits, but there is a growing need to quantify environmental costs and benefits, particularly as many cities are revising policies related to urban agriculture. Speakers in this session will share findings of research focused on quantifying ecosystem services (e.g., provisioning of food, carbon sequestration, aesthetic and educational value) and environmental consequences (e.g., nutrient pollution, water demand, exposure to soil contaminants) related to urban agriculture. The goal for this session is to gather ecologists and environmental scientists interested in urban agriculture, define the state of the art, and identify research questions that need to be addressed to advance the sustainable growth of urban agriculture across the US. Ecological study of urban agriculture has been limited, but this session will highlight exciting opportunities for ecologists to contribute to this emerging field. Baltimore has been at the forefront of urban ecology, and this session will specifically explore the role of agriculture within the context of urban ecosystems.
1:30 PM
 Hydroponic gardens as a mitigation strategy for nutrient pollution in urban lakes
Gaston E. Small, University of St. Thomas; Jessica M. Brown, University of St. Thomas
1:50 PM
 Soil remediation and the threat of recontamination in urban agroecosystems
Sam E. Wortman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Ross K. Wagstaff, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2:10 PM
 Yield benefits and environmental costs of different compost sources on urban garden plots
Kristen Bastug, University of St. Thomas; Samuel Harvey, University of St. Thomas; Jacob Anderson, University of St. Thomas; Tanner Ruprecht, University of St. Thomas; Gaston E. Small, University of St. Thomas; Adam Kay, University of St. Thomas
2:30 PM
 Agroecosystem changes across urban to rural transects in Salt Lake City, UT, and Chicago, IL
Christine A. Clay, Westminster College; Ross K. Wagstaff, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Sam E. Wortman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2:50 PM
 Managing urban garden soils: Minimize potential for soil contaminant transfer
Ganga Hettiarachchi, Kansas State University; Chammi P. Attanayake, Kansas State University; Phillip P. Defoe, Kansas State University; Sabine Martin, Kansas State University
3:10 PM
3:20 PM
 Participatory plant breeding for urban food systems
Julie Dawson, University of Wisconsin - Madison
3:40 PM
 Urban agriculture in New York City: Maps, measurements, and citizen science
Clare Sullivan, Agriculture and Food Security Center, The Earth Institute, Columbia University