LONG-TERM ARBORETUM MANAGEMENT DRIVES SOIL CHEMICAL DIVERGENCE FROM AGRICULTURAL

ANALOGS ON THE MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN: SALISBURY UNIVERSITY ARBORETUM, MARYLAND

Publication Type Journal Article

Publication Year 2026

Author(s) Daniel W. Harris, Michael E. Folkoff, Samuel B. Geleta, and Christopher H. Briand

Journal Name The Pennsylvania Geographer

Volume, Issue 63, 2

Pagination 34-48

Article Type Paper

DOI https://doi.org/10.66518/CXOU8021

Keywords: arboretum, soil management, soil nutrients, urban soil

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Abstract: Urban soils are increasingly shaped by long-term management, yet the extent to which managed urban green spaces alter soil chemistry relative to agricultural systems remains poorly understood. We evaluated spatial variation in soil chemical properties across four management-defined environments—Lawn, Park, Garden, and Forest—within the Salisbury University Arboretum and compared these soils to agricultural analogs developed on the same soil series. Soil pH, organic matter (%OM), and extractable macro- and micronutrients were analyzed using both multivariate and univariate statistical approaches. Soil chemical properties varied strongly among land-cover environments and were closely aligned with management intensity. Garden soils exhibited the highest nutrient concentrations and elevated pH, while Lawn and Park soils showed more moderate enrichment. Forest soils remained distinct but also exhibited evidence of chemical modification. Across all environments, Arboretum soils displayed substantially higher pH and elevated concentrations of key nutrients, including calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and boron (B), relative to agricultural soils. These patterns indicate coordinated shifts in soil geochemistry associated with long-term management. Managed urban greenspaces represent distinct soil systems that differ markedly from both agricultural and native conditions and may constitute an underrecognized source of nutrient enrichment with implications for urban runoff and ecosystem function.