IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-37428-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces worldwide

Author

Listed:
  • Yu-Rong Liu

    (Huazhong Agricultural University
    Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Marcel G. A. Heijden

    (Plant-Soil Interactions, Agroscope
    University of Zürich)

  • Judith Riedo

    (University of Zürich)

  • Carlos Sanz-Lazaro

    (University of Alicante
    University of Alicante)

  • David J. Eldridge

    (University of New South Wales)

  • Felipe Bastida

    (CEBAS-CSIC. Department of Soil and Water Conservation. Campus Universitario de Espinardo)

  • Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez

    (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    Freie Universität Berlin
    Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB))

  • Xin-Quan Zhou

    (Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Hang-Wei Hu

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Ji-Zheng He

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • José L. Moreno

    (CEBAS-CSIC. Department of Soil and Water Conservation. Campus Universitario de Espinardo)

  • Sebastian Abades

    (Universidad Mayor)

  • Fernando Alfaro

    (Universidad Mayor
    Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB))

  • Adebola R. Bamigboye

    (Obafemi Awolowo University)

  • Miguel Berdugo

    (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

  • José L. Blanco-Pastor

    (INRAE, UR4 (URP3F), Centre Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Poitiers)

  • Asunción los Ríos

    (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)

  • Jorge Duran

    (Misión Biológica de Galicia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
    University of Coimbra)

  • Tine Grebenc

    (Slovenian Forestry Institute)

  • Javier G. Illán

    (Washington State University)

  • Thulani P. Makhalanyane

    (University of Pretoria)

  • Marco A. Molina-Montenegro

    (Universidad de Talca
    Universidad Católica del Norte)

  • Tina U. Nahberger

    (Slovenian Forestry Institute)

  • Gabriel F. Peñaloza-Bojacá

    (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)

  • César Plaza

    (Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)

  • Ana Rey

    (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
    Misión Biológica de Galicia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)

  • Alexandra Rodríguez

    (Misión Biológica de Galicia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
    University of Coimbra)

  • Christina Siebe

    (Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria)

  • Alberto L. Teixido

    (Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso)

  • Nuria Casado-Coy

    (University of Alicante)

  • Pankaj Trivedi

    (Colorado State University)

  • Cristian Torres-Díaz

    (Universidad del Bío-Bío, Campus Fernando May)

  • Jay Prakash Verma

    (Banaras Hindu University)

  • Arpan Mukherjee

    (Banaras Hindu University)

  • Xiao-Min Zeng

    (Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Ling Wang

    (Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun)

  • Jianyong Wang

    (Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun)

  • Eli Zaady

    (Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Plant Sciences, Gilat Research Center)

  • Xiaobing Zhou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qiaoyun Huang

    (Huazhong Agricultural University
    Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Wenfeng Tan

    (Huazhong Agricultural University
    State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Health and Green Remediation)

  • Yong-Guan Zhu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Matthias C. Rillig

    (Freie Universität Berlin
    Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB))

  • Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo

    (Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC
    Universidad Pablo de Olavide)

Abstract

Soil contamination is one of the main threats to ecosystem health and sustainability. Yet little is known about the extent to which soil contaminants differ between urban greenspaces and natural ecosystems. Here we show that urban greenspaces and adjacent natural areas (i.e., natural/semi-natural ecosystems) shared similar levels of multiple soil contaminants (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes) across the globe. We reveal that human influence explained many forms of soil contamination worldwide. Socio-economic factors were integral to explaining the occurrence of soil contaminants worldwide. We further show that increased levels of multiple soil contaminants were linked with changes in microbial traits including genes associated with environmental stress resistance, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis. Taken together, our work demonstrates that human-driven soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces globally, and highlights that soil contaminants have the potential to cause dire consequences for ecosystem sustainability and human wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu-Rong Liu & Marcel G. A. Heijden & Judith Riedo & Carlos Sanz-Lazaro & David J. Eldridge & Felipe Bastida & Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez & Xin-Quan Zhou & Hang-Wei Hu & Ji-Zheng He & José L. Moreno & Seba, 2023. "Soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37428-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37428-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37428-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-37428-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Satya R. Chakravarty, 2003. "A Generalized Human Development Index," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 99-114, February.
    2. N. Evangeliou & H. Grythe & Z. Klimont & C. Heyes & S. Eckhardt & S. Lopez-Aparicio & A. Stohl, 2020. "Atmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Mostafa M. H. Ellabaan & Christian Munck & Andreas Porse & Lejla Imamovic & Morten O. A. Sommer, 2021. "Forecasting the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial genomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Zhenyan Zhang & Qi Zhang & Tingzhang Wang & Nuohan Xu & Tao Lu & Wenjie Hong & Josep Penuelas & Michael Gillings & Meixia Wang & Wenwen Gao & Haifeng Qian, 2022. "Assessment of global health risk of antibiotic resistance genes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yunyan Zhou & Jingquan Li & Fei Huang & Huashui Ai & Jun Gao & Congying Chen & Lusheng Huang, 2023. "Characterization of the pig lower respiratory tract antibiotic resistome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Jeni Klugman & Francisco Rodríguez & Hyung-Jin Choi, 2011. "The HDI 2010: new controversies, old critiques," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 9(2), pages 249-288, June.
    3. Cherchye, Laurens & Knox Lovell, C.A. & Moesen, Wim & Van Puyenbroeck, Tom, 2007. "One market, one number? A composite indicator assessment of EU internal market dynamics," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 749-779, April.
    4. Satya R. Chakravarty & Pietro Muliere, 2003. "Welfare indicators: A review and new perspectives. 1. Measurement of inequality," Metron - International Journal of Statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate - University of Rome, vol. 0(3), pages 457-497.
    5. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2021. "Augmented human development in the age of globalization," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(4), pages 946-975, November.
    6. Martin Ravallion, 2011. "The human development index: a response to Klugman, Rodriguez and Choi," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 9(3), pages 475-478, September.
    7. Mehmet Pinar, 2019. "Multidimensional Well-Being and Inequality Across the European Regions with Alternative Interactions Between the Well-Being Dimensions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 31-72, July.
    8. Federico Comes & Martina Menon & Federico Perali, 2022. "Socio-economic and psychological consequences of the Pandemic for the Great Elderly in Italy: How much is it worth investing in relationship as a factor preventing lonelines," Working Papers 12, SITES.
    9. Shyamal Chowdhury & Lyn Squire, 2006. "Setting weights for aggregate indices: An application to the commitment to development index and human development index," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(5), pages 761-771.
    10. Ugo Gentilini & Patrick Webb, 2005. "How Are We Doing on Poverty and Hunger Reduction?: A New Measure of Country-Level Progress," Working Papers in Food Policy and Nutrition 31, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
    11. Eduardo Zambrano, 2014. "An axiomatization of the human development index," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 42(4), pages 853-872, April.
    12. Antonio Villar, 2009. "Distribution Sensitive Multidimensional Development Indices," Working Papers 09.14, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    13. James Foster & Mark McGillivray & Suman Seth, 2012. "Rank Robustness of Composite Indices: Dominance and Ambiguity," OPHI Working Papers 26b, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    14. Laurens Cherchye & Erwin Ooghe & Tom Puyenbroeck, 2008. "Robust human development rankings," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 6(4), pages 287-321, December.
    15. Andrew J Tanentzap & Samuel Cottingham & Jérémy Fonvielle & Isobel Riley & Lucy M Walker & Samuel G Woodman & Danai Kontou & Christian M Pichler & Erwin Reisner & Laurent Lebreton, 2021. "Microplastics and anthropogenic fibre concentrations in lakes reflect surrounding land use," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Juan Pablo Celemín & Guillermo Ángel Velázquez, 2018. "Spatial Analysis of the Relationship Between a Life Quality Index, HDI and Poverty in the Province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 57-77, November.
    17. Enrico Casadio Tarabusi & Paolo Palazzi, 2004. "An index for sustainable development," BNL Quarterly Review, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, vol. 57(229), pages 185-206.
    18. Patrick Munk & Christian Brinch & Frederik Duus Møller & Thomas N. Petersen & Rene S. Hendriksen & Anne Mette Seyfarth & Jette S. Kjeldgaard & Christina Aaby Svendsen & Bram Bunnik & Fanny Berglund & , 2022. "Genomic analysis of sewage from 101 countries reveals global landscape of antimicrobial resistance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    19. Angelica Bianco & Monica Passananti, 2020. "Atmospheric Micro and Nanoplastics: An Enormous Microscopic Problem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    20. Zexi Shen & Qiang Zhang & Vijay P. Singh & Yadu Pokhrel & Jianping Li & Chong-Yu Xu & Wenhuan Wu, 2022. "Drying in the low-latitude Atlantic Ocean contributed to terrestrial water storage depletion across Eurasia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37428-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.