The urban footprint: soil water-holding capability modification as a result of land-cover changes in northern Michigan.

Abstract

The hydrological cycle is responsible for precipitation, evaporation, condensation, infiltration, and runoff of water in the hydrosphere. Human actions in the urban arena are affecting the hydrologic cycle, to detrimental effect, including: flooding, drought, and polluted drinking water. I obtained soil samples from four separate land-cover types, weighed, saturated with water, and dried the soils. Using the soil samples from urbanized and non-urbanized land-covers in Cheboygan, MI, this study determined that bulk density and porosity of the soil, measures of soil compaction and water storage capability, were more affected in highly urbanized land-covers than in non-disturbed land-covers. Anthropogenic sources of changes to the hydrologic cycle will need to be ameliorated by further human actions before the hydrologic cycle can recover.