Soil electrical conductivity measurements across the city of Madison, WI, 2015 and 2018

This data was used to investigate the degree to which soils may act as reservoirs for road salt across a gradient of urban land covers in Madison, WI. Soil samples from a range of land cover classes were collected during the summer of 2015 within the city limits of Madison, WI (Ziter and Turner 2018). Twenty sites were selected from each of five land cover classes: urban forest, urban grassland, open space, low-density, medium-density. These land cover types encompass areas such as city parks (open space), residential backyards, highway roadsides, and prairies. In 2018, 20 road-terrace sites were sampled. Sites were distributed throughout the city and chosen based on accessibility to terraces along major roads. We found that soils near roads and in more developed areas tended to have both higher mean EC and greater variability within and between sites. These trends may be better understood by investigating characteristics unique to each land use type, including salt application regime, soil type, and land management scale. Shannon, T, S Ahler, A Mathers, C Ziter, and H Dugan. (In Press). Road salt impact on soil electrical conductivity across an urban landscape. Journal of Urban Ecology.