Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School

College of Science and Mathematics

Department/Program

Biology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Dirk Vanderklein

Committee Member

Matthew Schuler

Committee Member

Aishwarya Deshpande

Abstract

"Urbanization causes habitat fragmentation, pollution, homogenization of soil profiles, and replacement of native flora and fauna, which can alter vital ecological processes like decomposition. It is essential to investigate the impacts urbanization may have on ecosystem functioning to better inform urban land management. Studies have shown conflicting results on the impacts of urbanization on soil decomposition rates, with some showing higher, lower, or similar decomposition rates in urban soils compared to rural soils. This study aims to investigate the effects of urbanization and soil characteristics on decomposition rates in three urban forest patches in New Jersey and New York using the Tea Bag Index (TBI) protocol. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) Decomposition will be lower in highly urbanized areas, 2) Decomposition will be faster in sand-rich soils, and 3) Decomposition will be reduced by nutrient-limited soils. Linear mixed effects modeling with the emmeans post-hoc test indicate no significant differences in decomposition between groups, resulting in a rejection of my hypotheses. One pair (Sencha tenkaichi: low vs. high urban intensity) was significant (p=0.0475), while all others were non-significant (p>0.05). Tea bag litter type was the main driver of decomposition in all three sites. Further investigation is needed to more fully understand the complex interactions between urbanization, environmental characteristics, and decomposition."

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