Nuts and berries from agroforestry systems in temperate regions can form the foundation for a healthier human diet and improved outcomes from diet-related diseases.

Agroforestry is a specific type of agroecosystem that includes trees and shrubs with the potential to yield nutrient-rich products that contribute to human health. This paper reviews the literature on the human health benefits of tree nut and berry species commonly associated with agroforestry systems of the United States, considering their potential for preventing certain diet-related diseases. Emphasis is placed on those diseases that are most closely associated with poor outcomes from COVID-19, as they are indicators of confounding health prognoses. Results indicate that tree nuts reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, and walnuts (Juglans species) are particularly effective because of their unique fatty acid profile. Berries that are grown on shrubs have the potential to contribute to mitigation of hypertension, prevention of Type II diabetes, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. To optimize human health benefits, plant breeding programs can focus on the traits that enhance the naturally-occurring phytochemicals, through biofortification. Value-added processing techniques should be selected and employed to preserve the phytonutrients, so they are maintained through the point of consumption. Agroforestry systems can offer valuable human health outcomes for common diet-related diseases, in addition to providing many environmental benefits, particularly if they are purposefully designed with that goal in mind. The food system policies in the U.S. might be reoriented to prioritize these food production systems based on the health benefits.

Environmental challenges threatening the growth of urban agriculture in the United States.

Urban agriculture, though often difficult to define, is an emerging sector of local food economies in the United States. Although urban and agricultural landscapes are often integrated in countries around the world, the establishment of mid- to large-scale food production in the U.S. urban ecosystem is a relatively new development. Many of the urban agricultural projects in the United States have emerged from social movements and nonprofit organizations focused on urban renewal, education, job training, community development, and sustainability initiatives. Although these social initiatives have traction, critical knowledge gaps exist regarding the science of food production in urban ecosystems. Developing a science-based approach to urban agriculture is essential to the economic and environmental sustainability of the movement. This paper reviews abiotic environmental factors influencing urban cropping systems, including soil contamination and remediation; atmospheric pollutants and altered climatic conditions; and water management, sources, and safety. This review paper seeks to characterize the limited state of the science on urban agricultural systems and identify future research questions most relevant to urban farmers, land-use planners, and environmental consultants.

Roads in northern hardwood forests affect adjacent plant communities and soil chemistry in proportion to the maintained roadside area.

The spatial extent of the transported materials from three road types was studied in forest soil and vegetative communities in Vermont. Hypotheses were two-fold: 1) soil chemical concentrations above background environment would reflect traffic volume and road type (highway>2-lane paved>gravel), and 2) plant communities close to the road and near roads with greater traffic will be disturbance-tolerant and adept at colonization. Soil samples were gathered from 12 randomly identified transects for each of three road types classified as "highway," "two-lane paved," and "gravel." Using GIS mapping, transects were constructed perpendicular to the road, and samples were gathered at the shoulder, ditch, backslope, 10 m from the edge of the forest, and 50 m from road center. Sample locations were analyzed for a suite of soil elements and parameters, as well as percent area coverage by plant species. The main effects from roads depended on the construction modifications required for a roadway (i.e., vegetation clearing and topography modification). The cleared area defined the type of plant community and the distance that road pollutants travel. Secondarily, road presence affected soil chemistry. Metal concentrations (e.g., Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) correlated positively with road type. Proximity to all road types made the soils more alkaline (pH 7.7) relative to the acidic soil of the adjacent native forest (pH 5.6). Roadside microtopography had marked effects on the composition of plant communities based on the direction of water flow. Ditch areas supported wetland plant species, greater soil moisture and sulfur content, while plant communities closer to the road were characteristic of drier upland zones. The area beyond the edge of the forest did not appear to be affected chemically or physically by any of the road types, possibly due to the dense vegetation that typically develops outside of the managed right-of-way.