Review on the microorganisms in urban green space and their response to urbanization

Abstract:

Stability in microorganisms of urban green space (UGS) is a key factor to maintain its functioning of ecosystems. Rapid urbanization in the Anthropocene era would change soil physical and chemical properties of UGS, input emerging contaminants, aggravate the potential risk of microbial ecosystem and alter the diversities of microbial community and ecosystem function. These will further influence the service functions of UGS ecosystem. This article reviews the characteristics of UGS microorganisms, and the effects of urbanization on the UGS microbiome including soil, phyllosphere and air; antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs); pathogenic microorganisms; and rare species. Compared with the nature-derived microbes, UGS microorganisms generally have a higher heterogeneity, and are greatly affected by human activities. In the meantime, the level of ARGs and the number of human pathogenic bacteria have increased significantly, reflecting the disturbance of urbanization to the health and function of UGS ecosystems. We suggest that more attention to the impact of urbanization on microorganisms of UGS should be paid in future research, and to provide reliable theoretical supports for the risk assessment on human health.