Skip to main content

Urban Biogeochemistry and Development: The Biogeochemical Impacts of Linear Infrastructure

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Biogeochemistry and the Environment
  • 344 Accesses

  • The original version of the chapter “Urban Biogeochemistry and Development: The Biogeochemical Impacts of Linear Infrastructure” has been revised. A correction to this chapter can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47017-2_9

Abstract

This chapter describes the role of urban biogeochemistry as a crucial development within the larger science of biogeochemistry, with increasing relevance due to the increasingly important role of urban systems and their support within the global environment. It takes the novel perspective of examining the relations between urban biogeochemistry and the related biological, hydrological, chemical, and geological sciences, especially urban biogeography and urban geochemistry. With urban biogeochemistry comprising a vital, developing subdiscipline of biogeochemistry, and human demographics, urbanization, and infrastructural developments increasingly dominating biological systems, chemical cycling, and reservoirs, new scientific developments are necessary. Linear infrastructure developments, including roads and railways, are cited as the main urban structures, as these are fundamental to the development of residential cities and link such urbanized areas across less developed landscapes. Such developments are changing landscapes through compaction, creation of impermeable and nonporous surfaces, alteration of biogeographical patterns, and geochemical cycling, especially in fragile or intensively used landcover. Issues examined in this chapter include landcover denudation, topographical change and soils and/or water flows, flooding, artificial creation of steeper slopes, pipeline, and other pollution, increased weathering and erosion, landslide denudation, and vulnerability, and the consequences for biogeochemistry, biogeography, and geochemistry, and some requirements from urban infrastructural planning. Key examples are the impacts of urban infrastructural development in fragile, mountain environments, such as that of Joshimath (Garhwal Himalayas), Uttarakhand, India, an area where urban biogeochemical impacts are pronounced, along with earthquakes, climate effects, and biogeographical changes. The findings of this chapter indicate that construction and infrastructure planning must consider environmental issues, including biogeographical and geochemical impacts on the biogeochemical system, for sustainable ecological outcomes. This contributes to the investigation of the biogeochemical bases of linear development projects and urban biogeochemistry in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Khan, A., Maharana, I. (2023). Urban Biogeochemistry and Development: The Biogeochemical Impacts of Linear Infrastructure. In: Biogeochemistry and the Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47017-2_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics