Plastic mulch films support global food security, however, their composition and the potential release rates of organic, metal and metalloid co-contaminants remains relatively unknown. This study evaluates the low molecular weight organic additives, metal and metalloid content and leaching from low density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable plastic mulch films. We identified 59 organic additives, and non-intentionally added substances in the new LDPE films (39.8 mg m- 2) and 60 in the new biodegradable films (129 mg m- 2). The leaching of organic compounds of high concern for ecosystem and human health (e.g. phthalates, organophosphite antioxidants) was comparable to those of low concern (fatty acids, fatty amides, alkanols). However, the majority of leached compounds have undergone no regulatory scrutiny and their environmental fate and toxicity remain unknown. Leaching of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb) was low relative to inert fillers (Ca, Na). Leaching was higher for both organic and metal/metalloid additives from the biodegradable films (74.6 mg m- 2) than the LDPE films (23.7 mg m- 2). This untargeted approach allowed assessment of the chemical burden posed to individual farms, based on existing use patterns of plastic mulch films, with higher chemical burden coming from biodegradable films, raising the potential for pollution swapping. This research emphasises the need to include the complex mixture of leached additives when assessing the environmental risks presented by plastic mulch films, balancing yield benefits with the protection of our agricultural soils.

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in Andhra Pradesh promotes home-made, locally sourced, agrochemical-free inputs and regenerative land management techniques. Inputs consist of seed treatments (bijamrita), microbial inoculum applied either as a liquid foliar spray (liquid jiwamrita) or solid top dressing (solid jiwamrita) to the soil, and mulching (achhadana). However, some farmers do not use all the recommended inputs. There is a lack of evidence on the effects of partial adoption on the resulting yield and on the contributions of individual inputs to the performance of the overall approach. Controlled field experiments were established over two seasons across four agro-climatic zones. They consisted of five treatments. A Standard ZBNF treatment, which included application of all four ZBNF amendments (bijamirita, solid jiwamrita, liquid jiwamrita and dead mulch). The subsequent four treatments excluded one of the ZBNF inputs (Minus Bijamrita, Minus Soilid Jiwamrita, Minus Liquid Jiwamrita, and Minus Dead Mulch). Exclusion of each ZBNF input individually resulted in a significantly smaller yield than the treatment where all four inputs were used. However, exclusion of solid jiwamrita, liquid jiwamrita and mulching had a larger yield penalty than exclusion of bijamrita. Partial adoption could therfore impact the efficacy of the ZBNF system to deliver sustainable crop yields and satisfy food security. However, further research is needed to examine the effects of input exclusion in the long term, and possible interactions between different ZBNF inputs.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of conversion from natural forest to cinnamon plantation on the top 1 m soil carbon stocks and soil characteristics. The project was conducted on Andosols of Kerinci Regency, Sumatera, Indonesia, sampling the soil profile under natural forests and a chronosequence of cinnamon plantations of different ages (1, 5 and 10 years). SOC stocks were quantified alongside physical properties (bulk density) and chemical properties (carbon, nitrogen, C/N ratio) to investigate the impact of land conversion. SOC stocks increased 1 year after conversion to cinnamon plantations, but then tended to decrease as the plantations got older. The initial increase was observed alongside decreasing bulk density 1 year after forest conversion to cinnamon plantation, likely as a result of the fresh input of (less dense) pyrogenic soil organic matter as a result of slash and burn practices and transport down the soil profile owing to leaching. In older plantations SOC stocks were lower, probably because organic matter had been decomposed or leached out of the profile. The free particulate organic matter (fPOM) was isolated from selected topsoil and subsoil layers and analysed for carbon, nitrogen, and FTIR analysis. FTIR analysis revealed that topsoil fPOM contained more aromatic functional groups than subsoils and had a higher degree of decomposition. Aromatic and carbohydrate functional groups were initially lower in recently converted cinnamon plantation, but the trend was reversed 10 years after conversion. The initial flush of fresh organic matter into soils after slash and burn provides fPOM with a lower degree of decomposition but is short-lived and fPOM becomes more microbially processed as the cinnamon plantation ages. We conclude that, after a short term increase brought about by slash and burn, forest conversion to cinnamon plantation in Kerinci Regency depletes SOC stocks both in topsoils and subsoils.

While chemicals are vital to modern society through materials, agriculture, textiles, new technology, medicines, and consumer goods, their use is not without risks. Unfortunately, our resources seem inadequate to address the breadth of chemical challenges to the environment and human health. Therefore, it is important we use our intelligence and knowledge wisely to prepare for what lies ahead. The present study used a Delphi-style approach to horizon-scan future chemical threats that need to be considered in the setting of chemicals and environmental policy, which involved a multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and multinational panel of 25 scientists and practitioners (mainly from the United Kingdom, Europe, and other industrialized nations) in a three-stage process. Fifteen issues were shortlisted (from a nominated list of 48), considered by the panel to hold global relevance. The issues span from the need for new chemical manufacturing (including transitioning to non-fossil-fuel feedstocks); challenges from novel materials, food imports, landfills, and tire wear; and opportunities from artificial intelligence, greater data transparency, and the weight-of-evidence approach. The 15 issues can be divided into three classes: new perspectives on historic but insufficiently appreciated chemicals/issues, new or relatively new products and their associated industries, and thinking through approaches we can use to meet these challenges. Chemicals are one threat among many that influence the environment and human health, and interlinkages with wider issues such as climate change and how we mitigate these were clear in this exercise. The horizon scan highlights the value of thinking broadly and consulting widely, considering systems approaches to ensure that interventions appreciate synergies and avoid harmful trade-offs in other areas. We recommend further collaboration between researchers, industry, regulators, and policymakers to perform horizon scanning to inform policymaking, to develop our ability to meet these challenges, and especially to extend the approach to consider also concerns from countries with developing economies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1212-1228. © 2023 Crown copyright and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the King's Printer for Scotland.

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a grassroot agrarian movement and a state backed extension in Andhra Pradesh, and has been claimed to potentially meet the twin goals of global food security and environmental conservation. However, there is a lack of statistically evaluated data to support assertions of yield benefits of ZBNF compared to organic or conventional alternatives, or to mechanistically account for them. In order to fill this gap, controlled field experiments were established in twenty-eight farms across six districts, spanning over 800 km, over three cropping seasons. In these experiments, we compared ZBNF (no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, home-made inputs comprising desi cow dung and urine with mulch) to conventional (synthetic fertilisers and pesticides) and organic (no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, no mulch, purchased organic inputs, e.g. farmyard manure and vermicompost) treatments, all with no tillage. Comparisons were made in terms of yield, soil pH, temperature, moisture content, nutrient content and earthworm abundance. Our data shows that yield was significantly higher in the ZBNF treatment ( z score = 0.58 ± 0.08), than the organic ( z = −0.34 ± 0.06) or conventional (−0.24 ± 0.07) treatment when all farm experiments were analysed together. However, the efficacy of the ZBNF treatment was context specific and varied according to district and the crop in question. The ZBNF yield benefit is likely attributed to mulching, generating a cooler soil, with a higher moisture content and a larger earthworm population. There were no significant differences between ZBNF and the conventional treatment in the majority of nutrients. This is a particularly important observation, as intensive use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers comes with a number of associated risks to farmers’ finances, human health, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. However, long-term field and landscape scale trials are needed to corroborate these initial observations.

The marine ecosystems surrounding oil and gas production sites are particularly vulnerable to ecological harm that may be affected by its operations. In this study, we examined the composition, contaminant sources, and the potential ecological risk of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AH) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the marine sediments along the western coast of Qatar. The ΣAHs concentration ranged from <0.10 to 246 ng⋅g−1 (site SD2) while the ΣPAH concentration ranged from <0.10 to 44 ng⋅g−1 (site SD10). Pollution concentration profile was site specific where AH and PAH concentrations were relatively higher within close proximity to the oil and gas production. TOC appeared to be positively correlated with PAH and therefore a good indicator for PAH but not for AH. Low molecular weight even-carbon numbered alkanes (n-C10-18) were more abundant than the higher molecular weight (n-C20-34) AHs. The Σ16PAHs compositional analysis mean concentrations were composed of 2-ring (6%), 3-ring (18%), 4-ring (48%), 5-ring (28%), and 6-ring (0.14%), respectively. Fluoranthene obtained the highest concentration of 11 ng⋅g−1 (site SD10). Diagnostic ratios and hydrocarbon parameters suggested mixed sources of petrogenic, pyrolytic, and biomass except for vehicular traffic. The overall results for AH and PAH indicated low pollution based on pollution criteria and were below the threshold limit set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines (CSQG). This suggests low probability of a negative toxic effect caused by these contaminants however, continuous long term-monitoring is needed to ensure these pollutants do not exceed the current levels.

There are no known valuations for any of the ecosystem service flows from soil carbon; specifically there is no valuation of the total service flows, and no valuation of the stock of the physical components from which these services flow for any country or region in the world. We begin this conversation, but as the first study of its kind we are aware of there are significant data limitations. The aim of this study was to identify how the service flows from soil carbon can be valued, and to develop a framework for data needed to allow policy-makers to capture the value of the co-benefits of soil carbon sequestration. These co-benefits can then be fully accounted for in future Social Cost-Benefit Analysis. Using a Total Economic Value approach to value soil carbon linked to the ecosystem services it provides, we found that for every £1 of climate regulation benefit derived by society from the sequestration of carbon in soils, an additional £62 of co-benefits are derived from other soil ecosystem services. Accounting for different areas of soil type and land use, the total ecosystem service value delivered by soil carbon in England and Wales, adjusted for C stock, was £50.8 billion (0-30 cm) and £59.7 billion (0-100cm). Due to the lack of comprehensive data for cultural services, biological control of pests and diseases, recycling of wastes and detoxification, and raw materials, the total co-benefit estimates are likely to be undervalued. Valuing the co-benefits of sequestering soil carbon can support the development of policy interventions to encourage increasing soil carbon and reward land managers for the delivery of public goods.

We submit that the safe operating space of the planetary boundary of novel entities is exceeded since annual production and releases are increasing at a pace that outstrips the global capacity for assessment and monitoring. The novel entities boundary in the planetary boundaries framework refers to entities that are novel in a geological sense and that could have large-scale impacts that threaten the integrity of Earth system processes. We review the scientific literature relevant to quantifying the boundary for novel entities and highlight plastic pollution as a particular aspect of high concern. An impact pathway from production of novel entities to impacts on Earth system processes is presented. We define and apply three criteria for assessment of the suitability of control variables for the boundary: feasibility, relevance, and comprehensiveness. We propose several complementary control variables to capture the complexity of this boundary, while acknowledging major data limitations. We conclude that humanity is currently operating outside the planetary boundary based on the weight-of-evidence for several of these control variables. The increasing rate of production and releases of larger volumes and higher numbers of novel entities with diverse risk potentials exceed societies' ability to conduct safety related assessments and monitoring. We recommend taking urgent action to reduce the harm associated with exceeding the boundary by reducing the production and releases of novel entities, noting that even so, the persistence of many novel entities and/or their associated effects will continue to pose a threat.

Great potential exists to harness plant traits at the root-soil interface, mainly rhizodeposition and root hairs, to 'build' soils with better structure that can trap more carbon and resources, resist climate stresses, and promote a healthy microbiome. These traits appear to have been preserved in modern crop varieties, but scope exists to improve them further because they vary considerably between genotypes and respond to environmental conditions. From emerging evidence, rhizodeposition can act as a disperser, aggregator, and/or hydrogel in soil, and root hairs expand rhizosheath size. Future research should explore impacts of selecting these traits on plants and soils concurrently, expanding from model plants to commercial genotypes, and observing whether impacts currently limited to glasshouse studies occur in the field.

Application of organic soil amendments is commonplace in horticulture to improve soil fertility. Whether this practice can also augment the soil carbon (C) pool has been of increasing interest in recent years. We used a controlled field experiment that has received annual applications of six different horticultural soil amendments for seven consecutive years. Each amendment was examined in terms of its contribution to bulk C and the distribution of C between theoretical pools, as defined by physical fractionation. Physical fractionation was combined with 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (CPMAS NMR) analysis. Results indicated that the difference in total C concentration between treatments resulted from an increase in unprotected, free, particulate organic matter (fOM), rather than an increase in soil organic matter being occluded in aggregates or in organo-mineral complexes, and that C persisted in the fOM fraction as a result of accumulation in the alkyl C region. Unlike fresh litter or plant residues, organic amendments have undergone decomposition during the composting process (or during formation in the case of peat), in the absence of mineral soil components. This ex situ decomposition (and possible stabilization through acquired recalcitrance) could reduce the opportunity to become physically or chemically protected through association with the soil mineral phase following addition to soil. Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) of amendment material likely influenced the rate of amendment decomposition. In addition, C:N determines the decomposition of plant litter inputs, as determined by the tea bag index.

It has been claimed that Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a burgeoning practice of farming in India based on low-inputs and influenced by agro-ecological principles, has the potential to improve farm viability and food security. However, there is concern that the success of the social movement fueling the adoption of ZBNF has become out of step with the science underpinning its performance relative to other farming systems. Based on twenty field plot experiments established across six districts in Andhra Pradesh (SE India), managed by locally based farmer researchers, we present the first ‘on the ground’ assessment of ZBNF performance. We show that there is no short-term yield penalty when adopting ZBNF in small scale farming systems compared to conventional and organic alternatives. In terms of treatment response, we observed differences between agro-climatic zones, but in this initial evaluation we cannot recommend specific options tuned to these different contexts.

The cycling of soil organic matter (SOM) and carbon (C) within the soil is governed by the presence of key macronutrients, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The relative ratio of these nutrients has a direct effect on the potential rates of microbial growth and nutrient processing in soil and thus is fundamental to ecosystem functioning. However, the effect of changing soil nutrient stoichiometry on the small organic molecule (i.e., metabolite) composition and cycling by the microbial community remains poorly understood. Here, we aimed to disentangle the effect of stoichiometrically balanced nutrient addition on the soil metabolomic profile and apparent microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) by adding a labile C source (glucose) in combination with N and/or P. After incorporation of the added glucose into the microbial biomass (48 h), metabolite profiling was undertaken by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). 494 metabolites were identified across all treatments mainly consisting of lipids (n = 199), amino acids (n = 118) and carbohydrates (n = 43), >97% of which showed significant changes in concentration between at least one treatment. Overall, glucose-C addition generally increased the synthesis of other carbohydrates in soil, while addition of C and N together increased peptide synthesis, indicative of protein formation and turnover. The combination of C and P significantly increased the number of fatty acids synthesised. There was no significant change in the PLFA-derived microbial community structure or microbial biomass following C, N and P addition. Further, N addition led to an increase in glucose-C partitioning into anabolic processes (i.e., increased CUE), suggesting the microbial community was N, but not P limited. Based on the metabolomic profiles observed here, we conclude that inorganic nutrient enrichment causes substantial shifts in both primary and secondary metabolism within the microbial community, leading to changes in resource flow and thus soil functioning, however, the microbial community illustrated significant metabolic flexibility.

Soils are the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon, with up to 50% of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored below 30 cm. Knowledge of the impact of land use on the mechanisms by which SOC is stored in subsoils is critical to developing and delivering strategies to mitigate climate change. We characterized SOC under arable, grassland, and deciduous woodland land uses in lowland England to determine how land use affects the mechanisms by which topsoil and subsoil SOC are protected. Soil organic matter (SOM) physical fractionation and ammonium oxalate extractable Al, Fe and Mn were analysed to elucidate protection mechanisms. Results revealed that the mineral‐free particulate organic matter (fPOM) fraction was significantly greater in both the topsoil and subsoil under woodland than under grassland or arable. The mineral‐associated organic carbon (MinOC) fraction was proportionally greater in the subsoil compared with topsoil under all land uses, with arable >grassland > woodland. These findings indicate that land use affects the extent to which SOC is protected, with woodlands containing a higher proportion of carbon that has less protection from decomposition. Subsoil SOC is protected from decomposition by organo‐mineral interactions with amorphous Al, Fe and Mn, and may be susceptible to future pH shifts as a result of land use change. This study highlights the need to consider the impact of land use change on SOC, given policy and public interest in woodland planting for climate change mitigation.

Application of organic amendments to soil is commonplace in domestic gardening. However, a vast array of materials could be labelled as ‘compost’ by retailers and suppliers. We investigated six different amendments currently used, or available for use, in horticulture: composted bark, composted bracken, spent mushroom compost, composted horse manure, garden waste compost (at two different application rates), and peat. Using a controlled field experiment, we examined the physicochemical differences between the amendments, the subsequent effects on soil characteristics, and resultant yield and biometrics of Lavatera trimiestris. Amended soils resulted in a significantly different multivariate soil environment and N budget when compared to the unamended control. However, the effect on yield and plant biometrics (number of flowers, plant height, etc.) depended on the amendment used. Application of garden compost resulted in up to a five-fold increase in yield. However, there was no significant difference in yields in soils amended with composted bark or peat, when compared to the unamended control. This has implications, as there is increasing pressure to remove peat from products available to domestic gardeners. The variability in the different amendments investigated in our research, in addition to the variable effects on plant growth parameters, suggests that repeated use of a single amendment may not be best practise for gardeners.

Chemicals policies have spawned a wide range of regulations aimed at limiting damage to the environment and human health. Most instruments are reactive and fragmented. We propose a simple underpinning philosophy, “Do no harm”, to ensure a more sustainable, safe “chemical environment” for the future.

Different physicochemical and biological treatments have been used to treat oil sludges, and oil recovery techniques are preferred such as oil sludge washing (OSW) with surfactants and co-solvents. Toluene is commonly used as co-solvent, but it is non-benign to the environment. This study tested alternative co-solvents (n-pentane, n-hexane, cyclohexane, and isooctane) at 1:1 and 2:1 C/OS (co-solvent to oil sludge ratio). Also, this study evaluated the effect on the oil recovery rate (ORR) of three main parameters in the washing: type, concentration, and application ratio (S/OS) of surfactants to oil sludges. To date, no study has assessed these parameters in the washing of oil sludges from different sources. Four types of oil sludges and five surfactants (Triton X-100 and X-114, Tween 80, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and rhamnolipid) were used. The results showed that cyclohexane had high ORR and could be used instead of toluene because it is more benign to the environment. The S/OS ratio had a high effect on the ORR and depended on the type of oil sludge. Rhamnolipid, Triton X-100, and Triton X-114 had the highest oil recovery rates (40 - 70%). In addition, it was found that the surfactant concentration had no effect on the ORR. Consequently, the addition of surfactant was not significantly different compared to the washing with no surfactants, except for one sludge. The use of the surfactant in the washing solution can help in the selective extraction of specific oil hydrocarbon fractions in the recovered oil to assess its potential reuse as fuel. Further recommendations were given to improve the OSW process.

Decomposition is a key flux of terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of how plant litter decomposes in soil, and what governs this process, is vital for global climate models. The Tea Bag Index (TBI) was introduced by Keuskamp et al. (2013) as a novel method for measuring litter decomposition rate and stabilisation. The TBI uses two types of tea bags representing fast (green tea) and slow (rooibos tea) decomposition substrates as standardised litter bags. To date, the TBI method has been used in over 2000 locations across the globe. However, before now, there has been no information on how the composition of the tea leaves change during incubation. These data are crucial in determining the validity of the use of the TBI method globally, to ensure the tea leaves decompose in a way that is representative of so-called “native” litters. To provide chemical underpinning of the TBI method, a laboratory incubation of the tea bags was conducted with destructive sampling at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84, and 91 d. The incubated tea was analysed for total C and N. In addition, C was characterised as alkyl, O-alkyl, aromatic, or carbonyl C using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (CPMAS NMR). The results suggest that changes in carbon in both tea types are comparable to other litter studies, with a net decrease in total C and relative proportion of O-alkyl C fraction, which contains carbohydrates and cellulose. We conclude that the decomposition of tea leaves in the bags used in the TBI is representative of other litters.

For pesticide registration a post application assessment is made on the safety of any residue remaining in the edible portion of the treated crop. This assessment does not typically consider the bioaccessibility of pesticide residues. The effects of this on potential exposure to incurred difenoconazole residues passing through the human gastrointestinal tract were studied, including the impact of commodity processing. It has previously been demonstrated that solvent extraction methods have the potential to overestimate the bioaccessible fraction, so in vitro simulated gut systems may offer a better approach to determine residue bioaccessibility to refine the risk assessment process. The bioaccessibility of difenoconazole residues associated with processed rice samples was assessed using in vitro intestinal extraction and colonic fermentation methods. The mean bioaccessibility following intestinal digestion was 33.3% with a range from 13% to 70.6%. Quantification of the colonic bioaccessible fraction was not possible due to compound metabolism. Mechanical processing methods generally increased the residue bioaccessibility, while chemical methods resulted in a decrease. Both mechanical and chemical processing methods reduced the total difenoconazole residue level by ca. 50%.

Soils are the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon and it is now known that as much as 50% of soil organic carbon (SOC) can be stored below 30 cm. Therefore, knowledge of the mechanisms by which soil organic carbon is stabilised at depth and how land use affects this is important. This study aimed to characterise topsoil and subsoil SOC and other soil properties under different land uses to determine the SOC stabilisation mechanisms and the degree to which SOC is vulnerable to decomposition. Samples were collected under three different land uses: arable, grassland and deciduous woodland on a silty-clay loam soil and analysed for TOC, pH, C/N ratio and texture down the first one metre of the soil profile. Soil organic matter (SOM) physical fractionation and the extent of fresh mineral surfaces were also analysed to elucidate SOM stabilisation processes. Results showed that soil texture was similar among land uses and tended to become more fine down the soil profile, but pH did not significantly change with soil depth. Total C, total N and C/N ratio decreased down the soil profile and were affected by land use in the order woodland > grassland > arable. SOM fractionation revealed that the free particulate organic matter (fPOM) fraction was significantly greater in both the topsoil and subsoil under woodland than under grassland or arable. The mineral associated OC (MinOC) fraction was proportionally greater in the subsoil compared to topsoil under all land uses: arable > grassland > woodland. Clay, Fe and Mn availability play a significant role (R2=0.87) in organic carbon storage in the top 1 m of the soil profile. It is evidently clear from the findings that land use change has a significant effect on the dynamics of the SOC pool at depth, related to litter inputs to the system.

Gardening has the potential to influence several ecosystem services, including soil carbon dynamics, and shape progression towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, (e.g., SDG 13). There are very few citizen/community science projects that have been set up to test an explicit hypothesis. However, citizen/community science allows collection of countrywide observations on ecosystem services in domestic gardens to inform us on the effects of gardening on SDGs. The geographical spread of samples that can be collected by citizen/community science would not be possible with a team of professional science researchers alone. Members of the general public across the UK submitted soil samples and buried standardised litter bags (tea bags) as part of the Tea Bag Index-UK citizen/community science project. Participants returned 511 samples from across the UK from areas in their garden where soil organic amendments were and were not applied. The project examined the effects of application of soil amendments on decomposition rates and stabilisation of litter, and in turn, effects on soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations. This was in response to a call for contributions to a global map of decomposition in the Teatime4Science campaign. Results suggested that application of amendments significantly increased decomposition rate and soil carbon, nitrogen, and carbon: nitrogen ratios within each garden. So much so that amendment application had more influence than geographic location. Furthermore, there were no significant interactions between location and amendment application. We therefore conclude that management in gardens has similar effects on soil carbon and decomposition, regardless of the location of the garden in question. Stabilisation factor was influenced more prominently by location than amendment application. Gardening management decisions can influence a number of SDGs and a citizen/community science project can aid in both the monitoring of SDGs, and involvement of the public in delivery of SDGs.