Abstract
In the expanding urban landscape, a major challenge is to ensure the resilience of plant communities developed in stressful conditions, with limited soil resources and exposed to high disturbance regimes. In this essay, we explore how temperate urban ecosystems - mostly dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EM) plants - may contribute addressing this challenge. We postulate that urban soils provide highly efficient contexts to understand the ecology of EM plant communities under a wide range of disturbance regimes and fragmentation levels. We then propose the development of biota-based soil restoration processes and Technosols conception technics. As part of a broader reflection on ecological-engineered strategies for future urban ecosystems, we finally consider (1) the capacity of EM plants to cultivate their own biota, and (2) the ability of these fungi to support plant growth and survival. We conclude that urban soils are offering a common ground for interdisciplinary collaboration involving researchers, landscapers, and citizens.