Jonathan Russell-Anelli

My research program has been historically devoted to examination of the spatial distribution and variability of soil characteristics in urban and human influenced environments. My major research areas focus on 1) the transition of urban waste feedstocks into healthy soil media for food production, 2) the safe use of contaminated land by community stakeholders, and 3) urban agriculture. Recent activities have included circular economies of food waste compost, construction subsoil excavation, peecyling and agricultural byproduct reuse into sustainable agronomic practices.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My extension efforts are directed towards the Land Grant mission through partnering with the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) system and with the National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) program in New York State and the Northeast. These efforts are focused in on soil information support to our NYS and national clients both with and through CCE and the NRCS. This role encompasses formal partnerships with such agencies as the NYS Office of Agriculture and Markets as well as collaborative partnerships with programs such as CCE Community Horticulture and Harvest NY through ad hoc communications with extension agents and the public addressing soil related questions. Through these collaborations, I also serve to organize and instruct short courses and seminars based on need and interest of soil information users as well as backstopping soil related questions for our County Associates concerning adaptive design and best management practices for urban agriculture and community gardens as well as mitigation practices for safe use of contaminated soils and landscapes.

In this role, I also support NRCS’s NCSS efforts in the mapping and inventory of NYS soils for interpretation and management. Soil Survey products are used by individual stakeholders, local, State and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations to determine practices and policies for the soils of the State and region and has implications from tomato yield through land assessment and taxation to consequences for Federal funding and climate resilience. My recent roles in NCSS includes the current Ithaca City Soil Survey project and co-Chairing of the NCSS Northeast Research Priorities Committee.

Selected Publications

View publications on Google Scholar.

• Sara Perl Egendorf, Emily Li, Elise He, Zhongqi Cheng, Henry M. Spliethoff, Hannah A. Shayler, Jonathan Russell-Anelli, Thomas King, and Murray B. McBride. (2022) Effectiveness of Washing in Reducing Lead (Pb) Concentrations of Lettuce Grown in Urban Garden Soils. Journal of Environmental Quality. 
• Egendorf, S.P., Spliethoff, H., Shayler, H., Russell-Anelli, J., Cheng, Z., Minsky, A.H., King, T. and McBride, M. (2021) Soil lead (Pb) and urban grown lettuce: sources, processes, and implications for gardener best management practices. Journal of Environmental Management 286 (2021) 112211
• Harada, Y., Whitlow, T., Russell-Anelli, T., Walter, J., and Bassuk, N. (2019). The heavy metal budget of an urban rooftop farm. Science of the Total Environment, 660 (2019) 114-125
• McBride, M. B., Shayler, H. A., Spliethoff, H. M., Mithcell, R. G., Marquez-Bravo, L. G., Ferenz, G. S., Russell-Anelli, J., Casey, L., & Bachman, S. (2014). Concentrations of lead, cadmium and barium in urban garden-grown vegetables: The impact of soil variables. Environmental Pollution. 194:254-261.
• Mitchell, R. G., Spliethoff, H. M., Ribaudo, L. N., Lopp, D. M., Shayler, H. A., Marquez-Bravo, L. G., Lambert, V. T., Ferenz, G. S., Russell-Anelli, J., Stone, E. B., & McBride , M. B. (2014). Lead (Pb) and other metals in New York City community garden soils: factors influencing contaminant distributions. Environmental Pollution. 187:162-169.