Jonathan Russell-Anelli
Senior Lecturer / Senior Extension Associate, School of Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Sciences Section
My research and extension activities address the interface of urban soils, urban agriculture, contaminates, and bionutrient cycling. Much of the dynamics of our Earth system is found in soils, which in turn provides us the substantial environmental benefits of food production, water and nutrient cycling and supply, as well as habitat and engineering media. As such, I believe that in the face of climate change and land use intensification, soils need to be in the forefront of adaptive management and climate resilience responses. Urban soils face the increasing pressures of diverse, yet often opposing, simultaneous demands and uses. Further in its realm of complex spatial dynamics and characteristics, the urban environment is a microcosm of the larger Earth system, and in its responses to climate and anthropogenic pressures we will find solutions for today and tomorrow.
Interests
Urban Soils: Dynamic Soil Properties, Soil Survey & Soil Inventory
Circular Economies: Carbon, Bionutrient & Waste Cycling
Soil Healthy: Contaminants & Sustainable Food Production
Recent Research
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.
Courses Taught
I love soils and teaching about them. Given their role and place in the Earth system, teaching about soils lends itself to engaged learning in field settings. I strongly believe the emphasis on active participation with real world experiences and practices lead to better system thinking and long-term commitment to the subject. My instructional activities have been directed to a large Soil Science field course, several smaller upper-level lecture and laboratory courses, and a graduate level Pedology course. I also provide additional lecture and field support to other land resource or management-based courses within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the larger University.
- PLSCS 2600: Soil Science
- PLSCS 3630: Soil Genesis, Class & Survey
- PLSCS/HRT 4930: Soils for the Urban Eden
- PLSCS 6630: Pedology
I also actively support undergraduate honors projects and individual study (PLSCS/SCI 4970) courses that allow students to expand their field of study’s curricular horizons.
Additional to my instructional role, I also serve as an undergraduate, graduate and student club advisor and mentor and employ students in my research, teaching and extension roles. Further much of my online course materials and videos are used beyond the University in both academic and extension roles to support distance learning partners and stakeholders here and abroad.
Contact Information
1002 Bradfield
Ithaca, NY 14853
jmr5 [at] cornell.edu
Education
Doctorate, Cornell University – 2000 – Soil Science
Master of Science, Cornell University – 1998 – Soil Science
Master of Science, State University of New York at Albany – 1987 – Educational Psychology/Special Education
Bachelor of Arts, Hobart College – 1986 – Anthropology
Jonathan in the news
News
Eleven 2030 Project grants were awarded to Cornell faculty for an array of fast-track climate solutions, including tools to help New York communities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.