During ecological restoration in cities, anthropogenic modifications of soil factors (such as impacts on soils by temperature by urban heat islands, altered plant communities, or depositional chemistry) may impact restoration success by shifting soil quality, competitive regimes, seedling establishment, and disturbance patterns. Restoration within the context of cities generally takes on a unique character because of these drastic human alterations of soil structure and characteristics. It is critical to recognize, however, that urban alterations of soil formation factors and soil properties often occur at scales larger than that at which ecological restorations are implemented, posing significant challenges to management for restoration success