Grazing Management and Carbon Dynamics in Grassland Ecosystems: From Microbial Processes to Ecosystem Functioning
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Grassland and Pasture Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 306
Special Issue Editor
Interests: grassland ecosystem observation, simulation and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Grassland ecosystems play a critical role in global carbon cycling, acting as significant carbon sinks while supporting livestock production and biodiversity. However, the interplay between grazing practices and carbon dynamics remains complex, influenced by microbial activity, soil processes, and ecosystem-level feedbacks. This Special Issue will explore how grazing management strategies—such as rotational grazing, intensity regulation, and rest periods—modulate carbon sequestration, soil organic matter stability, and microbial-mediated nutrient cycling in grasslands. We welcome studies that integrate field experiments, molecular techniques (e.g., metagenomics), and ecological modeling to elucidate mechanisms linking grazing practices to carbon fluxes. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) microbial community responses to grazing and their role in carbon decomposition and stabilization; (2) impacts of grazing on soil physicochemical properties and greenhouse gas emissions; (3) scaling from plant–soil interactions to ecosystem carbon balance; and (4) innovative grazing management frameworks for enhancing grassland carbon sinks. By bridging fundamental research and practical applications, this Special Issue aims to advance sustainable grassland management in the context of climate change mitigation.
Prof. Dr. Xiaoping Xin
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- carbon sequestration
- plant–soil–microbe interactions
- root exudates
- microbial ecology
- metabolic quotient
- rotational grazing
- grassland sustainability
- pasture resilience
- ecosystem functioning
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