Microbial-Driven Nutrient Cycling and Environmental Impacts in Agroecosystems
A Special Issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737) belonging to the section "Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2027 | Viewed by 86
Editor
Interests: soil microbiome; soil biodiversity; nutrient cycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microorganisms are the key drivers of nutrient cycling in agroecosystems and play indispensable roles in maintaining soil fertility, supporting crop productivity, and regulating ecosystem functions. Through diverse metabolic processes, soil microorganisms mediate the transformation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and other essential nutrients, thereby influencing nutrient availability, soil health, and environmental quality. Their activities also affect greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, and the resilience of agricultural systems to environmental change. Consequently, understanding microbial regulation of nutrient cycling and environmental sustainability in agroecosystems has become increasingly important for developing sustainable and climate-smart agricultural management strategies.
Recent advances in molecular biology, high-throughput sequencing, metagenomics, metabolomics, and other multi-omics approaches have greatly improved our understanding of soil microbial communities and their ecological functions. Meanwhile, agricultural practices such as fertilizer and water management, organic amendments, crop rotation, conservation tillage, cover cropping, and biochar application have been shown to substantially alter microbial community composition and nutrient cycling processes. Despite these advances, important knowledge gaps remain regarding the mechanisms linking microbial diversity, functional traits, nutrient transformations, and environmental outcomes across different agroecosystems.
This Special Issue aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of high-quality research that advances our understanding of microbial-mediated nutrient cycling and its implications for sustainable agriculture. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycling, soil health, plant–microbe interactions, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient use efficiency, and innovative management practices that enhance agricultural sustainability. Studies employing molecular, physiological, ecological, modeling, and multi-omics approaches are particularly encouraged.
By integrating research across microbiology, soil science, agronomy, ecology, and environmental sciences, this Special Issue seeks to promote innovative strategies for improving nutrient management, mitigating environmental impacts, and strengthening the sustainability and resilience of agricultural ecosystems under global environmental change.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Bing Gao
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- soil microbiome
- soil biodiversity
- nutrient cycling
- microbial carbon and nitrogen
- greenhouse gas emissions
- soil health
- sustainable agriculture
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