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Forests
Special Issues
Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystem
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Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystem

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Meteorology and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 2805

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Liming Yin

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Guest Editor
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenhuaroad 72, Shenyang 110016, China
Interests: biogeochemical processes; plant–microbe–soil interaction; forest ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Peng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Interests: root exudates and SOM dynamics; plant–microbe–soil interactions; plant functional traits and ecosystem processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yanghui He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Interests: soil carbon cycle; priming effect; warming; biochar; greenhouse gas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaohong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
Interests: soil carbon and nitrogen cycle; rhizosphere processes; priming effects

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest ecosystems are the biggest type of ecosystem in the terrestrial biosphere, and thus play an important role in climate change mitigation and ecosystem service maintenance. Carbon and nutrient cycles are one of the most fundamental ecological processes for almost all ecosystems, including forest ecosystems, which is critical for the stability and even stress resistance of forest ecosystems. However, in the context of global change, forest ecosystems are facing complex and changing environments, e.g., intensive human disturbance (afforestation, deforestation, and fire) and climate change (warming, drought, and extreme rainfall). There is an urgent need for us to investigate carbon and nutrient cycling changes at an ecosystem scale and to improve our prediction of forest ecosystem dynamics. We encourage studies from all fields, including experimental studies, monitoring approaches, meta-analyses, and models, to contribute to this Special Issue. Topics include, but are not limited to, carbon sink, biomass, gas flux, mineralization, and immobilization. We aim to promote knowledge and adaptation strategies for the preservation, management, and future development of forest ecosystems.

Dr. Liming Yin
Prof. Dr. Peng Wang
Prof. Dr. Yanghui He
Dr. Xiaohong Wang
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 cycling
  • disturbances
  • carbon sequestration
  • nutrient biogeochemistry
  • ecosystem services
  • forest management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4246 KiB  
Article
Lower Contents of Soil Organic Matter, Macro-Nutrients, and Trace Metal Elements in the Longleaf Pine Forests Restored from the Mixed Pine and Hardwood Forests
by Xiongwen Chen
Forests 2025, 16(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020241 - 27 Jan 2025
Viewed by 894
Abstract
Restoration of the longleaf pine forest ecosystem is critical for biodiversity. However, the mixed hardwood forests can grow naturally in the same area. There are limited studies comparing soil organic matter and nutrient contents for restoring longleaf pine forests from the mixed hardwood [...] Read more.
Restoration of the longleaf pine forest ecosystem is critical for biodiversity. However, the mixed hardwood forests can grow naturally in the same area. There are limited studies comparing soil organic matter and nutrient contents for restoring longleaf pine forests from the mixed hardwood forest areas in the southeastern USA. In this study, a comparison of the contents in soil organic matter, macro-nutrients, trace metal elements, and litterfall amount, was conducted on the 16 forest stands (4 treatments including stand stages × 4 replicants) at William B. Bankhead National Forest in Alabama through the space-replace-time approach. The results indicate that longleaf pine forests have lower contents of soil organic matter, macro-nutrients, most trace metal elements, and litterfall amount than mixed hardwood forests. However, longleaf pine forests have higher soil Ca, Ba, and Pb contents than hardwood forests. Soil Fe content has more correlations with the contents of other metal elements than soil Mn. The results suggest that multiple ecosystem functions, including soil ecology, must be considered in the regional restoration of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Longleaf pine forests with a certain amount of mixed hardwood trees may be a good way to maintain soil organic matter and nutrients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystem)
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17 pages, 10115 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Mixed Plantations on Chinese Fir Productivity: A Meta-Analysis
by Xiaofan Mo, Jiayu Lu, Junjie Lin, Changfu Huo and Weidong Zhang
Forests 2025, 16(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010105 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 724
Abstract
Mixed plantation of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is an effective artificial forest management for tree productivity. However, the mixing strategies, site conditions, and subsurface properties that affect tree productivity are not yet fully understood. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis [...] Read more.
Mixed plantation of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is an effective artificial forest management for tree productivity. However, the mixing strategies, site conditions, and subsurface properties that affect tree productivity are not yet fully understood. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of 96 publications to consolidate insights on the effects of mixing strategies (e.g., planting density, mixing proportion, mixed species, and tree age), site conditions (e.g., mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), elevation, and total nitrogen (TN) or total phosphorus (TP) of sample sites), and subsurface properties (e.g., soil characteristics, microbial communities, and extracellular enzyme activity) on tree height, diameter at breast height, and individual volume of Chinese fir. We used the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for searching peer-reviewed papers, and the searching words were: (“Cunninghamia lanceolata” OR “Chinese fir”) AND “mix*”. Following the data screening process, the natural logarithm of the response ratio (lnRR) was computed for subsequent analysis. The results showed that introduced companion species generally increased the individual volume of Chinese fir by an average of 20%. Densities ranging from 1200 to 2000 trees per hectare and moderate mixing proportions (1:1 to 3:1) optimized individual tree growth and thereby boosted productivity. Broadleaf species may be beneficial companions, and trees aged 10 to 20 years grew fastest. At sites with low MAT and high MAP, mixed plantations enhanced the tree productivity of Chinese fir. The optimal elevation range for mixed plantations may be 200 to 600 m. Further, mixed plantations significantly changed soil properties by improving soil structure, increasing soil pH and soil water content, and soil total and available N and P, which were crucial for boosting the productivity of Chinese fir. Soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities were also significantly increased by mixed plantations. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of mixing strategies and site conditions in increasing tree productivity of Chinese fir by improving soil physicochemical characteristics, increasing resource availability, and reducing interspecific and intraspecific competition through niche separation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystem)
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15 pages, 1922 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nitrogen Addition and Precipitation Reduction on Microbial and Soil Nutrient Imbalances in a Temperate Forest Ecosystem
by Yutong Xiao, Xiongde Dong, Zhijie Chen and Shijie Han
Forests 2025, 16(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010004 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 854
Abstract
Global climate change, characterized by nitrogen (N) deposition and precipitation reduction, can disrupt soil microbial stoichiometry and soil nutrient availability, subsequently affecting soil nutrient cycles. However, the effects of N deposition and precipitation reduction on microbial stoichiometry and the soil nutrient status in [...] Read more.
Global climate change, characterized by nitrogen (N) deposition and precipitation reduction, can disrupt soil microbial stoichiometry and soil nutrient availability, subsequently affecting soil nutrient cycles. However, the effects of N deposition and precipitation reduction on microbial stoichiometry and the soil nutrient status in temperate forests remain poorly understood. This study addresses this gap through a 10-year field trial conducted in a Korean pine mixed forest in northeastern China where three treatments were applied: precipitation reduction (PREC), nitrogen addition (N50), and a combination of nitrogen addition with precipitation reduction (PREC-N50). The results showed that N50 and PREC significantly increased carbon-to-phosphorus (C/P) and nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) imbalances, thereby exacerbating microbial P limitation, while PREC-N50 did not alter the nutrient imbalances. PREC decreased soil water availability, impairing microbial nutrient acquisition. Both N50 and PREC influenced soil enzyme stoichiometry, leading to increasing the ACP production. The results of redundancy analysis indicated that microbial nutrient status, enzymatic activity, and composition contributed to the variations in nutrient imbalances, suggesting the adaption of microorganisms to P limitation. These results highlight that N addition and precipitation reduction enhanced microbial P limitation, boosting the shifts of microbial elemental composition, enzyme production, and community composition, and subsequently impacting on forest nutrient cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystem)
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