The Impact of Mycorrhiza and Microbiome in Forest Tree Performance and Fitness

Dear Colleagues,

Belowground symbiotic relationships, particularly those formed by mycorrhizal fungi and complex soil microbial communities, are fundamental drivers of forest ecosystem dynamics. These intricate partnerships directly influence tree physiology, health, and ecological success by governing essential processes from the individual to the landscape level. For this Special Issue, we seek to compile original research and comprehensive reviews that examine the multifaceted interactions between forest tree roots, mycorrhizal fungi, and the broader soil microbiome. We invite contributions that elucidate the mechanistic roles of these partnerships in critical processes such as nutrient acquisition and cycling, water use efficiency, abiotic and biotic stress resilience, and soil carbon dynamics. Studies exploring the assembly of rhizosphere communities, the relevance of ectomycorrhizal fungi in forest sustainability, and the impact of global environmental change on these functional relationships are particularly welcome. By integrating diverse perspectives from molecular biology, microbiology, physiology, and ecology, this Special Issue aims to advance our predictive understanding of how belowground systems underpin critical forest-tree life-history stages. Our ultimate goal is to clarify how these hidden interactions determine trajectories from seedling establishment to mature tree fitness, thereby informing strategies for sustainable forest management, restoration, and conservation in an era of rapid global climate change.

Dr. Fuqiang Yu
Prof. Dr. Jesús Pérez-Moreno
Dr. Yanliang 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 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. 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.