Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Forests and Agroforestry Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics is essential to promoting sustainability and resilience in forest and agroforestry systems. These systems play a crucial role in global biogeochemical cycles and hold great potential for soil carbon sequestration and more efficient nitrogen management. However, the processes of organic carbon stabilization and storage in the soil (through mechanisms such as occlusion within aggregates and chemical associations with minerals) are complex and influenced by a range of biotic and abiotic factors, including plant–soil interactions, litter quality, land-use history, and climate variability.

This Special Issue invites original research and review articles that advance knowledge on C and N cycles in natural and planted forests, as well as in agroforestry systems. We welcome studies addressing soil organic matter dynamics, litter decomposition, microbial processes, and nitrogen inputs and losses, as well as the role of vegetation, management practices, and land-use changes in shaping soil C and N dynamics. In particular, we encourage contributions focused on carbon stabilization (via occlusion, mineral association, or recalcitrant compounds), nitrogen use efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and innovative methodologies such as isotopic techniques, modeling, and remote sensing.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the follwoing:

• Mechanisms of soil carbon stabilization in forest and agroforestry systems;
• Nitrogen cycling and losses (i.e. leaching, volatilization) under different management regimes;
• Interactions among organic matter quality, microbial activity, and nutrient availability;
• Effects of litter quality and diversity on C and N dynamics;
• Impacts of land use, tree species composition, and agroforestry practices on soil C and N dynamics;
•  Modeling and monitoring approaches for soil C and N stocks and fluxes.

Dr. Patrícia Anjos Bittencourt Barreto-Garcia
Dr. Paulo Henrique Marques Monroe
Dr. Gian Franco Capra
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.