Impact of Afforestation on Soil and Hydrology in Agroecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural lands represent more than one-third of the global land surface and are often subject to changes in their land cover and use due to multiple reasons. The conversion of agroecosystems to forest areas, with the objective of restoring degraded croplands and pastures or changing the land use (biofuel production, creation of recreation areas, etc.), is often accompanied by significant changes to soil properties and water fluxes. Many studies have highlighted the beneficial impacts on soil health after afforestation in agroecosystem lands; however, increased water use by tree vegetation is of high concern to policymakers, particularly in areas of water stress. These tradeoffs between the impacts of afforestation on soils and on the hydrological cycle have sparked criticism of implementing man-made forests in land restoration programs and in climate change adaptation and mitigation. This Special Issue aims to further our knowledge about these tradeoffs and the potential of afforestation to improve soil health without endangering water availability.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Soil organic carbon;
• Water loss through evaporation and/or transpiration;
• CO₂, H₂O, and CH₄ fluxes;
• Carbon sequestration;
• Soil organic matter and soil nutrients;
• Soil erosion and deposition;
• Infiltration and soil moisture;
• Invasive plant species;
• Agroforestry.

Dr. Makki Khorchani
Prof. Dr. Rhae Drijber
Dr. Anastasios Mazis
Guest Editors

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