Microbial Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Soil
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 68
Special Issue Editors
Interests: forest soil microbiome; litter decomposition; soil ecology
Interests: soil fungi; mycorrhiza;soil enzymes; microbial community; rhizosphere
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forest soils are vital for maintaining ecosystem health, supporting plant growth, and regulating biogeochemical cycles. However, forest soil microbial communities and their associated functions are increasingly being impacted by global factors, including climate warming, altered precipitation patterns, nitrogen deposition, and land-use changes involving deforestation, afforestation, and various forest management practices. Understanding the interactions between microbial communities and biogeochemical processes is essential for sustainable forest management, climate change mitigation, and soil health preservation.
The Special Issue is dedicated to the synthesis of cutting-edge research on the diversity, activity, and functional roles of soil microorganisms in forest ecosystems. We welcome contributions that explore the microbial community’s structure and function, key biogeochemical transformations, plant–microbe interactions (e.g., rhizosphere or mycorrhizal associations), microbial responses to environmental drivers and disturbances, and the application of novel methodologies (e.g., omics, stable isotopes) to unravel these complex processes. Contributions may include papers documenting field observations, laboratory experiments, molecular analyses (e.g., metagenomics, metatranscriptomics), and modeling approaches.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Role of mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems;
- Effects of forest management practices on soil microbial community dynamics;
- Microbial community responses to climate change in forest soils;
- Nutrient limitation and microbial growth in forest soils;
- Plant–microbe interactions in rhizosphere nutrient acquisition;
- Fungal diversity assessment in different forest ecosystems;
- Metagenomic and biogeochemical insights into microbial processes;
- Microbial roles in ecosystem resilience and restoration.
Dr. Li Ji
Dr. Sara Wahdan
Dr. Heng Gui
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
- nutrient cycling
- forest soil
- microbial community
- mycorrhizal fungi
- soil sustainability
- ecosystem process
- forest management
- plant–microbe interactions
- metagenomics
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