Diversity, Dynamics and Ecological Functions of Forest Soil Fungal Communities
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 42
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mycology; fungal diversity; fungal biology; fungal infection
Interests: mycology; fungal diversity; fungal biology; fungal ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forest soil fungal communities are pivotal in shaping ecosystem structure and functioning. This Special Issue explores the diversity of soil fungi—including saprotrophs, pathogens, endophytes, and mycorrhizal species—and their dynamics across spatial, temporal, and successional gradients. Emphasis is placed on how abiotic factors—such as soil pH, moisture, carbon and nutrient availability—as well as biotic factors—including flora and fauna composition—drive shifts in fungal community assembly and functional guild distribution. Functionally, soil fungi mediate biomass decomposition, nutrient cycling, and plant productivity, while mycorrhizal fungi enhance nutrient uptake and influence carbon storage dynamics. The Special Issue also invites contributions that examine how forest disturbances (e.g., fire, logging, pests) and forest management practices alter fungal composition and roles—shifting balances among saprotrophic, symbiotic, and pathogenic guilds and impacting ecosystem processes. By integrating community ecology with ecosystem function, this collection aims to deepen understanding of forest resilience and inform conservation and restoration strategies in the face of global change.
Submitted manuscripts must be original contributions, not ones previously published or submitted to other journals. Papers published or submitted for publication in conference proceedings may be considered, provided that they are considerably extended and improved.
Dr. Željko D. Savković
Dr. Miloś Č. Stupar
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
- fungal diversity
- fungal ecology
- forest soil
- mycology
- mycorrhiza
- pedology
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