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Forests
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Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management
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Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 3796

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: soil organic carbon stability; nitorgen deposition; global change; greenhouse gases; nutrients cycles
Dr. Yasuo Iimura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Sciences, The University of Shiga Prefecture, 2500 Hassaka-cho, Hikone-City 522-8583, Shiga, Japan
Interests: carbon and cycle in forest; soil organic matter dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil carbon storage in forests plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and climate change mitigation. Forest management practices can significantly influence soil carbon dynamics and storage. This Special Issue of Forests aims to explore the dynamics of soil carbon storage in forests and the management strategies for enhancing it.

Research articles in this Special Issue may focus on various aspects of soil carbon storage in forests, including the impact of forest management practices (e.g., logging, thinning, reforestation, and afforestation) on soil carbon stocks. Studies investigating the effects of climate change, land use change, and disturbances (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreaks) on soil carbon storage are also welcome.

Furthermore, this Special Issue encourages submissions that explore the role of soil carbon in forest ecosystem functioning and services, as well as the potential trade-offs and synergies between soil carbon storage and other ecosystem services (e.g., biodiversity conservation, water regulation, and timber production). We also invite contributions that investigate the social, economic, and policy dimensions of managing soil carbon in forests.

Submissions that employ a wide range of approaches, including empirical studies, modeling, and synthesis, are encouraged. We welcome studies that span different spatial and temporal scales, from plot-level studies to regional or global assessments. By bringing together research from diverse disciplines, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of soil carbon storage in forests and its management for multiple benefits.

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Liu
Dr. Yasuo Iimura
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

  • soil organic carbon
  • soil organic carbon fractions
  • forest management
  • carbon stability
  • soil microorganism

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2586 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Different Plant Configuration Modes on Soil Organic Carbon Fractions in the Lakeshore of Hongze Lake
by Tianyi Guo, Xinrui Li, Yuan He and Jiang Jiang
Forests 2025, 16(4), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040611 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 238
Abstract
The effects of plant configuration modes on soil organic carbon fractions are mainly reflected in plant species, root structure, apoplastic input, and microbial activity, and different plant configuration modes affect the accumulation and stability of soil organic carbon by changing the input and [...] Read more.
The effects of plant configuration modes on soil organic carbon fractions are mainly reflected in plant species, root structure, apoplastic input, and microbial activity, and different plant configuration modes affect the accumulation and stability of soil organic carbon by changing the input and decomposition processes of organic matter. Considering the common use of local species in ecological restoration and their diverse ecological functions, we selected five different plant configuration modes in the lakeshore zone of Hongze Lake (Metasequoia glyptostroboides-Amorpha fruticosa L. (M-Af), Metasequoia glyptostroboides-Acorus calamus L. (M-Ac), Salix babylonica L.-Amorpha fruticosa L. (S-Af), Magnolia grandiflora L.-Nandina domestica Thunb. (Mg-N), and Pterocarya stenoptera C. DC.-Nandina domestica Thunb. (P-N)) in this study. The objective of the present study was to analyze the carbon content in the vegetation, the content of soil organic carbon and its components in the understorey, and the activity of the soil carbon pool and their interrelationships under different plant configuration modes in the lakeshore zone of Hongze Lake to reveal the dynamic change law in the carbon pool under different plant configuration modes. The findings demonstrated that within the Metasequoia glyptostroboides mode, M-Ac exhibited notable benefits in accumulating soil organic carbon and enhancing the stability of carbon fractions. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content was recorded at 3.93 g·kg−1, the total carbon (TC) content at 4.73 g·kg−1, and the mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) content of 2.20 g·kg−1 in the soil layer of 0–20 cm, which were 23.4%–71.6%, 9%–24.5%, and 18.9%–54.3% (p < 0.05), respectively, and were higher than the other configuration modes. Regarding the percentage of inactive carbon (NLC/SOC), the corresponding values for M-Ac and M-Af were 74.21% and 70.33%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the other modes. Redundancy analysis further showed that the soil whole carbon and arbor layer branch carbon content were the pivotal factors driving the accumulation of soil organic carbon fractions (with a cumulative explanation of 71.26%). This study has the potential to provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for optimizing plant allocation and enhancing the carbon sink function in the ecological restoration of the lakeshore zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management)
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15 pages, 2141 KiB  
Article
Temperature-Dependent Soil Organic Carbon Turnover in Taiwan’s Forests Revealed by Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis
by Li-Wei Zheng, Meng Wu, Qianhui Li, Zhenzhen Zheng, Zhen Huang, Tsung-Yu Lee and Shuh-Ji Kao
Forests 2025, 16(2), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020342 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 584
Abstract
High-standing islands, such as Taiwan, offer unique opportunities to study soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics due to their steep terrains, rapid erosion, and strong climatic gradients. In this study, we investigated 54 forest soil profiles across northern, central, and southern Taiwan to assess [...] Read more.
High-standing islands, such as Taiwan, offer unique opportunities to study soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics due to their steep terrains, rapid erosion, and strong climatic gradients. In this study, we investigated 54 forest soil profiles across northern, central, and southern Taiwan to assess SOC inventories and turnover using stable carbon isotope (δ13C) analyses. We applied Rayleigh fractionation modeling to vertical δ13C enrichment patterns and derived the parameter β, which serves as a proxy for SOC turnover rates. Our findings reveal that SOC stocks increase notably with elevation, aligning with lower temperatures and reduced decomposition rates at higher altitudes. Conversely, mean annual precipitation (MAP) did not show a straightforward relationship with SOC stocks or β, highlighting the moderating effects of soil drainage, topography, and local hydrological conditions. Intriguingly, higher soil nitrogen levels were associated with a negative correlation to ln(β), underscoring the complex interplay between nutrient availability and SOC decomposition. Overall, temperature emerges as the dominant factor governing SOC turnover, indicating that ongoing and future warming could accelerate SOC losses, especially in cooler, high-elevation zones currently acting as stable carbon reservoirs. These insights underscore the need for models and management practices that account for intricate temperature, moisture, and nutrient controls on SOC stability, as well as the value of stable isotopic tools for evaluating soil carbon dynamics in mountainous environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management)
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14 pages, 2526 KiB  
Article
Study on the Spatial–Temporal Variation of Groundwater Depth and Its Impact on Vegetation Coverage in Ejina Oasis
by Dongyang Song, Xiaolong Pei, Lei Mao, Jiangyulong Wang, Ye Tian, Xiaoyu An and Hongyan An
Forests 2024, 15(11), 2034; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15112034 - 18 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 841
Abstract
Ejina, a representative inland river basin situated in the arid region of northwest China, exhibits a delicate ecological environment and its vegetation coverage is intrinsically linked to regional ecological security. Based on MOD13Q1-NDVI data from 2018 to 2023 and groundwater depth monitoring data [...] Read more.
Ejina, a representative inland river basin situated in the arid region of northwest China, exhibits a delicate ecological environment and its vegetation coverage is intrinsically linked to regional ecological security. Based on MOD13Q1-NDVI data from 2018 to 2023 and groundwater depth monitoring data during the same period, this study analyzed the spatial–temporal variation characteristics of vegetation coverage and its relationship with groundwater depth in Ejina. It is found that the vegetation coverage in Ejina is generally low and mainly distributed along the riverbanks in the form of strips. During the study period, the overall trend of vegetation coverage showed a fluctuating pattern of first increasing and then decreasing, revealing the fragility of the regional ecology. The groundwater depth shows the characteristic of being higher in the east river than the west, and the trend of groundwater depth along the river flow is first increasing and then decreasing. The spatial groundwater depth indicates that the east river is higher than that of the west river, and the groundwater depth along the river flow first increases and then decreases. In terms of inter-annual changes, the groundwater depth experiences a process of first decreasing and then stabilizing. Further analysis indicates that vegetation growth and coverage in Ejina are significantly affected by water conditions, and areas with high Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values are mainly distributed along the riverbanks. In addition, there is a certain degree of correlation between groundwater depth and NDVI. When the depth of groundwater is too deep or too shallow, the positive correlation between NDVI and groundwater depth increases slightly and the negative correlation decreases slightly. The findings of this study are of great significance for understanding and predicting the response of vegetation coverage to groundwater changes in arid areas, and provide a scientific basis for water resources management and ecological protection in Ejina. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management)
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18 pages, 9183 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Changes in Vegetation Cover and Soil Moisture in the Lower Reaches of the Heihe River Under Climate Change
by Lei Mao, Xiaolong Pei, Chunhui He, Peng Bian, Dongyang Song, Mengyang Fang, Wenyin Wu, Huasi Zhan, Wenhui Zhou and Guanghao Tian
Forests 2024, 15(11), 1921; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111921 - 31 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
As global climate change intensifies, arid land ecosystems face increasing challenges. Vegetation, a key indicator of climate variation, is highly responsive to meteorological factors such as temperature (Tem), precipitation (Pre), and soil moisture (SM). Understanding how fractional vegetation cover (FVC) responds to climate [...] Read more.
As global climate change intensifies, arid land ecosystems face increasing challenges. Vegetation, a key indicator of climate variation, is highly responsive to meteorological factors such as temperature (Tem), precipitation (Pre), and soil moisture (SM). Understanding how fractional vegetation cover (FVC) responds to climate change in arid regions is critical for mitigating its impacts. This study utilizes MOD13Q1-NDVI data from 2000 to 2022, alongside corresponding Tem, Pre, and SM data, to explore the dynamics and underlying mechanisms of SM and FVC in the context of climate change. The results reveal that both climate change and human activities exacerbate vegetation degradation, underscoring its vulnerability. A strong correlation between FVC and both Tem and Pre suggests that these factors significantly influence FVC variability. In conclusion, FVC in the lower reaches of the Heihe River is shaped by a complex interplay of Tem, Pre, SM, and human activities. The findings provide a scientific basis and decision-making support for ecological conservation and water resource management in the lower reaches of the Heihe River, aiding in the development of more effective strategies to address future climate challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Storage in Forests: Dynamics and Management)
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