Plant Microbiome: Functional Roles and Implications for Forest Health
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 304
Special Issue Editors
2. North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USA
Interests: microbial ecology; biogeochemical cycling; mycorrhizal fungi; pine wilt disease
Interests: microbial ecology; biological control; mycorrhizal fungi; pine wilt disease; forest pathology; forestry diseases; insect associated microorganisms
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant microbiomes exhibit critical importance in maintaining forest health and ecosystem functioning. The forest microbial communities, including fungal endophytes, mycorrhizal fungi, soil saprotrophs, and other microbes, play vital roles in tree physiology, nutrient acquisition, biogeochemical cycling, and stress responses.
Soil microbe research demonstrates the complex interactions between plant roots and rhizosphere communities, and how these microbes influence soil structure, biogeochemical cycling, and tree nutrition, emphasizing their importance in forest ecosystem stability. Particularly, mycorrhizal fungi are extensively covered, with research detailing their role in nutrient uptake, carbon sequestration, and tree tolerance. However, new insights into mycorrhizal network dynamics and their impact on forest resilience remain unclear. Climate change impacts on tree–microbiome interactions have gained attention, with evidence suggesting that altered environmental conditions can disrupt these relationships between forest trees and microbial communities. Exploring how to improve forest resilience against climate change is crucial for future research and forest management strategies. Moreover, forest pathogen studies reveal the delicate balance between harmful and beneficial microbes, which highlights potential biocontrol strategies using beneficial endophytes and mycorrhizae to suppress pathogen growth and enhance tree health. Some endophytes produce antimicrobial compounds or induce systemic resistance in trees, potentially serving as natural biocontrol agents. Future research directions include unraveling the complex network of tree–microbe–environment interactions and developing strategies to harness the microbiome for sustainable forest management and conservation.
We encourage studies from all fields, including experimental studies and monitoring approaches and models, to contribute to this Special Issue, to promote knowledge and adaptation strategies for the preservation, management, and future development of forest ecosystems.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Microbial diversity;
- Soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry;
- Forest nutrition and management;
- Plant, mycorrhizal fungi, and soil microbial interactions;
- Forest pathogen management;
- Abiotic stress to forest, e.g., heavy metal pollution and drought;
- Global climate change and forest evolution;
- Forest fire and management;
- Plant invasion and forest health.
Dr. Haihua Wang
Dr. Chunyan Wang
Dr. Jieqiong Li
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
- forest health
- microbial ecology
- mycorrhizal fungi
- soil biogeochemical cycling
- global climate change
- forest pathogen and management
- forest fire
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
