Forest Fine Roots and Soil Properties

Dear Colleagues,

Fine roots play a pivotal role in forest ecosystem structure and function. They are critical interfaces for water and nutrient uptake, carbon input into soils, and interactions with soil microbial communities. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to how fine root traits—such as biomass, production, turnover, and vertical distribution—shape and respond to soil physical and chemical properties across diverse forest types and environmental gradients.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for recent advances in the understanding of the dynamic relationships between fine roots and soil properties in forest ecosystems. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies focusing on the following topics: (1) the effects of forest management, land use change, and climate variability on fine root dynamics and soil quality; (2) root–soil–microbe interactions in natural and planted forests; (3) methodological advances in the measurement and modeling of fine root traits; and (4) the role of fine roots in biogeochemical cycling and forest resilience under global change.

We encourage contributions from different forest biomes and geographic regions to highlight both universal patterns and local adaptations. By gathering interdisciplinary research, this Special Issue will promote a deeper understanding of the belowground processes that sustain forest productivity and ecological function.

Dr. Zongrui Lai
Prof. Dr. María Fernández-Raga
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.