Soil Fertility as a Driver in Forest Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Given our dependence on crops for food, it is not surprising that more is known about agricultural soils than forest soils. However, in many ways, forest ecosystems have comprised an integral part of human existence for even longer, providing food, fiber, and habitat; maintaining the atmospheric balance of O₂ and CO₂; and providing musical, artistic, and poetic inspiration. Thus, it is essential to understand the complex ways in which forest soil fertility represents an integral component of forest ecosystems. This has become increasingly relevant as forests throughout the biosphere have been chronically exposed to a variety of anthropogenic influences that represent deleterious effects on their structure and function. In the distant past, this would include indiscriminate forest harvesting. More recently, such influences include the deposition of pollutants, including nitrogen (N). Currently, anthropogenic global warming threatens forests in many ways that include changes to soil fertility. In this Special Issue of Forests, we explore, on a global scale, the central importance of the fertility of forest soil in maintaining the structure and function of forest ecosystems, especially in the context of changes (excess versus decline) in N deposition and climate change.

Prof. Dr. Frank S. Gilliam
Guest Editor

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