Microorganisms: Climate Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,  

Global climate change exerts profound and multifaceted impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. With the relentless increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, global average temperatures are on a continuous rise, resulting in the frequency of extreme climate events, alterations in precipitation patterns, and changes in atmospheric nitrogen deposition. These phenomena directly and indirectly influence terrestrial ecosystems, thereby affecting their structure, function, and the vital services they provide. Microorganisms, as the oldest and most ubiquitous life forms on Earth, play a unique and crucial role in shaping the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. They are not merely the driving force behind biogeochemical cycles but also serve as a key determinant in ecosystem adaptation and response to climate change. Currently, global climate change is reshaping terrestrial soil microorganisms in unprecedented ways. In response to these changes, researchers are delving deeper into the mechanisms underlying soil microorganisms' response to climate change. They are exploring strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and enhance ecosystem resilience, thereby providing a scientific foundation and practical pathways for building a sustainable future. To further investigate the role, mechanisms, and impact of soil microorganisms on terrestrial ecosystems in the context of climate change, we cordially invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, "Microorganisms: Climate Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems", in the journal Microorganisms. Together, let us advance scientific exploration and foster communication in this cutting-edge field. 

This Special Issue aims to address the following key issues: 

• Responses of microbial community structure and function to climate change: an exploration into how climatic shifts (including rising temperatures, nitrogen deposition, and altered precipitation patterns) influence the composition, diversity, and functional roles of microbial communities across various ecosystems (such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands).
• Microbial-mediated carbon cycle and climate change: unraveling the role of soil microorganisms in carbon fixation, decomposition, and greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2, CH4, and N2O) and their feedback mechanisms on global climate change.
• Changes in microbial–plant interactions under climate change: an analysis of how climatic shifts influence plant–microbe symbiosis, including the dynamics of rhizosphere microbial communities, mycorrhizal associations, and plant disease incidence. 
• Microbial adaptive evolution and climate resilience: investigating mechanisms of microbial adaptation to climate change via genetic variation, gene flow, horizontal gene transfer, and their implications for ecosystem resilience.
• Microbial-mediated ecological restoration and climate mitigation strategies: exploring the potential and challenges of leveraging microorganisms for ecological rehabilitation (including soil improvement and pollution control) and climate change mitigation (such as enhancing carbon sequestration through microbial activities).

Dr. Tengxiang Lian
Dr. Xin Sui
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.

• global change biology
• nitrogen depostion
• soil microbial divesity