Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.4
3.5
Journals
Soil Systems
Special Issues
Biogeochemical Processes of Nutrients in Soil and Sediments: C, N,...
share announcement

Biogeochemical Processes of Nutrients in Soil and Sediments: C, N, and P Cycling

A special issue of Soil Systems (ISSN 2571-8789).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2270

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Angélica Vázquez-Ortega

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth, Environment and Society, College of Arts and Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
Interests: geochemistry; soil health; water quality; agricultural best management practices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coupled biogeochemical mechanisms are involved in the cycling of nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, in soils and sediments influencing the nutrients’ partitioning between biotic and abiotic compartments. Soil–plant–microbial interactions mediate nutrients’ mineralization/immobilization, sorption/desorption, precipitation/dissolution, and leaching. Plants and soil microbes co-evolve to maintain an ecological balance which is critical to optimal soil function and biomass production.

This Special Issue, ‘Biogeochemical Processes of Nutrients in Soil and Sediments: C, N, and P Cycling’, invites authors to submit their manuscripts addressing new findings in soil nutrient cycling. Some potential topics include the effects of agricultural management practices on nutrient cycling, impacts of soil amendments (organic and/or inorganic) on nutrient dynamics, soil microbial gene expression regulating enzyme activity involved in nutrient cycling, role of minerals (Fe- and Mn-(oxy)hydroxides, aluminosilicate clays) on nutrient stabilization and leaching, and nutrient association with supramolecular humic substances. Papers describing nutrient dynamics in agricultural, wetland, and other natural ecosystems are encouraged for submission.

Dr. Angélica Vázquez-Ortega
Guest Editor

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. Soil Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1800 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

  • nutrient cycling
  • carbon
  • phosphorus
  • nitrogen
  • soil microbiome
  • gene expression
  • mineral association
  • agricultural soil systems
  • natural soil systems

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.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1446 KB  
Article
Soil Chemical Properties Along an Elevational Gradient in the Alpine Shrublands of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau
by Juan Zhang, Xiaofeng Ren, Erwen Xu, Alexander Myrick Evans, Wenmao Jing, Rongxin Wang, Xin Jia, Minhui Bi, Isaac Dennis Amoah, Michael Pohlmann, Cleophas Mecha and C. Ken Smith
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(3), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9030095 - 2 Sep 2025
Viewed by 631
Abstract
The high-elevation ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau provide crucial ecosystem services including watershed protection and water provision for downstream human and wildlife communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between soil properties and vegetation under different management regimes is important as a warming climate alters [...] Read more.
The high-elevation ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau provide crucial ecosystem services including watershed protection and water provision for downstream human and wildlife communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between soil properties and vegetation under different management regimes is important as a warming climate alters these systems. This study assessed vegetation cover, quantified the distribution of soil nutrients, and examined the relationships among soil chemical properties and plant cover in the high-elevation shrublands (3300 to 3700 m) in the Qilian Mountains on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China. These vegetation surveys and soil sample collections were conducted on 15 shrubland plots at different soil depths and soil chemical properties were investigated at each elevation. The content of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) fluctuated along the elevational gradient, while soil pH was close to neutral (pH 7.4). At our sites, SOM and TN contents generally increased with elevation, and AK was positively correlated with Salix plant cover. Using PCA, we determined that PC1 captured 43% of the total variance, and SOM and TN were the top contributing features. As climate in the region warms and precipitation becomes more variable, understanding the current soil–vegetation equilibria and how vegetation may migrate in future years is important to predicting changes in this region, especially at high elevations. From a managerial perspective, our goal was to provide additional information for restoring and managing subalpine and alpine shrubland vegetation in the Qilian Mountains to ensure the future sustainable use of these systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogeochemical Processes of Nutrients in Soil and Sediments: C, N, and P Cycling)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7121 KB  
Article
Aridification Inhibits the Release of Dissolved Organic Carbon from Alpine Soils in Southwest China
by Yanmei Li, Jihong Qin, Yuwen Chen, Hui Sun and Xinyue Hu
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9010024 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 731
Abstract
The alpine peatlands in western Sichuan Province are currently experiencing aridification. To understand the effects of aridification on the characteristics of organic carbon release from alpine soils, the soil in the northwest Sichuan Plateau was investigated. Soil columns were incubated under different moisture [...] Read more.
The alpine peatlands in western Sichuan Province are currently experiencing aridification. To understand the effects of aridification on the characteristics of organic carbon release from alpine soils, the soil in the northwest Sichuan Plateau was investigated. Soil columns were incubated under different moisture conditions in situ and in the laboratory, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy were used to assess the soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels. The results revealed that (1) the cumulative release of DOC from alpine soil in the northwest Sichuan Plateau decreased with decreasing moisture content. The cumulative release of soil DOC in the laboratory (0–5 cm soil reached 1.93 ± 0.43 g/kg) was greater than that from soil incubated in situ (0–5 cm soil reached 1.40 ± 0.13 g/kg); (2) the cumulative release of DOC in 0–5 cm soil exhibited the greatest response to changes in water content, and the cumulative release of DOC from the 0–5 cm soil layer (1.40 ± 0.13 g/kg) was greater than that from the 5–15 cm soil layer (1.25 ± 0.03 g/kg); and (3) UV-visible absorption spectra and 3D fluorescence spectral characteristics indicated that aridification increases the content of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) components with strong hydrophobicity, especially tyrosine components (surface soil increased 39.59~63.31%), in alpine soil DOC. This increase in hydrophobic CDOM components enhances the aromaticity and degree of humification of DOC. Our results revealed that drought inhibits the release of soil DOC, which is unfavorable for the sequestration of organic carbon in alpine soils, potentially resulting in the loss of soil carbon pools and further degradation of alpine ecosystem functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogeochemical Processes of Nutrients in Soil and Sediments: C, N, and P Cycling)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop