Land Degradation, Nutrient Management, and Ecological Restoration
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: soil carbon cycle; ecological effect; soil erosion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: soil and water conservation; soil erosion process; soil remediation; environmental behavior of pollutants (e.g., heavy metals) and nutrients in soil particles and aggregates; pollutant migration and transformation in soil
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue addresses the interconnected crises of land degradation and biodiversity loss by focusing on nutrient management as a critical lever for ecological restoration. We invite research that moves beyond descriptive studies to investigate the mechanisms through which nutrient imbalances drive degradation and how targeted nutrient-cycling interventions can promote ecosystem recovery. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that integrate soil science, plant ecology, biogeochemistry, and restoration practice to develop scalable solutions. Priority will be given to studies that quantify the restoration of ecosystem functions—such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, and biodiversity support—through improved nutrient stewardship. By bridging the gap between fundamental biogeochemical processes and applied land management, this Special Issue aims to decode the 'natural language' of soil and nutrient cycles and translate it into a practical restoration guide. Our goal is to promote solutions that mimic and harness natural processes, contributing to global efforts to enhance land health and ecosystems. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Monitoring and assessment of soil nutrients, quality, and land degradation.
- Mechanisms of land degradation driven by nutrient imbalance.
- Innovative approaches for enhancing and restoring soil carbon and nutrients.
- Innovative nutrient-management strategies for restoring ecosystem f
Dr. Xiaodong Nie
Dr. Bin Huang
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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
- land degradation
- nutrient management
- ecological restoration
- soil health
- sustainable land management
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