Soil Carbon Sequestration for Sustainable Ecosystem

Dear Colleagues,

As the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic carbon (SOC) is fundamental to global climate regulation, ecosystem stability, and food security. Widespread SOC loss, driven by land degradation and unsustainable practices, not only exacerbates climate change, but also severely undermines soil health and ecosystem resilience. In this context, enhancing soil carbon sequestration represents a pivotal nature-based solution, offering a synergistic pathway to mitigate atmospheric CO₂ while concurrently enhancing soil fertility, water retention, and agricultural sustainability. This Special Issue, ''Soil Carbon Sequestration for Sustainable Ecosystem", seeks to address critical knowledge gaps by compiling cutting-edge research on the mechanisms, management, and monitoring of SOC dynamics. Our ultimate goal is to advance the scientific foundation needed to unlock the full potential of soils in building a sustainable and climate-resilient future.

Topics of interest in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Mechanisms and Dynamics:

1) Molecular-level understanding of soil organic matter formation, stabilization, and persistence.
2) The interplay between plant roots, rhizosphere processes, and carbon input.
3) Impacts of climate change on SOC decomposition and feedback loops.

2. Management Practices for Carbon Sequestration:

1) Sustainable agricultural practices: Conservation tillage, cover cropping, organic amendments, biochar application, integrated nutrient management, and agroforestry.
2) Improved grazing land management and grassland restoration.
3) Afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management.
4) Restoration of degraded lands.

3. Multi-Scale and Interdisciplinary Approaches:

1) Integration of field observations, remote sensing, and data-driven models for SOC estimation.
2) Machine learning and AI-assisted prediction of soil carbon dynamics under future scenarios.
3) Linking soil carbon processes with ecosystem–atmosphere feedback in Earth system models.
4) National- and regional-scale carbon accounting and mapping.

4. Co-benefits and Socio-Economic Dimensions:

1) Synergies between carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services: soil fertility, water quality, biodiversity conservation.
2) Economic viability and cost-effectiveness of carbon farming practices.
3) Social acceptance, farmer behavior, and policy incentives to promote adoption.
4) Life-cycle assessment of different soil carbon sequestration strategies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Chao Li
Dr. Pinshang Xu
Dr. Zhenggui Zhang
Dr. Yi Xu
Guest Editors

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