Towards Sustainable Agroecosystems: Innovations in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Carbon Sequestration
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 120
Special Issue Editors
Interests: bioremediation of polluted soil and saline alkali soil; bioconversion of waste biomass into biofertilizer and its application in sustainable agriculture; environmental biotechnology and microbial ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biodegradation; microbial ecology; bioremediation; rhizosphere; phyllosphere; pollutant risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global agricultural sector faces a dual challenge: ensuring food security for a growing population while mitigating its environmental footprint. Soil degradation, organic matter decomposition, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from fertilizer application pose threats to environmental stability and agricultural productivity. Maintaining healthy soils could play a critical role not only in food security but also in sequestering greenhouse gases (GHGs) for climate mitigation. The “4 per 1000” Initiative launched in Paris COP21 indicated that a “4‰” annual growth rate in soil organic carbon sequestration could hold the temperature increase within 1.5−2 °C. The soil carbon pool is the largest carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems, with farmland soils encompassing 37% of the global landmass, thereby possessing enormous potential for enhanced carbon sequestration. Agroecosystems also play a pivotal role in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 12% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions (IPCC, 2023).
Research focusing on novel biofertilizer formulations, soil amendments, and management practices that can simultaneously reduce GHG emissions and enhance soil carbon sequestration is of great interest. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore innovative approaches for improving the sustainability and resilience of agroecosystems. Coupled with advancements in soil carbon sequestration, these practices offer a pathway to restore degraded soils and enhance their capacity to act as carbon sinks. The integration of microbial ecology into agricultural practices further amplifies these benefits, as microbes play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, bioremediation, and improving soil health. Researchers are invited to submit their original research articles and reviews spanning various research areas, including, but not limited to, the following key topics:
- Enhancing soil carbon sequestration;
- Mitigating soil greenhouse gas emissions;
- Improving and utilizing saline-alkali soils;
- Ecosystem–microbe interactions;
- Pollution control and soil health.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Zhihui Bai
Dr. Decai Jin
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- agroecosystem
- biofertilizer
- greenhouse gas mitigation
- soil carbon sequestration
- bioremediation
- microbial ecology
- saline–alkali soil improvement
- circular nutrient management
- sustainable agriculture
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