Soil Microbial Diversity and Ecological Functions in Agricultural Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to our Special Issue themed “Soil Microbial Diversity and Ecological Functions in Agricultural Ecosystems”. Soil microbial communities are core drivers of agricultural ecosystem stability, regulating nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil structure formation, disease suppression, and carbon sequestration—processes essential for soil health, crop productivity, and sustainable agriculture. Intensive farming, soil degradation, climate change, and excessive agrochemicals have impaired microbial diversity and functional stability, necessitating in-depth research on microbial dynamics and their ecological mechanisms in agroecosystems.

This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research and reviews to clarify soil microbial diversity patterns, functional characteristics, and their responses to agricultural management. It bridges basic microbial ecology and agricultural applications, promoting microbial-based strategies for soil improvement and green production. This theme aligns with the journal’s scope of advancing agricultural ecosystem science, soil health, and sustainable development, with a focused scope on the intersection of soil microbial ecology and agricultural practice.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome, covering (but not limited to): microbial community analysis in agricultural soils; microbial functional mechanisms in nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration; microbial responses to sustainable agricultural practices; microbe–plant interactions; multi-omics in soil microbial research; microbial strategies for soil remediation and agroecosystem resilience.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zhaobao Wang
Dr. Xianke Chen
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. Life 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 2600 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.