Sustainable Management of Meadow Ecosystems Through Soil Health Optimization

Dear Colleagues,

Meadow ecosystems are vital global ecological barriers and production bases for animal husbandry, playing irreplaceable roles in maintaining biodiversity, carbon sequestration and emission reduction, soil and water conservation, and livelihood security. However, against the backdrop of global climate change and intensified human activities, grasslands worldwide are facing varying degrees of degradation, manifested as declining productivity, simplified species composition, aggravated soil erosion, and weakened carbon sink functions. The core issue often lies in the deterioration of soil health, including the loss of organic matter, nutrient imbalances, disruption of microbial community structure, and degradation of physical structure. Traditional grassland management strategies have predominantly focused on the restoration and utilization of aboveground vegetation, failing to recognize soil health as the key driver and fundamental goal for ecosystem restoration and sustainable management. This Special Issue aims to gather the latest research to advocate for a soil health-based paradigm in meadow ecosystem management. By optimizing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, it seeks to build resilient and highly productive sustainable meadow ecosystems.

This Special Issue aims to solicit research focusing on, but not limited to, the following five related themes:

1. Soil Health Indicators and Assessment of Meadow Ecosystem Functions

Developing or validating core soil health assessment indicator systems suitable for different meadow types (e.g., natural grasslands, sown pastures, alpine meadows). Investigating the quantitative relationships between key soil health indicators (e.g., soil organic carbon, aggregate stability, microbial biomass and diversity) and meadow productivity, stability, and service functions (e.g., carbon sequestration, water conservation).

2. Interactions Between Soil Biota and Meadow Sustainability

Studying the roles of soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, archaea) and soil fauna (e.g., nematodes, earthworms) in nutrient cycling (particularly carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), organic matter turnover, and vegetation succession. Exploring the potential of utilizing soil organisms (e.g., mycorrhizal fungi, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) as bio-tools to restore degraded meadows, enhance plant stress resistance, and promote ecosystem recovery.

3. Enhancing Effects of Optimized Management Practices on Meadow Soil Health

Evaluating the short-term and long-term impacts of various management practices—such as different grazing systems (e.g., rotational grazing, grazing exclusion), mowing regimes, reseeding/oversowing improvements, and organic/inorganic fertilizer applications—on various soil health indicators. Researching the integrated benefits of holistic management strategies (e.g., integrated crop–livestock systems and organic management) on improving soil structure, enhancing soil fertility, and boosting ecosystem multifunctionality.

4. Soil Health Responses and Adaptive Management Under Climate Change

Analyzing how climatic factors like drought, warming, and extreme precipitation affect meadow soil health, and how soil health, in turn, buffers or exacerbates the impacts of climate change on meadow ecosystems. Proposing adaptive management strategies for meadows based on soil health improvement to enhance the resilience of grassland ecosystems to climate change.

5. Application of Innovative Technologies and Models in Soil Health Management

Applying remote sensing, proximal sensing, and molecular biology techniques (e.g., metagenomics) for rapid, large-scale monitoring and diagnosis of meadow soil health. Developing or applying process-based models to simulate the dynamics of soil health and its long-term effects on meadow ecosystem services under different management scenarios and climate change backgrounds, thereby supporting management decision-making.

Dr. Yunlong Zhang
Dr. Wei Zhao
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy 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 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.