Articles published in the first edition of this series can be read and downloaded here –
Nitrogen in the EnvironmentNitrogen is an abundant element on Earth, making up approximately 78.1% of the atmosphere. It is also an essential nutrient for life, and it can take many chemical forms in soil. Transformations among these forms are mostly mediated by soil microbes. Several nitrogen-containing compounds are also toxic. Soil microbial transformations of nitrogen, therefore, have the potential to affect human and environmental health, sometimes spatially and temporally far from the microbes that originally performed the transformation. Anthropogenic activities have also seriously perturbed the global nitrogen cycle.
Excessive use of nitrogen for crop production has negatively impacted soil biodiversity as well as climate and human health due to increases in N
2O and NO emissions, NH
3 volatilization to the atmosphere, and NO
3-, NO
2- and NH
4+ leaching to the aquasphere. However, nitrogen shortage limits both the quantity and quality of crops, thereby reducing the ability to meet global food demand. The disturbance of the global nitrogen cycle at a large scale presents substantial challenges and requires the immediate implementation of strategies for appropriate nitrogen management. Understanding nitrogen transformations and the soil microbes that perform them, as well as proper management of nitrogen use for crops, are essential for understanding and managing ecosystem health and productivity.
This Research Topic will focus on nitrogen dynamics and load in the soil environment, including the following points, but not limited to:
• Nitrogen biogeochemical transformation processes
• Methods and strategies for mitigation of nitrogen losses in soil
• Nitrogen gas exchange in soil
• Soil amendments for nitrogen management
• Contributions of soil microbes in relation to the global nitrogen balance
• Biotechnological applications of microorganisms in soil to improve the growth of the crops or to promote soil bioremediation.
• Soil management and application practices that affect nitrogen cycling
The following article types are welcome for submission: Original Research, Reviews, Methods, Mini-Reviews, and Perspectives.