Global change processes such as increasing temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, nutrient loading - especially nitrogen and phosphorus, changing patterns in fire and precipitation regimes are altering the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. Such changes are altering the major soil micro-climate and biochemical attributes, which are ultimately impacting the primary productivity of the forest ecosystems, and in turn, affect the quality and the quantity of resources entering the soil food web. Changes in the concentrations of nutrients in the soil may considerably affect their turnover rates and structure and function of soil biota and ultimately the health of forest ecosystems, and their ability to serve the society. Although efforts have been made in previous years to assess the effect of changing climate on biogeochemical cycles, further research on the changes in forest soil micro-climate, nutrients, fine root systems and their impact on forest structure and functioning is needed. This will allow us to develop ecological strategies to sustain forest ecosystems in the changing environment.
This Research Topic aims to bring together relevant scientific contributions on changing forest soil micro-climate, nutrients and fine root systems due to natural and anthropogenic factors at various spatial and temporal scales and their possible effects on different forest ecosystems' structure and functioning over the world. We invite contributions investigating the impact of global change processes on ecosystem functioning and management practices from a variety of perspectives, including but not limited to:
• Forest community dynamics;
• Forest functioning;
• Soil-plant-microbe interactions;
• Dendroecology;
• Litter decomposition and soil nutrient dynamics.
We welcome papers including observational, experimental, and modeling studies, as well as review and opinion papers.
Global change processes such as increasing temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, nutrient loading - especially nitrogen and phosphorus, changing patterns in fire and precipitation regimes are altering the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. Such changes are altering the major soil micro-climate and biochemical attributes, which are ultimately impacting the primary productivity of the forest ecosystems, and in turn, affect the quality and the quantity of resources entering the soil food web. Changes in the concentrations of nutrients in the soil may considerably affect their turnover rates and structure and function of soil biota and ultimately the health of forest ecosystems, and their ability to serve the society. Although efforts have been made in previous years to assess the effect of changing climate on biogeochemical cycles, further research on the changes in forest soil micro-climate, nutrients, fine root systems and their impact on forest structure and functioning is needed. This will allow us to develop ecological strategies to sustain forest ecosystems in the changing environment.
This Research Topic aims to bring together relevant scientific contributions on changing forest soil micro-climate, nutrients and fine root systems due to natural and anthropogenic factors at various spatial and temporal scales and their possible effects on different forest ecosystems' structure and functioning over the world. We invite contributions investigating the impact of global change processes on ecosystem functioning and management practices from a variety of perspectives, including but not limited to:
• Forest community dynamics;
• Forest functioning;
• Soil-plant-microbe interactions;
• Dendroecology;
• Litter decomposition and soil nutrient dynamics.
We welcome papers including observational, experimental, and modeling studies, as well as review and opinion papers.