Multi-stressor Effects on Soil Ecosystem Biodiversity

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About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 25 February 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 15 June 2025

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

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Background

Soil is an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem which plays an essential role in sustaining biodiversity. It is also very important as a substrate for food production, and for climate regulation by acting as a large sink for the sequestration of carbon. The ecosystem function of soil is attributable to its biodiversity, e.g., soil fauna, flora, microbes. Any adverse effect on soil biodiversity threatens the ecosystem services that could be provided by the soil. Therefore, it is important for soils to be protected from factors that can jeopardize its ecosystem function.

Anthropogenic activities are one of the sources of stressors and contaminants in the environment. For example, pesticides used in agriculture, chemical wastes from industries, and chemical applications in the environment are sources of anthropogenic stressors. To protect soils, it is necessary to carry out risk assessments of potential contaminants. Risk assessments should be based on data that is representative of real environmental scenarios. Currently, the data commonly used for risk assessment are based on single contaminants, however, contaminant mixtures are the rule rather than the exception in the environment. In addition to the use of single stressors for risk assessments, often the impacts on single species are used. Even with the application of assessment factors, this may not be appropriate for accurate risk assessment. This can lead to over-estimation or under-estimation of risk. Therefore, more data should be collected on the effects of multiple stressors on single and multispecies in the environment.

In addition to anthropogenic factors being a source of stress on soil ecosystem functioning, there are other sources of stressors. For example, global climate change - often an increase in temperature in combination with changed precipitation patterns - might input additional stress to the environment. This will likely complicate the risk assessment of anthropogenic and natural chemicals on humans and the environment.

It is apparent that there is a need to understand better how natural changes in environmental variables and/or anthropogenic activities (including activities that cause habitat fragmentation, soil degradation, soil/water contamination) affect the abundance and diversity of soil organisms, and how this in turn affects the ecosystem function of soils.

We therefore welcome contributions concerning:

• Ecosystem function modelling and risk assessment of pollutants on soil ecosystem function;

• Mixture toxicity of chemical substances on soil ecological receptors;

• Combined mixture effect of different classes of pollutants on terrestrial ecosystem e.g. combination of metals and pesticides, or combination of plastics and PFAS on soil organisms;

• Influence of climate change on toxicity of pollutants to ecological receptors in soil;

• Multispecies testing in ecotoxicology, i.e., how a combination of species testing gives a better picture of the effect on ecosystems than single species capturing how different species react to toxicants differently;

• Toxicity testing with novel species in soil – single or multispecies.


Topic Editor Amy Gainer is employed by Clear-Site Solutions. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.

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This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

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  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Policy and Practice Reviews
  • Policy Brief
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: Soil, biodiversity, biotic, abiotic, contaminant, pollutant, ecosystem function, ecotoxicology, metals, pesticides, plastic, PFAS, mixture toxicity

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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