Special Issues
Table of Content

Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems

Submission Deadline: 01 June 2026 (closed) View: 962 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editor(s)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liehua Tie

Email: lhtie@gzu.edu.cn

Affiliation: Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: carbon and nutrient cycling as well as ecological stoichiometry in forest ecosystems

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Xiangping Tan

Email: tanxp@scbg.ac.cn

Affiliation: South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: linkages between microbial community structure and soil processes, feedback mechanisms of microbial communities to environmental changes

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pengpeng Duan

Email: pengpengduan@isa.ac.cn

Affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi, 547100, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: carbon and nitrogen cycles in terrestrial ecosystems and global change

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Summary

Background & Importance:
Forest ecosystems are critical regulators of global carbon sequestration and nutrient balance. Understanding coupled biogeochemical cycles – particularly carbon (C) and essential nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) – is fundamental to predicting ecosystem responses to climate change, anthropogenic disturbances, and biodiversity loss. These interactions govern forest productivity, soil organic matter stabilization, and greenhouse gas fluxes, with cascading impacts on ecological stability and climate mitigation strategies.

Aim & Scope:
This Special Issue aims to synthesize cutting-edge research on mechanistic processes, drivers, and feedbacks within forest C-nutrient cycles. We seek contributions elucidating interactions across spatial (molecular to landscape) and temporal (diel to decadal) scales. The scope encompasses:
· C-nutrient stoichiometry and allocation dynamics
· Biotic-abiotic controls on mineralization and stabilization
· Impacts of global change (warming, drought, N deposition)
· Cross-system comparisons (natural vs. managed forests)

Suggested Themes:
· Litter decomposition and nutrient release
· Plant-soil-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere
· Soil organic matter formation and nutrient constraints
· Mycorrhizal mediation of C-nutrient trade-offs
· Disturbance legacies on cycling processes
· Novel methodologies for tracing coupled element fluxes


Keywords

carbon allocation, soil organic matter formation, nutrient cycling, forest ecosystems, global change

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Drought Effects on Pine Litter Decomposition and Metal Nutrient Release Are Moderated by Mixed Understory Vegetation Litter

    Xianyan Wang, Yan Guo, Nan Yang, Shengnan Ouyang, Honglang Duan, Jie Wang, Qiqiang Guo, Liehua Tie, Guijie Ding
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.084022
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
    Abstract Understory vegetation-mediated forest litter decomposition and nutrient release processes are critical for biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem sustainability. Drought-dominated global change significantly affects relevant processes, but its impact on metal element release from mixed litters of overstory trees and understory vegetation remains unclear. Here, we conducted an 18-month in situ decomposition experiment in a Pinus massonianaCamellia oleifera mixed forest under three precipitation regimes: control (CK), low-intensity reduction (R30), and high-intensity reduction (R60). Both R30 and R60 treatments significantly inhibited P. massoniana litter mass loss by 4.85% and 6.22%, respectively. Only R60 treatment significantly reduced the mass loss in C. oleifera and… More >

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