Molecular Characterization of Soil Organic Matter

Dear Colleagues,

Organic matter plays a marked role in the genesis and evolution of soils, as well as in the global C cycle. In fact, soil organic matter (SOM) constitutes the largest reserve of C on the Earth surface. The interest of SOM characterization relies in that this is an extremely active agent in soil functioning, with direct and indirect effects on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, which in turn affect long-term productivity, stability, and main ecosystem services. In addition, assessing SOM molecular composition allows an early diagnosis of the biogeochemical cycle in ecosystems and of possible trends as affected by external disturbances. Therefore, a better knowledge of the molecular composition of SOM is of paramount importance to understand the alteration of soil properties caused by biotic and abiotic factors. However, due to the chemical and structural complexity of SOM, the existence of different forms, compartments, degrees of maturity, and renewal times, the study of this material is not an easy task. Nonetheless, recent advances achieved in analytical instrumentation have allowed a continuous increase of detailed geochemical studies dealing with SOM composition in different scenarios (e.g., forests, grasslands, cultivated, eroded, flood-, contaminated-, fire-affected).

This Special Issue on “Molecular Characterization of Soil Organic Matter” intends to compile the latest advances toward a better molecular knowledge of the most reactive part of soils (SOM). Therefore, we invite authors to submit recent and original research papers and/or reviews to improve our knowledge of the structure and properties of SOM and its fractions (physical, chemical, humic) in different scenarios and situations. Papers dealing with the molecular characterization of SOM that include cutting-edge analytical and chemometric approaches are particularly welcome.

Dr. Nicasio Tomás Jiménez-Morillo
Dr. José A. González-Pérez
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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.

• Eroded SOM
• Humic substances
• Fire-affected SOM
• Polluted soils
• SOM in agronomic systems
• SOM under the global warming scenario
• Soil biomarkers
• Natural SOM
• Multivariate statistical analysis
• Forecasting models of SOM quality
• Reaction mechanisms in SOM