Grassland, Soil, and Forest Ecology

Dear Colleagues,

Grassland (GE) and forest (FE) ecosystems are the largest and most widespread types of terrestrial ecosystems on the planet, sharing a wide range of ecosystem functions. They protect soil against water and wind erosion, prevent excessive evaporation from the soil, retain precipitation, significantly influence water regimes in the soil and landscape, shape the landscape and increase biodiversity. Furthermore, GE and FE are considered the largest pools of carbon, nitrogen and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems (in aboveground and underground biomass and soil).

Current anthropic stresses, compounded by climate change in the form of rising temperatures, the uneven distribution of rainfall and prolonged heat waves, non-native tree species composition, or the management practices of GE and FE, are raising discussion on the functioning and ecological stability of GE and FE concerning soil and soil health, with emphasis on the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and other nutrients.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that bring the latest knowledge on the impact of changing environmental conditions (global climate change) and management practices (GE: fertilization, the intensity of use, grazing, etc.; FE: clear-cutting system, shelterwood system, selection system, etc.), species (tree species) composition (monocultures, mixed stand, etc.) on the functioning of grassland and forest ecosystems with soil health. The results of long-term field experiments and case studies of ecosystems on regional and global scales are particularly welcome.

This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts that link the following themes:

• The physical, chemical and biological properties of soil in GE, FE;
• Biogeochemical cycles of water, carbon and nutrients in GE and FE;
• Soil organic matter (SOM), including dissolved organic matter (DOM), C sequestration and decomposition processes in GE and FE;
• Species (tree species) composition and management practices of GE and FE on soil health;
• The ecological stability of GE and FE.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Ladislav Menšík
Dr. Lukáš Hlisnikovský
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• ecology
• ecosystems
• grassland
• forest
• soil
• biogeochemical cycles
• carbon
• nutrients
• ecological stability