Microbial Community Structure and Function in Soils

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Soil Systems aims to expand the current state of the art regarding soil microbial communities. Soils harbour the most diverse and complex microbiome on Earth. Soil microorganisms display high metabolic and functional diversity, being involved in nutrient and carbon transformations and shaping the soil habitat through various biogeochemical and biophysical mechanisms, thus representing a key factor of soil resilience. These functions are part of the basis of the so-called “ecosystem services”, which are vital to humans and the environment (e.g., provision of food, clean water, fibers, wood, carbon storage, regulation of climate and nutrient cycling). Microorganisms are therefore vital for the overall functioning, stability, and sustainability of the ecosystem, determining soil’s fertility and health.

Authors are invited to submit their works on soil microorganisms, including the characterization of their communities and their inter- and intra-kingdom interactions, the definition of their ecosystem functions, as well as the application of novel methodologies for the study of these communities. Research, review and opinion articles concerning our current knowledge of soil microbial communities and their ecosystem functions are invited.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Roberta Pastorelli
Dr. Sara Del Duca
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Soil Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 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.

• edaphic communities
• soil microorganisms
• bacteria
• fungi
• archaea
• protists
• ecosystem services
• ecosystem functions
• nutrient cycling
• soil health