Effects of Land Use Patterns and Land Cover Changes on Soil Quality

Dear Colleagues,

Land use patterns and land cover are dynamic and determined by numerous factors, including climate, relief, and socio-economical aspects. Changes in land use patterns and land cover create new landscapes, which affect soil quality and, thus, the stability of new ecosystems. Degradation or progradation of soil quality indicators depends on the management of newly created ecosystems, namely, in agriculture, the introduction of proper soil management, fertilization, and rotation practices, and in the case of forest or grassland, the appropriate management intensity (cutting/grazing).

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights into the shifts in main soil quality parameters that ensure ecosystem functioning under land use patterns and land cover changes. Within the functions, we focus on the physical (environment for the soil macro- and microorganisms, development of plants), chemical (source of carbon and nutrients, sorption of pollutants, transmission of energy and water), biological (stimulation and inhibition of biochemical processes, source of genetic and functional diversity of microorganisms) and ecosystem (regulation of matter and energy exchange between the components of the biocenosis). Thus, studies aiming to trace the changes in the soil quality parameters responsible for the above functions are highly welcome. Studies that have used long-term field experiments and those done under greenhouse facilities and the used modeling approaches are encouraged.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Impact of changes in land use patterns on soil quality indicators, physical and chemical functions;
• Impact of land cover changes (in natural and agricultural landscapes) on biological soil quality;
• Transformation of organic matter (plant-derived or organic fertilizers/amendments-derived) in soil under land use patterns and land cover changes;
• Soils as a buffer against environmental impacts under changes in land use patterns and land cover.

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

Dr. Anna Gunina
Dr. Quan Zhou
Dr. Qianqian Zhang
Dr. Huadong Zang
Dr. Zhenhui Jiang
Guest Editors

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