Dear Colleagues,

There are a myriad of global challenges associated with climate change, diminishing natural resources, environmental pollution and soil degradation. These are having a negative impact on food security both in terms of quantity and quality, at a time when the global population is growing exponentially. There is thus need to improve our understanding of the pedosphere, especially the budgets of carbon and other nutrients, as well as their processes and cycling. This is increasingly important if our agriculture is to remain viable and sustainable in light of diminishing sources of nutrients such as phosphorus, general reduction in soil fertility, and increasing instances of soil pollution. Therefore this special issue aims at deepening our understanding of the crucial role the soil ecosystem plays in processing and cycling of nutrients. It further seeks to improve and broaden our understanding of the critical role of natural attenuation processes and biogeochemical cycling in determining contaminant fate. Furthermore, it provides insights into the effects and impacts of emerging soil amendments such as biochar, nanoparticles and nanocomposites on soil nutrients, with a view to assessing their sustainability. Moreover, it seeks to demonstrate the contribution of nutrient cycling to sustainable soil management and remediation, as well as mitigation of the impacts of soil pollution and degradation. Suffice it to say that the Special Issue will not only deepen our understanding of the potential and limitations of nature-based nutrient cycling solutions, but will also contribute to our knowledge on the viability and sustainability of anthropogenic interventions.

The Special Issue invites articles touching on - but not limited to - nutrient cycling and retention, in model laboratory experiments as well as field studies; the strategic role of anaerobic conditions (e.g. in wetlands) and alternating moisture regimes (e.g. in paddy soils) in nutrient availability, mitigation and utilization; analyses of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients in agricultural soils using different analytical approaches; the relationship between soil nutrients and xenobiotic fate; the role of supplementary nutrients on soil processes; microbial processes and soil nutrients; alternative green and sustainable soil fertilization approaches; soil remediation studies; modelling soil processes and contaminant fate. Manuscripts based on both original research and review articles are welcome. 

We look forward to your contributions in areas of research related to Cycling of Carbon and Nutrients.

Prof. Dr. Fredick Orori Kengara
Prof. Dr. Hatem Ibrahim
Prof. Dr. Fengmei Yao
Prof. Dr. Adebayo Jonathan Adeyemo
Section Editors

Natural Attenuation Processes; Microbial Processes; Nutrient Cycling and Modelling; Mineralization; Microbial Decomposition; Rhizosphere Interactions; Mitigation Measures and Remediation Strategies; Impacts and Sustainability of Soil Amendments. Xenobiotic Fate; Carbon Sequestration; Moisture Regimes.