About this Research Topic
Subsoils are frequently neglected in soil science, however, due to their depth, they are known to contain more organic carbon than the overlying topsoil. In addition, they serve a range of other ecosystem services including water purification and storage, waste detoxification as well as supporting a diverse microbial community which is often different from that in the topsoil. In addition, due to the use of heavy agronomic machinery, subsoils are often prone to compaction. There, therefore, deserve greater attention than they have received from the scientific community.
Subsoils have also been shown to be both producers and consumers of greenhouse gases, however, the net balance between these processes remains poorly understood. A large proportion of the carbon that is stored in subsoils has also been shown to be thousands of years old, suggesting that subsoils offer considerable potential for long-term C sequestration. Practical solutions to bury organic materials at depth and an understanding of how these affect subsoil functioning, however, are lacking.
The impact of climate change (e.g., lowering of water tables, changes in physical structure) on subsoil properties has considerable uncertainty. In addition, the impact of promoting the adoption of deep-rooted plants to promote climate resilience and/or nutrient retrieval from the subsoil remains unclear.
In this Research Topic, we are interested in Original Research articles, Opinion pieces, and critical Review articles on the role of subsoils in the plant-soil-microbial system. We encourage submissions on the following topics:
1. Role of subsoils in sustainable water use within agronomic systems
2. Regulation of root exploration and persistence in subsoils
3. Differences in subsoil biological functioning in comparison to topsoils
4. Nutrient retention and dynamics in subsoils
5. Strategies to promote greater carbon storage in subsoils
6. Greenhouse gas production and consumption in subsoils
7. Subsoil compaction and alleviation
8. Physical characterization of subsoils
9. Mathematical modeling of subsoil behavior.
Authors are also encouraged to propose other specific themes related to this topic.
Subsoils have also been shown to be both producers and consumers of greenhouse gases, however, the net balance between these processes remains poorly understood. A large proportion of the carbon that is stored in subsoils has also been shown to be thousands of years old, suggesting that subsoils offer considerable potential for long-term C sequestration. Practical solutions to bury organic materials at depth and an understanding of how these affect subsoil functioning, however, are lacking.
The impact of climate change (e.g., lowering of water tables, changes in physical structure) on subsoil properties has considerable uncertainty. In addition, the impact of promoting the adoption of deep-rooted plants to promote climate resilience and/or nutrient retrieval from the subsoil remains unclear.
In this Research Topic, we are interested in Original Research articles, Opinion pieces, and critical Review articles on the role of subsoils in the plant-soil-microbial system. We encourage submissions on the following topics:
1. Role of subsoils in sustainable water use within agronomic systems
2. Regulation of root exploration and persistence in subsoils
3. Differences in subsoil biological functioning in comparison to topsoils
4. Nutrient retention and dynamics in subsoils
5. Strategies to promote greater carbon storage in subsoils
6. Greenhouse gas production and consumption in subsoils
7. Subsoil compaction and alleviation
8. Physical characterization of subsoils
9. Mathematical modeling of subsoil behavior.
Authors are also encouraged to propose other specific themes related to this topic.
Keywords: Subsoils, Soil microbiology, Carbon sequestration, Root functioning, Water storage, Greenhouse gas emissions, Soil compaction
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
