Microbial-driven Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling Mechanisms in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Microorganisms are found in nearly all natural habitats within terrestrial ecosystems, thriving from deep subsurface rocks to near-surface soils, the leaves of the tallest trees, and even freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. They play critical roles in promoting primary production and carbon (C) sequestration through mineral weathering, decomposition processes, and mycorrhizal symbiosis. From an ecosystem perspective, microbial processes are strongly coupled with hydrological and geochemical processes, and together they drive C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling to sustain ecosystem health and function. However, climate change, land-use shifts, and anthropogenic pollution are altering microbial community dynamics and their functional roles in these systems. Key uncertainties remain regarding how microbial traits (e.g., enzymatic pathways, community assembly) govern cross-ecosystem C-N-P flows and their feedback to global change.

Recent advances in molecular techniques (e.g., metagenomics, stable isotope probing, and metabolomics) have provided deeper insights into microbial functional diversity and its linkage to ecosystem processes. Yet, the key question persists: How do microbial-driven nutrient cycling mechanisms and associated ecosystem resilience change under global change? Addressing this question is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to anthropogenic disturbances and developing sustainable land-management strategies. This Research Topic seeks to explore the underlying mechanisms of microbial-driven C-N-P cycling, emphasizing the cross- and interdisciplinary approaches that integrate microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem modeling. We welcome studies that investigate microbial functional traits, community dynamics, and environmental drivers to enhance our predictive understanding of terrestrial ecosystems’ biogeochemical cycles in a rapidly changing world.

This Research Topic invites empirical, synthesis, and modeling studies from a variety of ecosystem types, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, streams, and rivers. We welcome articles that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Microbial functional traits (enzymes, metabolic pathways, gene regulation)
- Microbiome-ecosystem interactions (soil-plant-microbe feedbacks, critical zone nutrient fluxes)
- Environmental drivers (climate change, land use)
- Ecosystem sustainability (C sequestration, C-N-P stoichiometry, restoration)
Submissions should provide novel mechanistic insights or syntheses of emerging trends, with clear implications for ecosystem management and climate change mitigation.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Microbial communities, microbial metabolic pathways, nutrient acquisition strategy, biogeochemistry, critical zone, global environmental change, stoichiometry

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.