https://www.journals.elsevier.com/geoderma/call-for-papers/engineers-and-architects-of-surface-soil-properties

Geoderma生物结皮专刊正式上线。

专刊的主题是“干旱生物系统中生物结皮对土壤属性、过程以及功能的影响”，关注的核心是生物结皮与土壤的交互作用。

目前投稿系统已开放，截止投稿时间为2020年12月31日。

欢迎各位老师投稿。

欢迎各位老师转发、扩散。

Call for Papers on Special Issue: Biocrusts: Engineers and Architects of Surface Soil Properties, Functions, and Processes in Dryland Ecosystems

The prestigious journal Geoderma (IF 4.336) (ISSN 0016-7061) is currently running a special issue entitled " Biocrusts: Engineers and Architects of Surface Soil Properties, Functions, and Processes in Dryland Ecosystems ". As we are acting as guest editors for this issue, we would like to welcome contributions from various disciplines. We kindly invite you to consider submitting your full paper to this special issue.

Submission Period: 1^st May 2020-31th December 2020

Biocrusts are biotic communities that aggregate mineral and organic components of the soil surface in most drylands. Biocrusts cover substantial dryland surfaces worldwide, due to their high tolerance to harsh environments. As ecosystem engineers, biocrusts play a major role in modifying soil properties and processes, as well as providing various ecosystem functions, including: decreasing soil erodibility and erosion, regulating soil hydrology and moisture availability, affecting the fixation and efflux of atmospheric carbon and nitrogen, shaping the development of vascular plants, and influencing terrestrial biodiversity. Biocrust rehabilitation is believed to be a promising measure for combating dryland degradation. A better mechanistic understanding of biocrust effects on soil properties, processes and functions in dryland ecosystems is key to determining the feasibility of using biocrusts for preventing soil degradation and maintaining the sustainability of dryland ecosystems. The complexity of biocrust communities, and their sensitivity to diverse climatic, soil, and land-use conditions mean that understanding biocrust contributions to dryland ecosystems is challenging.

This Special Issue in Geoderma is a forum for promoting recent and novel research on biocrust influences on soil in different regions. It will mainly address the following scientific themes: 1) the characterisation of biocrusts and their modifications of various surface soil properties; 2) the role of biocrusts in soil processes, such as water, heat, gas, sediment, and nutrient fluxes (especially carbon and nitrogen); 3) the effects of climate and land uses on biocrust functions.

We welcome and encourage contributions on soil-biocrusts interactions in dryland ecosystems from throughout the world.

To submit your manuscript please go to Geoderma (at https://www.journals.elsevier.com/geoderma/ ) and follow the procedures for manuscript submission. When prompted for 'Enter Manuscript Information' you can select our Special Issue ‘Biocrusts’.

Author Guidelines and Manuscript Submission can be found at:
https://www.elsevier.com/journals/geoderma/0016-7061/guide-for-authors

Feel free to contact us if you would have any questions.

Best wishes,

Guest Editors:

Assoc. Prof. Bo Xiao, xiaobo@cau.edu.cn

Prof. Yunge Zhao, zyunge@ms.iswc.ac.cn

Assoc. Prof. Matthew A. Bowker, matthew.bowker@nau.edu

Dr. Sonia Chamizo, scd394@ual.es

Dr. Oumarou Malam Issa, oumarou.malamissa@ird.fr