This is a special issue published in Ecological Processes.
Guest Editors
Dr. Yu Liang, Professor, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, liangyu@iae.ac.cn
Dr. Qiang He, Professor, Fudan University, China, qhe@fudan.edu.cn
Dr. Ruiyang Zhang, Assistant Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, zhangrx@igsnrr.ac.cn
Dr. Geshere Abdisa Gurmesa, Associate Professor, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, gurmesa@iae.ac.cn
Dr. Lidong Mo, PhD, EidgenössischeTechnische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland, Lidong.mo@usys.ethz.ch
Dr. Jacob S. Fraser, PhD, US Forest Service, USA, jacob.fraser@usda.gov
About This Special Issue
The degradation of terrestrial ecosystems is a global crisis, with 25% currently affected by human activities and climate change-a figure that could rise to 75% by 2050. This threatens essential ecosystem services such as food and water security, climate regulation, and soil and water conservation. In response, ambitious global, regional, and national restoration targets have been set to counteract the negative impacts on biodiversity and climate. Moreover, there is a global consensus on the importance of achieving carbon neutrality through processes that remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in a carbon pool. This process can occur naturally or artificially, and it's a key way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. In this context, exploring the relationship between ecosystem restoration and carbon cycling is of paramount scientific and policy importance. Effective restoration projects are crucial for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development.
This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research, insights, and methodologies on ecological restoration efforts and their implications for achieving carbon neutrality. It will highlight the current status of ecosystem restoration, explore the dynamics of the carbon sink (e.g., carbon stocks, fluxes, stabilization, etc.) during the restoration process, and examine the ecological and socioeconomic drivers of restoration performance.
We welcome submissions on topics including, but not limited to:
- Field observation, experimentation, and simulation studies on carbon dynamics during ecosystem restoration
- Impacts of land use change and climate change on restoration efficacy and carbon cycling
- Driving mechanisms of biodiversity, microbial and trophic interactions in enhancing ecosystem carbon sinks
- Case studies demonstrating successful restoration projects and their contributions to carbon neutrality
- Changes in ecological and biogeochemical processes related to carbon sink dynamics in the context of ecosystem restoration
- Innovative technologies and approaches for enhancing carbon sequestration in restoration projects
- Socio-economic and policy dimensions of ecosystem restoration and carbon neutrality
- Sustainable ecosystem management optimization for restoring and enhancing carbon sinks
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025
Submission Instructions
Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have carefully read the Submission Guidelines for Ecological Processes. The complete manuscript should be submitted through the Ecological Processes submission system. To ensure that you submit to the correct article collection please select the appropriate collection in the drop-down menu upon submission. In addition, indicate within your cover letter that you wish your manuscript to be considered as part of the article collection on 'Ecological Restoration and Carbon Neutrality'. All submissions will undergo rigorous peer review and accepted articles will be published within the journal as a collection.