Plant–Soil Interactions Regulating Soil Organic Matter Dynamics under Climate Change

Climate change is altering the fundamental processes that govern soil organic matter (SOM) formation, stabilization, and turnover. Rising temperatures, elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, altered precipitation regimes, and increasing frequencies of droughts and floods are reshaping interactions between plants, soil microorganisms, and the soil environment. These plant–soil interactions are central to the regulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), influencing carbon inputs through root biomass and exudation, microbial transformation pathways, nutrient cycling, and long-term carbon persistence. Despite growing recognition of their importance, substantial uncertainty remains regarding how climate-driven changes in plant physiology, rhizosphere processes, and microbial communities affect SOM dynamics across different ecosystems and management systems.This Research Topic aims to advance mechanistic understanding of how plant–soil interactions regulate SOM dynamics under changing climatic conditions. Recent research has revealed that root traits, rhizosphere priming effects, plant–microbe associations, and microbial carbon-use efficiency play critical roles in determining carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling outcomes. However, the responses of these processes to climate stressors remain insufficiently understood and difficult to predict across scales.The objective of this collection is to bring together experimental, observational, and modelling studies that elucidate the biological mechanisms linking plants, soils, and microorganisms to SOM formation, stabilization, and loss under climate change. By integrating advances in rhizosphere ecology, soil biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, and ecosystem modelling, this Research Topic seeks to identify processes and management strategies that enhance soil carbon persistence, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable agricultural productivity in a changing climate.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Perspectives, Methods, and Modelling studies addressing the role of plant–soil interactions in regulating SOM and SOC dynamics under climate change.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Root traits, rhizodeposition, and rhizosphere processes affecting SOM formation and stabilization.• Plant–microbe interactions regulating carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling.• Microbial mediation of SOM turnover under warming, drought, flooding, and elevated CO₂.• Rhizosphere priming effects and their implications for carbon persistence.• Plant diversity, cropping systems, and vegetation shifts influencing SOM dynamics.• Soil microbial networks and functional traits associated with carbon stabilization.• Carbon–nutrient interactions in plant–soil systems under climate stress.• Experimental and modelling approaches linking plant–soil feedbacks to SOM dynamics.• Nature-based and regenerative management practices that enhance plant-driven soil carbon storage.• Cross-scale studies connecting rhizosphere processes to ecosystem carbon balance and climate resilience.Submissions integrating field, laboratory, mesocosm, remote-sensing, or modelling approaches are particularly encouraged, provided they advance understanding of the biological mechanisms linking plant–soil interactions with SOM dynamics under climate change. Topic editors: Suvendu Das, Jagadeesh Yeluripati, Sang Yoon Kim, Pil Joo Kim Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81598/plant-soil-interactions-regulating-soil-organic-matter-dynamics-under-climate-change