# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/soil-carbon-and-nitrogen-dynamics/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 is defined by a shift towards microscopic microbial mechanisms and global predictive modeling, moving away from traditional macroscopic agricultural management. Microbial carbon use efficiency and organo-mineral associations emerged as dominant themes, reflecting the field's deep focus on biological and physical pathways for carbon stabilization.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 8,999 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Microbial carbon use efficiency, mineral-associated organic carbon, microbial necromass |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 69–138 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved July 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Soil microbiomes show consistent and predictable responses to extreme events | Christopher G Knight, Océane Nicolitch, Rob I Griffiths, Tim Goodall, Briony Jones, Carolin Weser, Holly Langridge, John Davison, Ariane Dellavalle, Nico Eisenhauer, Konstantin B Gongalsky, Andrew Hector, Emma Jardine, Paul Kardol, Fernando T Maestre, Martin Schädler, Marina Semchenko, Carly Stevens, Maria Α Tsiafouli, Oddur Vilhelmsson, Wolfgang Wanek, Franciska T de Vries | Christopher G. Knight, Robert I. Griffiths, Franciska T. de Vries | University of Manchester, United Kingdom | Nature | 138 | 10.1038/s41586-024-08185-3 |
| 2 | Nutrient-induced acidification modulates soil biodiversity-function relationships | Zhengkun Hu, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Nicolas Fanin, Xiaoyun Chen, Yan Zhou, Guozhen Du, Feng Hu, Lin Jiang, Shuijin Hu, Manqiang Liu | Manqiang Liu | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | Nature Communications | 123 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47323-3 |
| 3 | Important role of Fe oxides in global soil carbon stabilization and stocks | Nan Jia, Lei Li, Hui Guo, Mingyu Xie | Lei Li | Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, China | Nature Communications | 115 | 10.1038/s41467-024-54832-8 |
| 4 | Land conversion to agriculture induces taxonomic homogenization of soil microbial communities globally | Ziheng Peng, Xun Qian, Yu Liu, Xiaomeng Li, Hang Gao, Yining An, Jiejun Qi, Lan Jiang, Yiran Zhang, Shi Chen, Haibo Pan, Beibei Chen, Chunling Liang, Marcel G A van der Heijden, Gehong Wei, Shuo Jiao | Gehong Wei, Shuo Jiao | Northwest A&F University, China | Nature Communications | 107 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47348-8 |
| 5 | Plant diversity drives positive microbial associations in the rhizosphere enhancing carbon use efficiency in agricultural soils | Luiz A Domeignoz-Horta, Seraina L Cappelli, Rashmi Shrestha, Stephanie Gerin, Annalea K Lohila, Jussi Heinonsalo, Daniel B Nelson, Ansgar Kahmen, Pengpeng Duan, David Sebag, Eric Verrecchia, Anna-Liisa Laine | Luiz A. Domeignoz‐Horta | University of Zurich, Switzerland | Nature Communications | 106 | 10.1038/s41467-024-52449-5 |
| 6 | Global turnover of soil mineral-associated and particulate organic carbon | Zhenghu Zhou, Chengjie Ren, Chuankuan Wang, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Yiqi Luo, Zhongkui Luo, Zhenggang Du, Biao Zhu, Yuanhe Yang, Shuo Jiao, Fazhu Zhao, Andong Cai, Gaihe Yang, Gehong Wei | Chengjie Ren, Gehong Wei | Northeast Forestry University, China | Nature Communications | 105 | 10.1038/s41467-024-49743-7 |
| 7 | Balancing agricultural production and environmental sustainability: Based on Economic Analysis From North China Plain | Hongyu Shi, Muhammad Umair | Hongyu Shi | Henan Normal University, China | Environmental Research | 104 | 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118784 |
| 8 | Reducing the uncertainty in estimating soil microbial-derived carbon storage | Han Hu, Chao Qian, Ke Xue, Rainer Georg Jörgensen, Marco Keiluweit, Chao Liang, Xuefeng Zhu, Ji Chen, Yishen Sun, Haowei Ni, Jixian Ding, Weigen Huang, Jingdong Mao, Rong-Xi Tan, Jizhong Zhou, Thomas W Crowther, Zhi-Hua Zhou, Jiabao Zhang, Yuting Liang | Hu Han, Chao Qian, Ke Xue, Chao Liang, Yuting Liang | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 101 | 10.1073/pnas.2401916121 |
| 9 | Size, distribution, and vulnerability of the global soil inorganic carbon | Yuanyuan Huang, Xiaodong Song, Ying-Ping Wang, Josep G Canadell, Yiqi Luo, Philippe Ciais, Anping Chen, Songbai Hong, Yugang Wang, Feng Tao, Wei Li, Yiming Xu, Reza Mirzaeitalarposhti, Heba Elbasiouny, Igor Savin, Dmitry Shchepashchenko, Raphael A Viscarra Rossel, Daniel S Goll, Jinfeng Chang, Benjamin Z Houlton, Huayong Wu, Fei Yang, Xiaoming Feng, Yongzhe Chen, Yu Liu, Shuli Niu, Gan-Lin Zhang | Yuanyuan Huang, Xiaodong Song, Gan‐Lin Zhang | Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, China | Science | 100 | 10.1126/science.adi7918 |
| 10 | Conservation agriculture improves soil health and sustains crop yields after long-term warming | Jialing Teng, Ruixing Hou, Jennifer A J Dungait, Guiyao Zhou, Yakov Kuzyakov, Jingbo Zhang, Jing Tian, Zhenling Cui, Fusuo Zhang, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo | Jing Tian, Zhenling Cui, Manuel Delgado‐Baquerizo | China Agricultural University, China | Nature Communications | 97 | 10.1038/s41467-024-53169-6 |
| 11 | Microbial trait multifunctionality drives soil organic matter formation potential | Emily D Whalen, A Stuart Grandy, Kevin M Geyer, Eric W Morrison, Serita D Frey | Emily D. Whalen | University of New Hampshire, United States | Nature Communications | 92 | 10.1038/s41467-024-53947-2 |
| 12 | Enhancing soil health to minimize cadmium accumulation in agro-products: the role of microorganisms, organic matter, and nutrients | Junliang Xin | Junliang Xin | Hunan Institute of Technology, China | Environmental Pollution | 87 | 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123890 |
| 13 | Microbially mediated mechanisms underlie soil carbon accrual by conservation agriculture under decade-long warming | Jing Tian, Jennifer A J Dungait, Ruixing Hou, Ye Deng, Iain P Hartley, Yunfeng Yang, Yakov Kuzyakov, Fusuo Zhang, M Francesca Cotrufo, Jizhong Zhou | Jing Tian, Fusuo Zhang, M. Francesca Cotrufo, Jizhong Zhou | China Agricultural University, China | Nature Communications | 84 | 10.1038/s41467-023-44647-4 |
| 14 | Optimized agricultural management reduces global cropland nitrogen losses to air and water | Luncheng You, Gerard H Ros, Yongliang Chen, Fusuo Zhang, Wim de Vries | Yongliang Chen | China Agricultural University, China | Nature Food | 84 | 10.1038/s43016-024-01076-w |
| 15 | Biochar and organic fertilizer applications enhance soil functional microbial abundance and agroecosystem multifunctionality | Wang Hu, Yuping Zhang, Xiangmin Rong, Xuan Zhou, Jiangchi Fei, Jianwei Peng, Gongwen Luo | Yuping Zhang, Xuan Zhou, Gongwen Luo | Hunan Agricultural University, China | Biochar | 83 | 10.1007/s42773-023-00296-w |
| 16 | Simplified microbial network reduced microbial structure stability and soil functionality in alpine grassland along a natural aridity gradient | Chao Zhang, Shilong Lei, Hongyue Wu, Lirong Liao, Xiangtao Wang, Lu Zhang, Guobin Liu, Guoliang Wang, Linchuan Fang, Zilin Song | Zilin Song | Chinese Academy of Science, China | Soil Biology and Biochemistry | 81 | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109366 |
| 17 | Optimizing cover crop practices as a sustainable solution for global agroecosystem services | Tianyi Qiu, Yu Shi, Josep Peñuelas, Ji Liu, Qingliang Cui, Jordi Sardans, Feng Zhou, Longlong Xia, Weiming Yan, Shuling Zhao, Shushi Peng, Jinshi Jian, Qinsi He, Wenju Zhang, Min Huang, Wenfeng Tan, Linchuan Fang | Linchuan Fang | Wuhan University of Technology, China | Nature Communications | 78 | 10.1038/s41467-024-54536-z |
| 18 | Microbial and mineral interactions decouple litter quality from soil organic matter formation | Dafydd M O Elias, Kelly E Mason, Tim Goodall, Ashley Taylor, Pengzhi Zhao, Alba Otero-Fariña, Hongmei Chen, Caroline L Peacock, Nicholas J Ostle, Robert Griffiths, Pippa J Chapman, Joseph Holden, Steve Banwart, Niall P McNamara, Jeanette Whitaker | Jeanette Whitaker | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom | Nature Communications | 70 | 10.1038/s41467-024-54446-0 |
| 19 | Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest | Mingkai Jiang, Kristine Y Crous, Yolima Carrillo, Catriona A Macdonald, Ian C Anderson, Matthias M Boer, Mark Farrell, Andrew N Gherlenda, Laura Castañeda-Gómez, Shun Hasegawa, Klaus Jarosch, Paul J Milham, Rául Ochoa-Hueso, Varsha Pathare, Johanna Pihlblad, Juan Piñeiro, Jeff R Powell, Sally A Power, Peter B Reich, Markus Riegler, Sönke Zaehle, Benjamin Smith, Belinda E Medlyn, David S Ellsworth | Kristine Y. Crous | Zhejiang University, China | Nature | 69 | 10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0 |
| 20 | Reducing soil nitrogen losses from fertilizer use in global maize and wheat production | Chao Wang, Yun Shen, Xiantao Fang, Shuqi Xiao, Genyuan Liu, Ligang Wang, Baojing Gu, Feng Zhou, Deli Chen, Hanqin Tian, Philippe Ciais, Jianwen Zou, Shuwei Liu | Jianwen Zou, Shuwei Liu | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | Nature Geoscience | 69 | 10.1038/s41561-024-01542-x |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

In the Class of 2026, research in soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics is largely defined by microbial mechanisms and soil organic matter interactions. The most prominent theme is Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency, reflecting a deep focus on how microorganisms process and stabilize carbon. This aligns closely with strong clusters around Mineral-Associated Organic Carbon, Organo-Mineral Associations, and Microbial Necromass, highlighting a paradigm shift toward understanding the physical and biological carbon stabilization pathways at microscopic scales. Furthermore, foundational variables like Soil pH and Soil Bacterial Communities continue to play dominant roles as researchers seek to map these intricate microbial-physicochemical relationships. The prominence of Soil Amendments and Soil Fungal Communities also underscores a highly applied angle, as the field connects fundamental microbial ecology with practical strategies to enhance soil health and sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, this cohort represents a convergence of mechanistic soil microbiology and applied carbon sequestration strategies.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a distinct shift from broad agricultural management to specialized mechanistic studies and Earth system modeling. The most explosive growth was seen in Organo-Mineral Associations, Earth System Models, Nitrous Oxide Emissions, and Phosphorus Limitation, which emerged rapidly to dominate recent discussions. Similarly, Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency saw significant growth, underscoring the field's pivot toward microscopic drivers of carbon stabilization. Conversely, macro-level agricultural topics experienced notable declines; concepts such as Crop Production, Plant Carbon Inputs, and Fertilization Management saw their prominence halved compared to the previous year. This cohort shift suggests that while agricultural applications remain relevant, the cutting-edge of the field has moved aggressively toward integrating granular microbial and mineral interactions into predictive global climate models and understanding complex biogeochemical feedbacks like greenhouse gas emissions.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/soil-carbon-and-nitrogen-dynamics/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```