Forest Ecosystems Spring Workshop 2026: Advances in phosphorus cycling in forest ecosystems

Outline

Phosphorus availability drives patterns of growth, diversity, and species distributions in the world's forests. Earth system models that aim to predict future climate increasingly include phosphorus cycle components to improve vegetation responses to global change drivers. However, these efforts are hampered by the complexity of phosphorus dynamics in soils, variability in forest responses to soil phosphorus, and confusion over methodology to quantify phosphorus availability and chemical speciation in forest soils. 

This workshop will bring together scientists with expertise in the ecology, biochemistry, modelling, biogeochemical cycling and analytical chemistry of phosphorus in forest soils. The aim is to address key contemporary questions on phosphorus cycling in forest ecosystems and outline future research needs to improve our understanding of the role of phosphorus in shaping future forests in a changing world.

The workshop will involve 1.5 days of presentations by keynote speakers in Beijing, followed by two days of workshop discussion at SCBG in Guangzhou, including a field visit to experiments at the nearby Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve.

Output from the workshop will be in the form of a special issue of Forest Ecosystems on “Advances in phosphorus cycling in forest ecosystems”. This will include contributions from keynote speakers and a synthesis paper on future directions in forest phosphorus research developed from discussions during the workshop.

The scientific program will be organized by Prof. Benjamin Turner (Gyeongsang National University, Republic of Korea) and Prof. Enqing Hou (South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China).

Key topics in the workshop will include:

1. Developments in analytical chemistry for phosphorus cycling in forest soils: P-k-edge XANES, solution 31P NMR spectroscopy, phosphorus fractionation, etc.
2. Biological methodologies for insight into phosphorus cycling in forest soils: sequencing and community responses to phosphorus limitation, phosphatase enzyme activities and functional genes, lipid substitution, enzyme stoichiometry, microbial phosphorus, etc.
3. Phosphorus and earth system modelling: developments and challenges
4. Global change and the response of forest ecosystems to temperature, drought, and CO₂
5. Phosphorus acquisition strategies in forests: mycorrhizas, root phosphatases, and organic acid exudation.
6. Ecological responses to phosphorus availability in forest ecosystems: species distributions, tree growth and limitation
7. Physiological and root traits in response to phosphorus limitation and global change
8. Forest phosphorus cycling along natural gradients in forests: chronosequences, climosequences, lithosequences, etc. (elevation, latitude, etc.)
9. Agroforestry and phosphorus cycling

Schedule:

• April 19 – Arrival in Beijing
• April 20 – Keynote presentations, posters
• April 21 – Additional keynote presentations and/or transfer to Guangzhou
• April 22 – Field visit to the Dinghushan UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, including visits to the large forest dynamics plot and experimental nutrient addition plots (intended for keynote speakers and invited participants)
• April 23 – Workshop discussion at SCBG on key questions and future directions in forests phosphorus cycling in a changing world
• April 24 – Departure

Keynote speakers:

Organizers / Special Issue Editors: Prof. Benjamin Turner and Prof. Enqing Hou will present an overview of phosphorus cycling in forests: unresolved questions and future directions

The following speakers have confirmed their intent to attend the meeting:

• Prof. Mike Zhu, University of Maryland, USA (analytical chemistry, XANES, NMR) 
• Prof. Hans Lambers, University of Western Australia, Australia (plant nutrient acquisition strategies)
• Prof. Lucas Cernusak, James Cook University, Australia (forest physiological mechanisms of phosphorus cycling in response to global change)
• Prof. Chengrong Chen, Griffiths University, Australia (agroforestry and phosphorus cycling)
• Prof. Ryota Aoyagi, Kyoto University, Japan (phosphorus responses to natural nutrient gradients in tropical forests)
• Dr. Yongxing Cui, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany (phosphatase enzymes and microbial phosphorus limitation in forests)
• Dr. Mingkai Jiang, Zhejiang University, China (global change experiments and phosphorus in forests)

For more information, please contact the Editorial Office of Forest Ecosystems at forestecosystems@bjfu.edu.cn, or Ms. Zhen Huang at huangzhen@bjfu.edu.cn.