This project aims to develop a reliable method for extracting and preserving environmental RNA (eRNA) from forest soils to enable direct analysis of active microbial communities involved in key biogeochemical processes such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and contaminant transformations. Specifically, it seeks to answer: (Q1) Which on-site preservation method best maintains the RNA integrity in forest soil samples; (Q2) How do different extraction kits perform in terms of resulting yield and quality of RNA; and (Q3) How do preservation and extraction methods affect the quality of metatranscriptomics sequence data and gene expression profiles? This methodological information is essential for developing a robust protocol for eRNA analysis that has the potential to significantly advance our process understanding of soil microbial dynamics under environmental change.