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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 October 2023 | Viewed by 6328

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Dr. Nadezhda Tchebakova

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Guest Editor

Institute of Forests, Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Academgorodok 50/28, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Interests: climate change; bioclimating modeling; vegetation; boreal forest
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Dr. Sergey V. Verkhovets

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The Center for Research and Education "Yenisei Siberia", Senior Researcher, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Interests: boreal forest; carbon sequestration; forest fire
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Significant forest losses due to natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., changing climate, severe wildfires, biotic causes, and clear-cutting) occurred in the 20th century and are still ongoing. These issues, in addition to increased human-induced climate change during the 21st century, are all taking place globally. As present climate observations and future climate simulations show that global warming is currently occurring at an unprecedented rate, especially at higher latitudes and continental interiors covered by permafrost, climate warming is expected to put boreal and temperate forests at high risk of altering tree species composition and forest diversity. From biogeography and forestry, it is known that the climate is the first-order driver of existence, locality, and complexity of forests worldwide. Thus, climate change plays a key role in re-distributing forest types, promoting forest growth, and changing tree species diversity in the near future. Recent research has shown that forests, tree species, and their climate types will shift northwards in order to reach equilibrium with the change in climate. We would like to encourage further research on ongoing (in situ) and predicted changes in the forest composition, forest-forming tree species re-distribution, and forest diversity across boreal and temperate forests in both plains and mountains in order to develop strategies for adapting to a changing climate under new AR6 (2021) climate change scenarios.

Dr. Nadezhda Tchebakova
Dr. Sergey V. Verkhovets
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

climate change
boreal, temperate forest
tree species diversity
forest composition and growth
disturbances
future forests

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Vigor of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. along an Altitudinal Gradient Using UAV Multispectral Images: Evidence of Forest Decline Possibly Associated with Climatic Change

José Luis Gallardo-Salazar

Roberto A. Lindig-Cisneros

Leonel Lopez-Toledo

Angel R. Endara-Agramont

Arnulfo Blanco-García

and

Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061176 - 06 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1154

Abstract

Future climate forecasts predict major changes that will have negative impacts on the distribution, abundance, and dynamics of forest ecosystems. In Mexico, there is evidence of symptoms of massive forest decline; however, there is no consensus in terms of attributing these symptoms to climate change. This study aimed to provide evidence of forest decline possibly associated with climatic change in the highland pine (Pinus hartwegii Lindl.) populations of the Nevado de Toluca Flora and Fauna Protection Area. Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with multispectral sensors, the study applied digital photogrammetry techniques, automated tree crown detection algorithms, and calculation of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf chlorophyll index (LCI) to assess forest health across an altitudinal transect (from 3300 m to the timberline at 4040 m elevation). Climate analysis was conducted with TerraClimate data using mean annual temperature (MAT), April temperature, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) from the studied altitudinal transect and its xeric limit. We found that lower altitude populations had significantly higher stress levels, indicating forest decline phenomena, while intermediate altitude populations showed greater vigor of the detected trees. Statistically significant differences in the NDVI and LCI values along the altitudinal gradient provided evidence of forest decline in terms of forest vigor and productivity, with the greatest disturbance found at the lower altitude of the examined forest species. The analysis of the climatic data revealed an increase in April temperature +1.4 °C of the xeric limit of the transect (low altitude) when comparing the reference period, 1961–1990 (mean: 12.17 °C), with the decade prior to our study (2011–2020; mean: 13.57 °C). This would be equivalent to an upward shift in elevation of 280 m of the xeric limit. In addition, the PDSI analysis revealed that droughts are becoming increasingly intense at a rate of 0.06 PDSI units per decade, with greater intensity in the last five years. These findings highlight the negative impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems and the urgent need for alternative forest management and conservation practices to increase resilience and adaptation in the temperate forests of Mexico. This study sets a precedent for further research to improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems and the development of sustainable management practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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Open AccessArticle

Can Wood Pellets from Canada’s Boreal Forest Reduce Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Generation in the UK?

Michael T. Ter-Mikaelian

Jiaxin Chen

Sabrina M. Desjardins

and

Stephen J. Colombo

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061090 - 24 May 2023

Viewed by 895

Abstract

We present the results of a study on the climate forcing effects of replacing coal for power generation in the United Kingdom (UK) with wood pellets produced in northern Ontario, Canada. Continuous wood pellet production from two biomass sources were considered: fiber from increased harvesting of standing live trees (stemwood scenario) and from harvest residue provided by ongoing harvesting operations (residue scenario). In both scenarios, biomass was collected from harvesting operations in two forest management units (FMUs) with contrasting harvest residue treatments: natural decay of slash piles in the Hearst FMU and slash pile burning in the Kenora FMU. Life cycle emissions associated with wood pellets were assessed for production, transportation, and combustion to replace coal at a hypothetical power generating station in the UK. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals in wood pellet and coal scenarios were assessed using two methods: global warming potential (GWP)-based mass balance and dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) approaches. In the stemwood scenario, climate change mitigation from replacing coal with wood pellets was not achieved within the study timeline (2020–2100). In the residue scenario, immediate climate change mitigation was achieved with fiber sourced from the Kenora FMU where the current practice is to burn slash piles; for the Hearst FMU, where slash is allowed to decompose in the forest, climate change mitigation occurred 11.6 and 3.1 years after biomass collection began, as assessed by the mass balance and dynamic LCA methods, respectively. Factors affecting mitigation potential in the studied scenarios are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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Open AccessArticle

How Climate Change Impacts the Distribution of Lithocarpus hancei (Fagaceae), a Dominant Tree in East Asian Montane Cloud Forests

and

Forests 2023, 14(5), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14051049 - 18 May 2023

Viewed by 862

Abstract

Subtropical montane moist evergreen broadleaf forests (MMEBFs) have a unique environmental envelope harboring a high percentage of endemic biota. This ecosystem is highly vulnerable, and little is known about its possible response to future climate change. In this study, we used Lithocarpus hancei (Fagaceae), a dominant tree in East Asian subtropical MMEBFs, as a proxy to investigate MMEBF distribution dynamics and key distribution restriction factors. In total, 607 L. hancei occurrence points were obtained after being gathered and filtered. The random forest model was selected as the best model. Eight environmental variables were selected to simulate the potential suitable areas of L. hancei under the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), present, and future (2041–2060, 2061–2080, 2081–2100) climate change scenarios, including four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5). Our results showed that precipitation of the warmest quarter, the precipitation of the driest month, the mean diurnal range, and temperature seasonality are the key factors affecting the spatial range of L. hancei with 11.2%, 10.9%, 8.1%, and 7.6% contributions, respectively. The current distribution of L. hancei is mainly within East and South China, with a scattered distribution in North Indo-China and the Southeast Himalayas. The highly suitable area only accounts for 9.7% of the total distribution area. The distribution area of the current suitability area is the smallest compared to that under LGM and future scenarios. In all the future climatic scenarios, the highly suitable areas of L. hancei would decrease or even disappear, whereas the medium- and low-suitability areas might increase with the centroid of the total suitable area northern. Its distribution in Central China, the Southern Himalayas, and Northern Indo-China will be lost in the future. Overall, our study predicted a prominent degradation of East Asian MMEBFs in the future. In situ and ex situ conservation on East Asian MMEBFs should be prioritized and enforced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study of Climatology, Energy and Mass Exchange in Two Forests on Contrasting Habitats in Central Siberia: Permafrost Larix gmelinii vs. Permafrost-Free Pinus sylvestris

Nadezhda M. Tchebakova

Viacheslav I. Zyryanov

and

Forests 2023, 14(2), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020346 - 09 Feb 2023

Viewed by 863

Abstract

Inter-annual and seasonal variations of energy, vapor water, and carbon fluxes and associated climate variables in a middle taiga pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest on sandy soils and in a northern taiga larch (Larix gmelinii) forest on permafrost in central Siberia were studied from eddy covariance measurements acquired during the growing seasons of 1998–2000 and 2004–2008, respectively. Both the pure Scots pine of 215-year-old and pure Gmelin larch of 105-year-old forests naturally regenerated after forest fires, differed by their tree stand characteristics, and grew in extremely contrasting environments with distinctive climatic and soil conditions. Net radiation was greater in the pine forest due to higher values in the summer months and a longer growing season. Sensible heat flux was the larger term in the radiation balance in both forests. The Bowen ratio stayed between 1 and 2 during the growing season and was as high as 8–10 in dry spring in both forests. In the dry summers, latent heat explained 70%–80% of the daily net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) variation in both forests. The average NEE was significantly smaller in the larch ecosystem at −4 µmol m⁻²s⁻¹ compared to −7 µmol m⁻²s⁻¹ in the pine forest. NEP for the growing season was 83 in the larch forest on continuous permafrost and 228 g C m⁻² in the pine forest on warm sandy soils. Water use efficiency was 5.8 mg CO₂ g⁻¹H₂O in the larch forest and 11 mg CO₂ g⁻¹H₂O in the pine forest and appeared to be consistent with that in boreal forests. As a result of the forest structure change from Gmelin larch to Scots pine due to the permafrost retreat in a warming climate, the boreal forest C-sink may be expected to increase. Thus, potential feedback to the climate system in these “hot spots” of forest-forming replacement species may promote C-uptake from the atmosphere. However, as many studies suggest, in the pace of transition from permafrost to non-permafrost, C-sink would turn into C-source in hot spots of permafrost retreat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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Open AccessArticle

Leaf Traits and Resource Use Efficiencies of 19 Woody Plant Species in a Plantation in Fangshan, Beijing, China

and

Forests 2023, 14(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010063 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 965

Abstract

Plantations are typically monocultures, which limits their sustainability. Therefore, understanding acclimatization strategies and resource use efficiencies in plant species and life forms aids the improvement of vegetation diversity and ecological functions. Here, 19 species from forest plantations in Fangshan, Beijing, China were studied. We determined their net photosynthetic (P_n), and transpiration rates (E), light response curve, stomatal conductance (g_s), and leaf nitrogen (N) content. We analyzed the leaf N content (N_mass), specific leaf area (SLA), maximum net photosynthetic rate (P_nmax), water use (WUE), nitrogen use (NUE), and carbon use (CUE) efficiencies and connected them with both species and life forms. P_nmax, SLA, N_mass, WUE, NUE, and CUE significantly differed among species. Evergreen conifers had the lowest SLA and N_mass but the highest WUE and CUE. Evergreen coniferous trees had lower SLA, N_mass, P_nmax, and NUE but higher WUE than deciduous trees and shrubs. The SLA, N_mass, and P_nmax of nitrogen-fixing plants were the highest. A correlation analysis revealed that WUE was positively correlated with CUE and negatively correlated with NUE. Moreover, WUE was negatively correlated with N_mass and SLA. These insights into the adaptability differences of woody plant species and life forms provide a scientific basis for the selection of appropriate species for sustainable forest plantations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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Open AccessArticle

and

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1379; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091379 - 29 Aug 2022

Viewed by 866

Abstract

Tomicus yunnanensis Kirkendall (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) is a stem-boring pest that endangers Pinus yunnanensis Franch (Pinales:Pinoideae), which seriously affects the ecological environment safety in southwest China. In order to understand the potential distribution pattern and change in the potential distribution of P. yunnanensis and T. yunnanensis, this study used the maximum entropy model to predict the distribution of potentially suitable areas for P. yunnanensis and T. yunnanensis and explored the relationships between their different spatiotemporal distributions based on change analysis. The experimental results show that altitude is the main factor restricting the current distribution of P. yunnanensis. The current suitable areas of P. yunnanensis are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou. The minimum temperature of the coldest month is the main factor affecting the current distribution of T. yunnanensis. The current suitable areas of T. yunnanensis are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. Under future climate scenarios, the total suitable areas of P. yunnanensis and T. yunnanensis are expected to increase. The suitable areas tend to move to higher altitudes in the west and higher latitudes in the north. At the same time, this study finds that there is an obvious bottleneck of expansion to northeastern Sichuan near the Daba Mountains. The results of intersection analysis showed that, with future climate change, P. yunnanensis and T. yunnanensis mainly showed lowly suitable (or unsuitable)—lowly suitable (or unsuitable) to moderately (or highly) suitable—and moderate (or high) variation patterns of suitable areas under the SSP1-2.6 climate scenario. These results will provide an important basis for the breeding of P. yunnanensis and controlling T. yunnanensis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Species Distribution, Diversity and Growth under Climate Change)

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