Exploring the Diversity of Quercus Species and the Variability of Wood and Bark Structure and Function
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 73
Special Issue Editor
Interests: wood anatomy; tree growth; wood products; non-wood forest products; wood technology; tree ecology; mediterranean Quercus species; forest research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Oak wood from many Quercus species is highly valued for a wide variety of products and applications, from wide range of constructions and carpentry to specialty products for enology; this is mainly due to its strong textural features, natural durability, wood density, and mechanical and chemical properties. Within the worldwide timber market, the majority of studies have focused on the wood properties and forestry management of European and American oaks. However, the Quercus genus has over 500 species, with many of these not yet being well evaluated and lacking valorization, that could enlarge and diversify the supply of oak wood.
Increased knowledge of the wood structure and properties of Quercus spp. is certainly needed, with an integrated approach required to characterize wood structure and function, wood density, heartwood formation, and chemical composition; additionally, within and between-tree variation, protection, and growth-related patterns need to be encompassed. This will contribute towards improving oak wood utilization, namely that of less-known Quercus species, thereby promoting oaks as high-value forest resources.
Today, the sustainable management of forests must include multiple tree components with a full resource approach and pay attention to interactions with the environment, especially in view of the present climatic challenges. This Special Issue aims to address the gap in the literature on the diversity of Quercus species and related natural resources properties with the aim of contributing towards more sustainable oak forest management. Original research is welcome, as well as integrated approaches providing new insights into the relationship between wood and bark properties, growth patterns, and environment interactions, including state-of-the-art analyses.
Dr. Vicelina Sousa
Guest Editor
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
- oaks
- wood
- bark
- anatomy
- wood density
- chemical composition
- properties
- climate interactions
- tree growth
