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Forests
Special Issues
Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation
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Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Inventory, Modeling and Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 8216

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xisheng Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Interests: forest cover change; forest landscape pattern; forest geographic information system; forestry remote sensing; forest quality assessment and management; forest resilience
Dr. Weibin You

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Interests: landscape ecology; forest ecosystem services; forest disturbances assessment; forest ecology and management
Dr. Jian Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Interests: sustainable management of forest resources; forest ecology and management; forest restoration and evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests cover about 41 million km2—around 30% of the land surface. They play a fundamental role in the global carbon cycle, absorbing about 33% of anthropogenic carbon emissions, and are considered a key element for mitigating future climate change. In addition, forests provide a series of ecosystem services that contribute to societal wellbeing, such as the regulation of water flows, protection of soils and conservation of biodiversity. Unfortunately, forests are increasingly threatened by numerous disturbances, including natural agents (e.g., fires, windstorms and pathogens) and anthropogenic pressures (e.g., urbanization, construction of transportation infrastructure and agricultural and forestry practice activities). These disturbances lead not only to complete deforestation, but to various intensities of forest degradation and fragmentation. Forest degradation is also a secondary result of deforestation, which produces edge effects and isolated forest patches in fragmented forests. Deforestation is easy to detect, while the degradation of forest ecosystems is perhaps one of the more challenging types of disturbances to measure and monitor. Unlike deforestation, degradation events may reoccur with varying frequencies at the same location, sometimes several years later, and different types can spatially overlap. This Special Issue is aimed at providing selected contributions on advances in assessment and mitigation in the management of planted and natural forests.

This Special Issue provides an opportunity for researchers to present the results of studies on the biophysical impacts of climate change on forests and for those working on potential management or policy responses to climate change. It aims to provide an up-to-date compendium of recent research in this field from around the world.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • forest vegetation change;
  • forest degradation and fragmentation;
  • forest resilience and vulnerability;
  • forest quality assessment;
  • forest restoration and protection;
  • forest sustainable management.

Prof. Dr. Xisheng Hu
Dr. Weibin You
Dr. Jian Li
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

  • forests
  • vegetation
  • deforestation
  • degradation
  • fragmentation
  • connection
  • resilience
  • assessment
  • mitigation
  • remote sensing and GIS

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5574 KiB  
Article
Detecting Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Driving Patterns in Forest Fragmentation with a Forest Fragmentation Comprehensive Index (FFCI): Taking an Area with Active Forest Cover Change as a Case Study
by Shiyong Zhen, Qing Zhao, Shuang Liu, Zhilong Wu, Sen Lin, Jian Li and Xisheng Hu
Forests 2023, 14(6), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061135 - 31 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1616
Abstract
Forests play an irreplaceable role in preserving soil and water, as well as realizing carbon neutrality. However, logging and urban expansion have caused widespread forest fragmentation globally, resulting in biodiversity loss and carbon emissions. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to develop a comprehensive [...] Read more.
Forests play an irreplaceable role in preserving soil and water, as well as realizing carbon neutrality. However, logging and urban expansion have caused widespread forest fragmentation globally, resulting in biodiversity loss and carbon emissions. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to develop a comprehensive index for evaluating the degree of forest fragmentation to propose effective policies for forest protection and restoration. In this study, a forest fragmentation comprehensive index (FFCI) was constructed through principal component analysis (PCA) based on land-use data from 2000 to 2020 in Fujian Province, composed of five commonly used landscape metrics: patch density (PD), largest patch index (LPI), mean patch area (MPA), aggregation index (AI), and division. Then, the semivariogram function and moving windows method were employed to explore the scale effect and spatiotemporal variations of FFCI. The spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to distinguish the spatial relationship of forest fragmentation, while the driving mechanisms were explored using the geographic detector (GD). The results show that the optimal scale to reflect forest fragmentation based on the semivariogram and moving window method was 3500 m. The proposed FFCI could explain more than 85% of the information for all landscape metrics, and the effectivity of FFCI was validated by urban–rural gradient and transect analysis. We also found that, despite having the highest forest coverage in China, Fujian Province has experienced severe forest fragmentation. High and medium fragmentation accounted for over 50% of all types of fragmentation, with decreasing trends in low and very low fragmentation and increasing trends in high fragmentation over time, indicating that the degree of forest fragmentation in the study area was aggravated over time. Moreover, the spatial distribution pattern of FFCI was mainly high–high clusters and low–low clusters, showing a decreasing trend year by year. The areas with high fragmentation were mainly distributed in the urban center of coastal cities, while the internal cities in western and central regions had a relatively low degree of fragmentation. Additionally, the spatial differentiation in the variation in FFCI was mainly influenced by elevation, slope, and nighttime light intensity. The superimposed impact of two factors on the variation in FFCI was greater than the impact of individual factors. These results provide an effective approach for assessing the degree of forest fragmentation and offer scientific support for mitigating forest fragmentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation)
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15 pages, 4133 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Different Reforestation Methods on Fungal Community and Nutrient Content in an Ex-Tea Plantation
by Anjie Liang, Xinyi Wen, Wenjing Yu, Shunde Su, Yongming Lin, Hailan Fan, Jun Su and Chengzhen Wu
Forests 2023, 14(2), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020432 - 20 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2062
Abstract
Long-term monocultures of tea and the excessive use of chemical fertilizer lead to the degradation of soil quality. Improving the soil quality of ex-tea plantations through vegetation restoration is an important task. However, the changes in soil nutrients, fungal communities, and the effects [...] Read more.
Long-term monocultures of tea and the excessive use of chemical fertilizer lead to the degradation of soil quality. Improving the soil quality of ex-tea plantations through vegetation restoration is an important task. However, the changes in soil nutrients, fungal communities, and the effects of microorganisms on soil nutrients after reforestation remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the effects of Pinus and Chinese fir on soil nutrients and fungal communities in ex-tea plantation areas that were subjected to the reforestation modes of pure forest and mixed forest by measuring soil chemical properties and ITS rRNA gene sequences. The results showed that (1) after reforestation, the relative normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the Mixed forest, Mixed Pine and Mixed Fir areas increased (p < 0.05) compared to that of pure forest; (2) the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and N:P ratios of the mixed forest increased by an average of 54%, 90%, and 299% (p < 0.05) compared to pure forest, whereas the total phosphorus (TP) and available potassium (AK) decreased by an average of 39% and 89% (p < 0.05); and (3) there was no significant difference in the diversity of the fungal communities of the pure and mixed forests, but the fungal phyla Mucoromycota, Glomeromycota, and Rozellomycota were significantly different in the pure and mixed forests. This differing microbial composition led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in symbiotrophs (ecotomycorhizal, ericoid mycorhizal) in the mixed forest, which was negatively correlated with the soil TP and positively correlated with the TN and the N:P ratio. In addition, there was also a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in complex nutrient types (ectomycorrhizal-fungal parasite-plant saprotroph-wood saprotroph), which were negatively correlated with the SOC and TN, and arbuscular mycorrhizas, which were positively correlated with the TP. Our results show that the chemical properties of soils and the structure of the fungal communities changed significantly due to the reforestation of Chinese fir and Pinus, and the mixed forest mode of reforestation was more conducive to improving the soil quality; therefore, a mixed forest of Chinese fir and Pinus can be used to improve degraded soils in ex-tea planting areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation)
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12 pages, 1256 KiB  
Article
Extending the Behavioral Geography within the Context of Forest Restoration: Research on the Geographical Behaviors of Northern-Migrating Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Southwest China
by Xijie Lin, Duo Yin, Quan Gao, Xinhua Qi, Yu Cheng and Boming Zheng
Forests 2023, 14(1), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010122 - 10 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1664
Abstract
In 2021, the northward migration of Asian elephants in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province attracted significant public attention. Exploring the behavior of Asian elephants will help to better protect this endangered species and further realize the harmonious coexistence of humans and elephants. Based on [...] Read more.
In 2021, the northward migration of Asian elephants in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province attracted significant public attention. Exploring the behavior of Asian elephants will help to better protect this endangered species and further realize the harmonious coexistence of humans and elephants. Based on the news texts regarding the northward migration of Asian elephants, this study used network text analysis, social network analysis, and grounded theoretical research methods to explore the behavioral characteristics and internal motivations of Asian elephants during their northward migration. The results indicate that: (1) during the northward migration of Asian elephants, moving and foraging are their most frequent behaviors, and foraging may be the chief purpose of the migration. (2) Different behaviors of Asian elephants hide their behavioral choice preferences, including environmental, time, and behavioral preferences. During the migration, Asian elephants mostly move in low-altitude areas, often foraging or migrating around farmland in the afternoon or at night, returning to the mountains to rest in the early morning. Corn, rice, and other crops are their primary food; the change in their eating habits is influenced by the lack of herbs and woody plants inside the protected area. (3) The northward migration behavior of elephant herds is influenced by various factors, such as elephant population expansion, habitat change, and species migration characteristics, and the relationship between conservation and development needs to be balanced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation)
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14 pages, 4844 KiB  
Article
Changing Spring Phenology of Northeast China Forests during Rapid Warming and Short-Term Slowdown Periods
by Fengyuan Zhang, Binhui Liu, Mark Henderson, Xiangjin Shen, Yuanhang Su and Wanying Zhou
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2173; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122173 - 17 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2000
Abstract
The vast forests of Northeast China are under great pressure from climate change. Understanding the effects of changing climate conditions on spring phenology is of great significance to assessing the stability of regional terrestrial ecosystems. Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data from 1982 [...] Read more.
The vast forests of Northeast China are under great pressure from climate change. Understanding the effects of changing climate conditions on spring phenology is of great significance to assessing the stability of regional terrestrial ecosystems. Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data from 1982 to 2013, this paper investigated the changes in the start date of the vegetation growing season (SOS) of two main forest types in Northeast China, analyzing the changes in temporal and spatial patterns of forest spring phenology before and during the recent short-term warming slowdown, and exploring the effects of day and night temperatures and precipitation on the start of the growing season. The results showed that, during the rapid warming period (1982–1998), the SOS of deciduous needleleaf forests (DNF) was significantly advanced (−0.428 days/a, p < 0.05), while the rate of advance of SOS of deciduous broadleaf forests (DBF) was nonsignificant (−0.313 days/a, p > 0.10). However, during the short-term slowdown (1998–2013), the SOS of DBF was strongly delayed (0.491 days/a, p < 0.10), while the change in SOS of DNF was not significant (0.169 days/a, p > 0.10). The SOS was sensitive to spring maximum temperature for both forest types during the analysis period. Increases in winter precipitation influenced the SOS during the rapid warming period for DNF; this combined with the increase in the spring maximum temperature contributed to the advance in SOS. The decrease in the spring maximum temperature during the short-term slowdown, combined with a decrease in the previous summer maximum temperature, contributed to the rapid delay of SOS for DBF. DBF SOS was also more influenced by lagged effects of prior conditions, such as previous autumn to spring precipitation during the rapid warming period and previous summer maximum temperature during the short-term slowdown. In general, SOS was mainly determined by changes in daytime thermal conditions; DNF is more sensitive to temperature increases and DBF is more sensitive to decreases. Different regional climate conditions lead to differences in the distribution of DNF and DBF, as well as in the response of SOS to climate change during the rapid warming and short-term slowdown periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection and Mitigation of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation)
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