Dear Colleagues,

Forest vegetation creates a special forest climate or microclimate. The microclimate of the forest stand is influenced by the macroclimate of the wider area, the type of forest habitat, topography, forest trees species, and the age and structure of the forest stand. Microclimate conditions have an important role in forest ecosystem processes. Ecological processes, such as photosynthesis, evapotranspiration, respiration, the decomposition of matter, the nutrient cycle, and others, are related to the microclimatic conditions. The forest microclimate is crucial for seed germination, the growth and survival of tree seedlings and understory vegetation, the growth and reproduction of plants, soil microbiology, biodiversity, and fauna. We can also change the microclimate conditions using silviculture treatments, i.e., cutting down forest trees and thinning the stand. Likewise, the degradation of forest stands worsens their microclimatic conditions. Urban trees and forests have a specific microclimate to mitigate climatic extremes in cities and provide citizens with favourable conditions for rest and recreation. To study all the biological and ecological processes in forests, we need accurate climate data, which is why knowledge about the forest climate or microclimate is important.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Forest–microclimate interactions;
• Forest microclimate and natural regeneration;
• Silviculture treatments and forest climate;
• Large-scale forest disturbances and microclimate;
• Forest microclimate and soil microbiology;
• Forest phenology;
• Forest degradation;
• Canopy gaps;
• Climate change and forest climate change;
• Urban forests and park forests;
• Forest microclimate and wildlife.

Dr. Damir Ugarković
Dr. Urša Vilhar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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• forest microclimate
• stand structure
• forest cover
• ecosystem processes
• species composition
• silviculture
• degradation stages
• biodiversity
• microbiology
• urban forests