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Special Issue "Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 August 2023) | Viewed by 3079

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yi Ding
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Guest Editor

Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: restoration ecology; vegetation ecology

Prof. Dr. Runguo Zang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: biodiversity conservation; forest ecology; forest dynamics; vegetation ecology; forest management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global forests are going through unprecedented deforestation and degradation. The restoration of habitats is increasingly part of the discussion over how to tackle the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. The Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 adopted by the United Nations “with the aim of supporting and scaling up efforts to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide and raise awareness of the importance of successful ecosystem restoration” is an unparalleled opportunity for each of us to conduct ecological restoration studies. How can science contribute to achieving this objective? Ecosystem functions and services of forests heavily depend on their own diversity, resilience and stability. Thus, exploring the underpinned mechanisms and management approaches of biodiversity on the resilience and stability of an ecosystem is extremely important in restoration ecology. The current knowledge on resilience and stability was mainly accumulated in grasslands, and the effect of biodiversity on maintaining community stability and increasing resilience remains poorly understood in forest ecosystems. We encourage studies from natural forests, plantations and agroforestry, involving field experiments, investigations, monitoring and silviculture practices, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to explore the theoretical and practical knowledge on biodiversity, resilience and stability and provide a scientific basis and management approaches for the protection and restoration of forests around the world.

Prof. Dr. Yi Ding
Prof. Dr. Runguo Zang
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

biodiversity
degradation and restoration
disturbances
forest ecosystem
resilience and stability
silviculture practice

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Maxim. in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China

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Forests 2023, 14(10), 1956; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14101956 - 27 Sep 2023

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Abstract

Woody plants are crucial components of forest ecosystems and play critical roles in regulating community succession and ecosystem function. Studying woody plant diversity and its influencing factors is thus important for understanding and protecting forest ecosystems. Quercus aliena var. acutiserrata is an important deciduous broadleaf species in the warm–temperate forest of central China. Multiple regression and structural equation modelling were used to discuss the effect of biotic and soil factors on tree species diversity across seven relative density gradients of Q. aliena var. acutiserrata trees in this zone. Our results showed that the following: (1) Species diversity showed significant decreasing trends with increasing relative density of Q. aliena var. acutiserrata. (2) As the relative density of the oak tree increased, some biotic factors (canopy density, and mean DBH) and soil factors (Soil SOC, AP, and AK) all showed significantly increasing trends, whereas the DBH variation (CVD) and soil pH displayed decreasing trends. (3) Biotic factor (e.g., mean DBH, CVD, and competition interaction) had strong direct effect on species diversity, and soil factors exerted indirect roles on tree diversity via biotic factors. Our results provide insight into biodiversity protection and scientific management in this warm–temperate natural oak forest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Stability and Spatial Structure of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) Plantations in Loess Hilly Region: A Case Study from Huanglong Mountain

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Forests 2023, 14(9), 1921; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091921 - 21 Sep 2023

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Abstract

In contrast to intensive management practices focused on wood production, plantations designed to safeguard fragile environments prioritize the sustainable fulfillment of ecological functions. To assess the potential for Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) plantations in the Loess Hilly Region to effectively serve their ecological protection role over the long term, we selected nine indices representing biological stability, resistance stability, and functional stability. Employing a novel unit circle method, we evaluated the total stability (sum of the three stability components) of 44 plantation plots in Huanglong Mountain. We also explored the connections between total stability and standing spatial structure parameters to offer insights for promptly enhancing stability through thinning. The findings revealed that 79.5% of Chinese pine plantations exhibited moderate total stability, with 20.5% demonstrating good stability. Most plots displayed a random distribution pattern, moderate size differentiation, low species spatial mixing, and high stand crowding. Among the correlations analyzed, mingling exhibited the highest coefficient, followed by differentiation, while the uniform angle index showed the weakest correlation, and crowding displayed an insignificant correlation. While the presence of good functional stability contributed to the moderate total stability, addressing inadequate biological and resistance stability necessitates thinning measures. This study identifies spatial structure types negatively linked to total stability, offering targeted management insights for enhancing the stability of Chinese pine plantations. The stability assessment methodology and indicators presented in this study can serve as a valuable reference for similar plantations with comparable functions and planting conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Modification of Density Dependence and Habitat Filtering on Seedling Survival of Different Mycorrhizal-Type Tree Species in Temperate Forests

Jian Li

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Xiuhai Zhao

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1919; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091919 - 21 Sep 2023

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Abstract

Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) and habitat filtering are critical to seedling survival. However, the relative importance of the two processes in affecting survival of seedlings with different types of mycorrhizae remains unclear. In this study, the effects of CNDD and habitat filtering on the survival of tree seedlings with different mycorrhizal types were investigated at different successional stages of a temperate forest in the Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve, Northeast China. Conspecific negative density dependence and habitat filtering significantly affected seedling survival. In the early successional stage, the interactions between conspecific neighbor tree density and light availability and soil properties significantly negatively affected survival of all species and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) seedlings in the community, but not that of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) seedlings, and the CNDD effect was stronger on AM seedlings than on EcM seedlings. In the mid-successional stage, CNDD effects were stronger on EcM seedlings. Therefore, different types of mycorrhizal seedlings responded differently to CNDD and habitat filtering mechanisms during community succession, and thus, tree mycorrhizal association could determine the effects of CNDD and habitat filtering on seedling survival in temperate forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Forest Management on the Biodiversity and Sustainability of Carya dabieshanensis Forests

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Forests 2023, 14(7), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071331 - 28 Jun 2023

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Abstract

Natural secondary Carya dabieshanensis forests comprise the natural wealth of the Dabie Mountains, which maintain the ecological balance of this region and enhance the incomes of farmers. However, forest ecosystems are being increasingly challenged due to increasing long-term anthropogenic development and management. Elucidating the impacts of management intensity and duration on the diversity and stability of vegetation communities in natural secondary Carya dabieshanensis forests is of great significance toward achieving sustainable forest management. For this study, we compared the effects of three forest management intensities (no management (CK), extensive management (EM), and intensive management (IM)), and five management durations (0, 3, 8, 15, and 20 y) on species diversity and the stability of vegetation communities (trees, shrubs, and herbaceous layers) of a Carya dabieshanensis forest. Our results revealed that the diversity of the vegetation communities continued to decline following the onset of management activities. The diversity, dominance, evenness, and richness indices of the vegetation communities decreased by 53.37%–62.77%, 46.04%–59.17%, 32.58%–53.55%, and 50.18%–51.30%, respectively, after 20 y of forest management. Intensive management translated to species diversity loss more so than extensive management. All vegetation communities of the forest stands under study were generally unstable; however, the stability they did have was not at risk under greater management intensity and duration, and neither did greater species diversity enhance it. This study provides new evidence to support the non-synchronicity of species diversity and community stability in forest resident vegetation communities. Since the species diversity and structural composition of tree layers have a positive effect on community stability, so we suggest that both extensive and intensive forest lands need to retain or replant more tree species other than Carya dabieshanensis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Variation in the Functional Traits of Forest Vegetation along Compound Habitat Gradients in Different Climatic Zones in China

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Forests 2023, 14(6), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061232 - 14 Jun 2023

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Abstract

Investigating functional plant traits is essential for understanding plant responses and adaptations to global climate change and ecosystem functions. Synchronous observations of multiple plant traits across multiple sites are rare. Here, we obtained community, functional trait, and environmental data for different forest vegetation types in China’s tropical, subtropical, warm-temperate, and cold-temperate zones. Using principal component (PC) analysis, we constructed a composite–habitat gradient axis of biotic and abiotic factors across different climatic zones, differentiated functional trait compositions along the axis and their driving factors, and reached three main conclusions. (1) At the community level, the community-weighted mean and variance of each trait level differed across the climatic zones. Specific leaf areas and leaf phosphorus contents decreased with increasing PC1 values, whereas community-weighted means and variances of leaf dry-matter contents, leaf nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios, and wood densities significantly increased with increasing PC1 values. However, the leaf nitrogen content varied along the PC1 axis. Both the community-weighted skewness and kurtosis of functional traits increased significantly with increasing PC1 values for the composite habitat gradient across the climatic zones. (2) The weighted mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis of each functional trait exhibited different patterns on the composite habitat gradient PC2 axis than on the PC1 axis across the climatic zones, and the correlation was weak. (3) Most functional traits correlated significantly with the community-weighted mean and variance, kurtosis, and skewness. Therefore, the different functional trait compositions of forest communities in different climatic zones reflected trait convergence caused by the environment and trait differences caused by species competition in response to local-scale filtering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Altitudinal Gradients Modify the Ecological Stoichiometry and Enzyme Activities of Soil in a Natural Secondary Quercus spp. Forest of the Dabie Mountains

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Forests 2023, 14(4), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040774 - 09 Apr 2023

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Abstract

Understanding the vertical distribution and driving mechanisms behind soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and enzyme activities along elevation gradients is of great significance for the healthy and sustainable management of forest ecosystems. For this study, the 0–20 cm soil-layer samples of different natural Quercus spp. secondary forests from eight altitude gradients (ranging from 250 to 950 m) were investigated to quantify their physicochemical properties, ecological stoichiometry characteristics, and enzyme activities. The results indicated that the soil nutrient content of natural secondary Quercus spp. forests in the Dabie Mountains was low, with average soil organic carbon (SOC) and total phosphorus (TP) contents of 19.86 ± 3.56 g·kg⁻¹ and 0.68 ± 0.10 g·kg⁻¹, respectively, which were 19.14% and 12.82% lower, respectively, than the Chinese average. In terms of vertical spatial distribution, the SOC, total nitrogen (TN), and TP contents of the soil at high altitudes (≥750 m) were greater than those at middle- and low-altitude areas and reached the maximum value at or near the top of the mountain (850–950 m). The stoichiometric attributes of the soil ecosystem fluctuated with the higher altitudes in vertical space; however, the fluctuation range was not significant. The C:N, N:P, and C:P ratios reached their maximum values at altitudes of 250, 750, and 850 m, respectively. However, the overall average value remained generally lower than the national average; thus, in forest management, attention should be paid to the supplementation of the soil with C and P. The activities of soil sucrase, urease, acid phosphatase, and catalase were interconnected across the overall space, and increased with altitude. The SOC, TP, and pH were the main factors that influenced the changes in soil enzyme activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Restoring the Diversity, Resilience and Stability of Forest Ecosystems)

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