Growth and Stand Dynamics of Unmanaged and Managed Forests Under Global Change

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1056

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Silviculture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Aleja Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Interests: climate-smart forestry; adaptive silviculture; regeneration methods; natural and artificial regeneration; intermediate treatments; silvicultural prescription; mixed-forest performance; conversion methods; mixed-species forest growth models; inter- and intra-specific relationships; old-growth forests
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, we are witnessing many global environmental changes caused by, among other things, anthropopressure, i.e., climate change, which fundamentally impacts forest ecosystems, both those subject to forest management and those excluded from it. Crucially, this impacts the fulfilment of all forest functions. In managed stands, we can take corrective or, better yet, preventive actions, which can increase the stability and durability of such stands. In forests excluded from management, we cannot carry out such actions. However, such forests are a source of invaluable information on the effects of these changes on forests. Through insightful observations, we can draw conclusions about interventions in managed forests and consolidate their readiness to fulfil versatile functions (productive, social, protective, cultural, etc.) and provide various ecosystem goods and services.

This Special Issue will provide an overview of the most recent advances in the field of growth and stand dynamics for both managed and unmanaged forests affected by environmental changes. This Special Issue aims to showcase selected contributors presenting advances in pure and multi-species forest growth rules, unmanaged and managed stand dynamics, and the implementation of conclusions resulting from observations of unmanaged forests that can aid in the modification of the management of managed forests in light of environmental changes.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Pure and mixed-species performance in managed and unmanaged forests;
  • Managed and unmanaged stand dynamics;
  • Forest productivity and stability;
  • The growth characteristics of managed and unmanaged forests;
  • The resistance, resilience, and recovery of managed and unmanaged forests;
  • A modified or new concept of silvicultural intervention in managed forests based on unmanaged stand dynamics;
  • Growth models;
  • Appropriate silvicultural treatments in managed forests.
  • The policy and governance of managed forests.

All listed topics should consider the impact of environmental changes on forests.

Prof. Dr. Maciej Pach
Guest Editor

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.

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
  • adaptive forest management
  • old-growth stands
  • stand dynamics
  • growth models
  • resistance
  • resilience
  • recovery
  • silvicultural prescriptions

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4026 KiB  
Article
Do Stands Self-Thin Through a Common Point? An Additional Concept for the Self-Thinning Rule
by P. W. West and D. A. Ratkowsky
Forests 2025, 16(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020199 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
Once the steady and ongoing mortality of individuals in a plant population has started, the widely accepted ‘self-thinning rule’ holds; this maintains that the set of progressive average sizes of the plants and their residual stocking densities bear a constant relationship to each [...] Read more.
Once the steady and ongoing mortality of individuals in a plant population has started, the widely accepted ‘self-thinning rule’ holds; this maintains that the set of progressive average sizes of the plants and their residual stocking densities bear a constant relationship to each other. This work aimed to quantify the self-thinning processes of monospecific Eucalyptus obliqua L’Hér. forest using data from each of a set of plots in Tasmania, Australia. Unexpectedly, it was found that, with or without extrapolation, the self-thinning lines of all the plots tended to intersect near a common plant average size and stocking density. This finding was extended using previously published data for monospecific forests of seven other tree species spread widely across the world, five hardwood and two softwood. All five showed the same phenomenon. Whilst this adds a new concept to the existing self-thinning rule, no immediate explanation could be offered as to why it occurs. It was concluded that it will require studying the various mechanisms that determine tree growth behavior, the competitive interactions between individuals for the resources each requires from the site (light, water, and mineral nutrients), and how these lead to the mortality of smaller, less competitively successful individuals. Full article
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15 pages, 2185 KiB  
Article
The Short-Term Impact of Logging Intensity on the Stand State of Middle-Aged Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) Plantations
by Jing Tu, Zhongwen Zhao and Zongzheng Chai
Forests 2025, 16(1), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010183 - 19 Jan 2025
Viewed by 463
Abstract
By assessing the short-term impact that various logging intensities have on stand state in middle-aged P. massoniana plantations, this investigation aimed to establish a theoretical foundation to support the judicious management of Pinus massoniana plantations. Five distinct logging intensity categories were delineated (0%, [...] Read more.
By assessing the short-term impact that various logging intensities have on stand state in middle-aged P. massoniana plantations, this investigation aimed to establish a theoretical foundation to support the judicious management of Pinus massoniana plantations. Five distinct logging intensity categories were delineated (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%). To construct a robust stand-state evaluation framework, nine representative indicators across the three dimensions of structure, vitality, and diversity were selected. We scrutinized the short-term impacts of logging intensity by employing the unit circle method. The findings revealed that (1) four indicators—stand density, tree health, species composition, and species diversity—exhibited pronounced sensitivity to logging intensity. These four exhibited significant improvements in the short-term post-logging (p < 0.05). Conversely, the indicators of species evenness, diameter distribution, height distribution, tree dominance, and stand growth exhibited a more subdued response to logging intensity. These five necessitated an extended period to begin to improve. (2) The comprehensive evaluation values measuring the stand state of middle-aged P. massoniana plantations initially ascended but then subsequently descended as logging intensity escalated. The stand-state zenith was pinpointed at an approximate 30% logging intensity. (3) A highly significant linear correlation emerged between the unit circle method results and the principal component analysis results in evaluating stand state (R2 = 0.909, p < 0.001), and the unit circle method proved to be more intuitive and responsive. In summation, logging intensity exerted a substantial influence on stand state in middle-aged P. massoniana plantations, with moderate logging (circa 30% logging intensity) enhancing stand state the most. The unit circle method proficiently and effectively illuminated the short-term effects of logging intensity on the stand dynamics of middle-aged P. massoniana plantations, so it thereby may provide invaluable guidance for the formulation of specific forest management strategies. Full article
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