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Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 10878

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wanqin Yang

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Guest Editor

School of Life Science, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
Interests: litter production; litter decomposition; soil carbon sequestion; soil biodiversity; extreme meterological events
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jianping Tao

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Guest Editor

School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
Interests: forest community; forest regeneration; plant species diversity; ecological processes; plant functional traits; litter decomposition

Prof. Zhongmin Wu

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Guest Editor

Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Longdong, Guangzhou, China
Interests: abnormal litter; forest ecosystems; extreme weather events; response; recovery

Dr. Liangjin Yao

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Guest Editor Assistant

Zhejiang Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
Interests: community structure; functional traits; biodiversity; community assembly; climate change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests cover 32.3% of the world’s land area and play irreplaceable roles in mitigating global climate change, supplying freshwater resources, nursing biodiversity, and conserving water and soil as well as timber production and landscape aesthetics. However, frequently extreme meteorological events are threatening the structure and function of forest ecosystems worldwide (FAO, 2016). In particular, according to the reports by IPCC (2021), the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones (hurricane/typhoon), freezing rain, snowstorm, prolonged drought, and extreme high temperatures are increasing owing to global climate change, implying that global forests are likely to be threatened by more severely extreme meteorological events. For instance, Zeng et al. (2009) have indicated that an average of 97 million trees per year in the continental United States were affected by tropical cyclone disturbances from 1851–2000, equivalent to an annual biomass loss of 53 Tg and a carbon release of 25 Tg. Even so, the present results keep the knowledge gap on sustainable forest management owing to the published articles paying more attention to the effects of notorious catastrophic events on forests. Thereby, we urgently need to understand the impacts of extreme meteorological events on global forest ecosystems at different scales and from different fields so as to manage global forests adaptively and sustainably.

We are seeking papers from all around the world on the abovementioned questions. This Special Issue will provide an opportunity to present the results from the impacts of extreme meteorological events on tree physiology, tree functional traits, tree adaption, plant–soil feedback, forest biodiversity, post-disaster forest restoration, carbon and nutrient cycling, and related topics such as new concepts or theories that have emerged in the study of the impact of extreme climate on forests.

Prof. Dr. Wanqin Yang
Prof. Dr. Jianping Tao
Prof. Zhongmin Wu
Guest Editors

Dr. Liangjin Yao
Guest Editor Assistant

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

tropical cyclones
freezing rain
snowstorm
prolonged drought and high temperature
tree physiology
plant functional trait
forest biodiversity
carbon and nutrient cycling
ecosystem stability
new concepts or theories

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Fertilization and Drip Irrigation on the Growth of Populus × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ Plantation and on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Enzyme Activities

by Yan Zhang, Nairui Wang, Lingyu Yang, Ning Liu, Rusheng Peng, Lei Yu, Fenfen Liu, Shiqi Wang, Chengcheng Gao, Jiabao Ji, Chenggong Liu and Dejun Liang

Forests 2024, 15(9), 1651; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091651 - 19 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 697

Abstract

Poplars are crucial for timber supply and ecological protection in China. Enhancing the growth of poplar plantations and improving soil fertility in arid, and semi-arid poor soil regions are key aspects of sustainable forest management. Fertilization (FTL) and drip irrigation (DI) are among the most widely used methods globally for increasing yield and soil productivity. This study conducted field experiments on FTL and DI in a 10-year-old Populus × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ (cultivation varieties of P. canadensis in northern China) plantation. DI limits were set according to soil moisture at 60% (S1), 70% (S2), and 80% (S3) of field capacity; nitrogen FTL rates were set at 100% of the baseline fertilization amount (100% BFA, N 643.20 g·year⁻¹, P 473.37 g·year⁻¹, and K 492.29 g·year⁻¹) (F1), 70% BFA (F2), 130% BFA (F3), and 160% BFA (F4). The treatments of drip irrigation and fertigation (DIF) were H1 (100% BFA, 60% FC), H2 (100% BFA, 80% FC), H3 (160% BFA, 60% FC), and H4 (160% BFA, 80% FC), along with a control group (CK) without any management, totaling 12 experimental combinations. The results showed that the H4 had the most significant promoting effect on the height, DBH, and volume increments. All treatments had little effect on the soil bulk density of the plantation but significantly impacted soil capillary porosity and pH. Compared to DI, soil nutrient and organic matter content were more sensitive to FTL. Appropriate FTL and DI can increase soil sucrase activity. Soil urease activity tended to increase with higher FTL rates, and higher DI levels also positively influenced urease activity. Excessive or insufficient soil moisture and nutrients negatively impacted soil cellulase and catalase activities. Correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between the growth of P. × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ and soil nutrient content, but significant or highly significant correlations existed between growth and soil porosity and related enzyme activities. Comprehensive evaluation using a membership function indicated that high FTL levels (F4) were more conducive to the simultaneous improvement of the growth and soil fertility of the plantation, followed by H4 and F1, suggesting that high FTL is the key factor affecting the growth of 10-year-old P. × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ plantations and the restoration of stand productivity, with moisture being secondary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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17 pages, 11160 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revealing the Effect of Typhoons on the Stability of Residual Soil Slope by Wind Tunnel Test

by Zizheng Guo, Yuanbo Liu, Taili Zhang, Juehao Zhang, Haojie Wang, Jun He, Guangming Li and Bixia Tian

Forests 2024, 15(5), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050791 - 30 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1429

Abstract

Typhoon-induced slope failure is one of the most important geological hazards in coastal areas. However, the specific influence of typhoons on the stability of residual soil slopes still remains an open issue. In this study, the Feiyunjiang catchment in Zhejiang Province of SE China was chosen as the study area, and a downscaling physical model of residual soil slopes in the region was used to carry out the wind tunnel test. Our aim was to answer the question, How does the vegetation on the slope and slope stability respond during a typhoon event? For this purpose, multiple aspects were monitored and observed under four different wind speeds (8.3 m/s, 10.3 m/s, 13.3 m/s, and 17 m/s), including vegetation damage on the slope, macrocracks on the slope surface, wind pressure, wind load, permeability coefficient of the soil layer, and slope stability. The results showed that the plants on the slope could restore to their original states when the wind speeds ranged from 8.3 m/s to 13.3 m/s, but were damaged to the point of toppling when the wind speed increased to 17 m/s. Meanwhile, evident cracks were observed on the ground under this condition, which caused a sharp increase in the soil permeability coefficient, from 1.06 × 10⁻⁵ m/s to 6.06 × 10⁻⁴ m/s. The monitored wind pressures were larger at the canopy than that at the trunk for most of the trees, and generally larger at the crown of the slope compared with the toe of the slope. Regarding the wind load to the slope ground, the total value increased significantly, from 35.4 N under a wind speed of 8.3 m/s to 166.5 N under a wind speed of 17 m/s. However, the wind load presented different vector directions at different sections of the slope. The quantitative assessment of slope stability considering the wind load effect revealed that the safety factor decreased by 0.123 and 0.1 under the natural state and saturated state, respectively, from no wind to a 17 m/s strong wind. Overall, the present results explained the mechanism of slope failure during typhoon events, which provided theoretical reference for revealing the characteristics of residual soil slope stability under typhoon conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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12 pages, 17033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Potentially Suitable Areas for Fruit Utilization of Acer truncatum in China under Climate Change

by Yitong Liu, Yuqing Wang, Hui Guo, Di Wu, Sha Wu, Xuebin Xin and Shunxiang Pei

Forests 2024, 15(4), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040713 - 18 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1041

Abstract

Acer truncatum is a unique multipurpose woody oil species in China. It is crucial to study the geographical distribution patterns of fruit utilization of A. truncatum under climate change scenarios to ensure the rational site selection and germplasm resource protection of this tree. In this study, the Maxent model and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis technology were used to construct a suitable area model for the plant under current climate conditions by selecting 138 sample points and 15 ecological factors, and to predict the potentially suitable areas under four climate scenarios in 2050 and 2070. The results showed that under current conditions, the main suitable areas were concentrated in China, such as Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Hebei, with an area of 1.64 × 10⁶ km². Under future conditions, the suitable area in 2050 and 2070 showed an expanding trend compared with that in the current period, and the expansion ratios were as high as 36.52% and 45.80% under the RCP2.6-2050 and RCP8.5-2070 scenarios, respectively. The expansion area is concentrated in the middle latitudes of China (38° N~52° N), basically covering the middle and northeast of Inner Mongolia and the middle and north of Heilongjiang, while the loss area is mainly located in northern Sichuan, northern Hubei and eastern Henan. The center of the suitable area is expected to migrate to the northeast in 2050 and 2070, with a maximum migration distance of 355.46 km. Under future conditions, the suitable area shrinks in low-latitude regions and expands in high-latitude regions, and the expanded area becomes larger than the contracted area. This conclusion provides important guidelines for the directional cultivation of A. truncatum for utilization of its fruit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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18 pages, 4196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Short-Term Responses of Forest Soil Invertebrate Communities to Typhoon Disturbances

by Fei Xuan, Xuebiao Pan, Mei Qin, Rui Cao, Hongye Shen, Yurui Jiang, Jianfeng Hou, Zhihui Wang, Zhuang Wang, Qiqian Wu and Wanqin Yang

Forests 2024, 15(4), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040583 - 22 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1072

Abstract

Knowledge regarding the response of soil invertebrate communities to typhoon disturbance is limited, although it is known that soil invertebrates are sensitive to forest disturbances and that tropical cyclones (typhoons/hurricanes) are the most destructive natural disasters affecting the structure and function of forest ecosystems. To fill this knowledge gap, soil invertebrates in both litter and topsoil layers were investigated in four representative subtropical coastal forests of eastern China one week before the first typhoon (Hinnamnor) (T1), one day after the first typhoon (Hinnamnor) (T2), one day after the second typhoon (Muifa) (T3), and one week after the second typhoon (Muifa) (T4) in September 2022. Typhoon disturbances decreased the density and taxa abundance of soil invertebrate communities in litter layer, but the first typhoon disturbance increased these values in the topsoil layer. One week after the second typhoon disturbance, soil invertebrate communities in the litter layer showed a gradual recovery trend. Meanwhile, the soil invertebrate communities in the litter layer were more sensitive to typhoon disturbances than those in the topsoil layer. Furthermore, the responses of the soil invertebrate communities to the typhoon disturbances varied greatly with the forest types. The invertebrate densities in the litter layer decreased by 62.1%, 63.53%, 47.01%, and 46.92% in Chinese fir, second broad-leaved, mixed, and bamboo forests, respectively. Particularly, these two non-catastrophic typhoons significantly altered the functional group composition of detrital food webs in the short term, and the proportion of phytophages in detrital food webs in the litter layer increased after the typhoon disturbances. In conclusion, the effects of typhoon disturbances on soil invertebrate communities vary greatly with forest type and soil layer, and soil invertebrate communities can gradually recover after typhoon disturbances. The legacy effects of typhoon disturbances on the functional group composition of detrital food webs may influence carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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18 pages, 13516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Compound Hot–Dry Events on Vegetation Productivity over Northern East Asia

by Jing Kang, Miao Yu, Ye Xia, Shanlei Sun and Botao Zhou

Forests 2024, 15(3), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030549 - 18 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1591

Abstract

Climate extremes, such as heatwaves and droughts, significantly impact terrestrial ecosystems. This study investigates the influence of compound hot–dry (CHD) events on vegetation productivity in northern East Asia. Four of the most widespread CHD events occurring during the summer from 2003 to 2019 were selected as the focus of this research. We first verified the performance of the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5) in the region and then conducted factor-controlled experiments using CLM5 to assess the effects of different climate factors on gross primary productivity (GPP) changes during CHD events. Our results show that vegetation productivity exhibits greater sensitivity to CHD events within the transitional climatic zone (TCZ) than in other affected areas. In grassland areas within the TCZ, precipitation deficit is the primary factor leading to the decrease in GPP (explaining 56%–90% of GPP anomalies), while high temperatures serve as a secondary detrimental factor (explaining 13%–32% of GPP anomalies). In high-latitude forests outside the TCZ, high temperature has a more significant impact on suppressing GPP, while the decrease in soil moisture has a synchronously negligible impact on GPP. There are differences in the effects of high solar radiation on grasslands and woodlands during CHD events. It was observed that high radiation benefits trees by increasing the maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax) and maximum electron transport rate (J_max), as well as enhancing photosynthesis, but has a negligible impact on grasses. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential for compound events to impact vegetation productivity more than expected from individual events due to confounding nonlinear effects between meteorological factors. More than 10% of the negative anomalies in GPP during two CHD events in 2017 and 2010 were attributed to these nonlinear effects. These research findings are significant for understanding ecosystem responses to climate extremes and their influence on carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. They can also contribute to more precisely evaluating and predicting carbon dynamics in these regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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13 pages, 1539 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Growth Equation and Element Distribution of Torreya grandis in the Huangshan Region of China

by Li Chen, Ning Liu, Zhibing Wan, Fenfen Liu, Lei Cao, Chengcheng Gao, Na Sun and Chenggong Liu

Forests 2024, 15(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010068 - 29 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1036

Abstract

In the subtropical mountainous area of Huangshan, China, 81 Torreya grandis were selected for research on growth and element distribution, with the aim of providing empirical and theoretical support for the promotion and management of T. grandis. Seven growth equations were constructed for tree height (H) and diameter at breast height (DBH) in age levels 40–2000. The most suitable Korf equation was selected by comparing the R-squared values. With R-squared values of 0.93 and 0.80, the equations H = 33.98 × Exp(−53.56/age^0.84) and DBH = 158.48 × Exp(−21.41/age^0.55) fit T. grandis growth best, respectively. The results show that T. grandis growth was relatively rapid before the age of 45 and then slowed. Among the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) elements found in different T. grandis organs of the same age, the roots had the lowest C content, the leaves had the highest N content, and the branches had the lowest P content. The roots had the highest C:N and C:P, and the leaves had the highest N:P. The amount of N in the leaves and P in the branches both increased significantly with age, and the N:P ratio indicates that considering only one organ may not accurately indicate T. grandis nutrient limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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13 pages, 6451 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drought and Vulnerability in Mexico’s Forest Ecosystems

by Noé San Agustín-Canales, Yadihra Cruz-Sánchez, Ma. Amparo Borja-de la Rosa, Ma. Rosa González-Tepale and Alejandro Ismael Monterroso-Rivas

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1813; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091813 - 5 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

In Mexico, some regions have frequent droughts, while others are beginning to experience their presence and impacts. Therefore, this work aimed to characterize drought in the last twenty-one years and evaluate the vulnerability of forests to this phenomenon. The method consisted of applying the standard precipitation index (SPI-12), calculating the drought vulnerability index (DVI), and applying it to the country’s forest areas. The results confirm that forests are vulnerable to drought for five main reasons. First, geographically, the country has large arid and semiarid areas with little natural precipitation. Second, droughts frequently occur and are present in the national territory, covering from 25% to 75% of the surface in recent years. Third, the socioeconomic characteristics of the population living in municipalities and forest territories increase the vulnerability of these areas to drought. Fourth, drought can trigger other catastrophes, such as fires or forest pests. Fifth, the combination of two or more of the above in the same territory magnifies exposure to drought for both forests and people. Temperate forest ecosystems, in particular, have been subject to the prevalence of drought in recent years and, thus, should receive more attention. Finally, technical and cartographic elements, such as those presented herein, are essential for supporting the formulation of proactive forest response plans to address drought events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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18 pages, 4387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Canopy Damage and Litterfall Input on CO₂-Fixing Bacterial Communities

by Fei Yu, Zhen Li, Junfeng Liang and Houben Zhao

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091712 - 25 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1143

Abstract

Extreme weather events often cause canopy disturbance and litter deposition. To study the CO₂-fixing bacterial response to forest damage, we simulated the canopy damage caused by extreme weather with four different treatments: control (CN), canopy trimming + removal of branches and leaves debris (TR), canopy trimming + retaining of branches and leaves debris (TD), and undamaged + transplantation of branches and leaves debris (UD). We used the cbbL gene, which encodes ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO), for Miseq sequencing to analyze the dynamics of community composition of soil CO₂-fixing bacteria for five consecutive years after canopy damage. Double treatments of canopy damage and litterfall inputs (TD) facilitate forest restoration better than single treatments (TR or UD). Most soil CO₂-fixing bacteria are facultative autotrophic bacteria, and Nitrosospira, Streptomyces, and Saccharomonospora are the main carbon-fixing microorganisms, which have significant differences during the restoration of damaged forest canopy. The forest ecosystem restoration after canopy damage lasted 4–5 years. Rainfall and pH showed a significant negative correlation with most soil CO₂-fixing bacteria communities. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the carbon sequestration capacity of forest soil CO₂-fixing bacteria after extreme weather and also provides guidance for forest ecosystem management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Forests)

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