Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: "Forest Growth Modelling at Different Scales: The Role of Modelling in the Ecological Restoration Activities Occurring under Climate Change"

Dear Colleagues,

Forest growth modelling at different scales plays a crucial role in ecological restoration activities, especially in the context of climate change. Climate change is causing significant changes which affect the structure and function of forest ecosystems systems. As a result, restoration activities are becoming increasingly important in order to maintain and enhance the resilience of these ecosystems. Forest growth models can provide valuable information about the potential responses of forests to changing environmental conditions, such as changes in temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO₂ concentration. These models can be used to simulate the growth of individual trees, as well as the growth of entire forest stands, and they can also be used to predict the effects of different management practices and disturbances on forest growth and structure. One of the main advantages of forest growth models is that they can be used to evaluate the potential impact of different restoration scenarios at different scales, including local, regional, and global scales. For example, local-scale models can be used to evaluate the potential growth of individual trees or small groups of trees in response to specific management practices or disturbances, such as thinning, pruning, or fire. Regional-scale models can be used to evaluate the potential impact of these practices on the entire forest landscape, including the effects on regional patterns of forest composition and structure. Global-scale models, on the other hand, can be used to evaluate the potential impact of climate change on forests globally, as well as the potential impact of large-scale restoration activities. For example, global-scale models can be used to evaluate the potential impact of large-scale reforestation projects or the potential effects of different land use and land management practices on forests globally. Therefore, forest growth modelling is a valuable tool for understanding and predicting the growth and development of forests at different scales. As the world faces the impacts of climate change, modelling is playing an increasingly important role in ecological restoration activities, helping to guide effective management practices and maximize the positive impacts of restoration efforts.

This Special Issue aims to give an overview of the most recent advances in forest growth modelling using state-of-the-art theoretical and applied approaches and taking into consideration their usefulness in the ecological restoration of forest stands under climate change conditions.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Promoting knowledge of the dynamic drivers, patterns, and processes of ecosystem change due to climate change aimed at the restoration of forest ecosystems;
• Quantifying and mapping habitat conditions, including the quality, structure, and functions of the impacted forest ecosystems;
• Innovative assessment methods of response and management of ecosystems undergoing ecological restoration using new techniques;
• Novel approaches for managing forest ecosystems considering practical linkage with global, regional, and local environmental issues against the backdrop of climate change.

Dr. Marcello Vitale
Prof. Dr. Gherardo Chirici
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.

• forest growth modeling
• climate change
• ecological restoration
• silvicultural and management practices
• adaptation and mitigation
• field data
• ecosystem services
• decision support systems
• predictive accuracy