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Forests
Special Issues
Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests
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Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 5745

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiongqing Zhang

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: tree growth in response to climate change; quantitative silviculture; forest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jinghui Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Interests: forest growth and yield modelling; application of remote sensing in forestry; forest management
Prof. Dr. Henn Korjus

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
Interests: forest management; forest policy; forest biodiversity; stand structure; forest growth and yield modelling; precision forestry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest structural diversity provides a more detailed description of forest stands and is a significant component of a forest’s structure. Forest structure diversity can be subdivided into three categories, i.e., tree species diversity, tree size diversity, and tree position diversity. Forest structural diversity often leads to increasing forest biodiversity and contributes to forest stability and integrity. Forest structural diversity is increasingly being recognized for its theoretical and practical importance in understanding and managing forest ecosystems.

This Special Issue aims to explore the forest structural heterogeneity, productivity and biodiversity in mixed forests. Studies that investigate the relationship between forest structure heterogeneity and forest productivity are strongly welcome. Additionally, we also welcome studies that predict forest structural diversity using remote sensing techniques. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Forest structural diversity;
  • Forest growth models;
  • Forest productivity;
  • Forest biodiversity;
  • Carbon sequestration;
  • Quantified silviculture;
  • Mixed forests;
  • Uneven-aged forests.

Dr. Xiongqing Zhang
Prof. Dr. Jinghui Meng
Prof. Dr. Henn Korjus
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

  • forest structural diversity
  • forest growth models
  • forest productivity
  • mixed forests
  • uneven-aged forests
  • stand structural indices
  • forest assessment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2604 KiB  
Article
The Minimum Target Diameter and the Harvest Age of Oak Natural Secondary Forests in Different Sites Conditions: Case Study in Hunan Province, China
by Wenbiao You and Guangyu Zhu
Forests 2024, 15(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010120 - 8 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1392
Abstract
Maintaining permanent forest canopy cover and eventually harvesting timber by predetermined target diameter are often considered as a prototype for future management of the oak natural forest. However, target diameters and harvest age based on average forest growth rates from wide geographical areas [...] Read more.
Maintaining permanent forest canopy cover and eventually harvesting timber by predetermined target diameter are often considered as a prototype for future management of the oak natural forest. However, target diameters and harvest age based on average forest growth rates from wide geographical areas often hamper improved management of oak forests. In this study, based on the sampling of 129 target trees from 51 oak natural secondary forest plots in Hunan Province, China, an individual-tree DBH (diameter at breast height) growth model of oak target trees was developed, and the site type (41 levels) was related to the model as random effects by a nonlinear mixed-effects approach. Moreover, the 41 site types were clustered into four site type groups (STG1, STG2, STG3, and STG4) by the K-means clustering algorithm to improve the model performance and practicality. With the help of the model, the five target diameters (including 24, 30, 40, 50, and 60 cm) were simulated in each of the four STGs, and the minimum target diameter was determined for each STG based on the theory of quantitative maturity. In the four STGs, the harvest age of the 24 cm diameter target ranged from 30 to 51 years; the harvest age of the 60 cm target diameter ranged from 131 to 220 years, with the oaks failing to reach 60 cm in the lowest-quality STG4; the minimum target diameter ranged from 21 cm to 29 cm. Results showed that lower-quality sites exclude higher target diameters from optimal harvesting strategies, in contrast to the higher target diameter as a more reasonable strategy in higher quality sites, and that the minimum target diameter is significantly influenced by site conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a diverse target-diameter-harvesting strategy adapted for the complex site conditions of oak forests in Hunan Province towards site-specific timber management to improve the sustainability of timber production in oak forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests)
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17 pages, 7838 KiB  
Article
Simulation of Thinning by Integrating Tree Competition and Species Biodiversity for Target Tree-Based Management of Secondary Forests
by Lifeng Pang, Guangxing Wang, Ram P. Sharma, Jun Lu, Xiaoming Tang and Liyong Fu
Forests 2023, 14(9), 1896; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091896 - 18 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
This study presents auxiliary support techniques for tree selection strategies based on the spatial structure indices and three competition indices in secondary forests, and discusses the importance of tree competition in forest management. The spatial structure parameter in the structured management is used [...] Read more.
This study presents auxiliary support techniques for tree selection strategies based on the spatial structure indices and three competition indices in secondary forests, and discusses the importance of tree competition in forest management. The spatial structure parameter in the structured management is used as a quantitative index—the uniform angle index and three competition indices are used in the design of the algorithm for selective thinning for secondary forest. Based on the target tree-based management principles, simulation of selective thinning was carried out using GIS and C# programming languages. Data for this study were collected from experimental sample plots at Jilin Wangqing Forestry Bureau in China. The simulation results strongly support the use of auxiliary technology for scientifically selecting trees for thinning, avoiding the subjectivity of the traditional manual selection. Selection is largely based on the uniform angle index and competition index. Hegyi’s competition index and its improved version used in the algorithm provided almost identical simulation results, i.e., thinning intensities suggested by these indices for the first sample plot are 21.8% and 21.5%, respectively, and for the second plot are 21.3% and 21.1%, respectively. Thus, one of these competition indices can be used to select trees for thinning. The comprehensive competition index (CCI, a combination of an improved version of Hegyi’s competition index with tree species mingling) can avoid the selection of individual trees with high mingling and help maintain the tree species diversity. CCI suggests thinning intensities of 18.3% and 18.4% for the first and second sample plots, respectively. Presented methods and results may provide auxiliary supports for scientific thinning and help promote the application of information technology in forest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests)
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21 pages, 4362 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests
by Sarkhosh Karamzadeh, Mehrdad Nikooy, Kambiz Taheri Abkenari, Farzam Tavankar, Angela Lo Monaco and Rodolfo Picchio
Forests 2023, 14(9), 1861; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091861 - 13 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1167
Abstract
Among forest management methods, selection cutting puts into practice applications that follow the processes that naturally occur in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of selection cutting on the stand structural characteristics and growth form of trees. [...] Read more.
Among forest management methods, selection cutting puts into practice applications that follow the processes that naturally occur in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of selection cutting on the stand structural characteristics and growth form of trees. The effect of selection cutting was evaluated in terms of the frequency and standing volume of trees and deadwood, diversity of tree species indices, stand structural complexity index (SCI), height-to-diameter ratio (HDR) or slenderness index, and live crown ratio of trees (LCR). These were measured and estimated through a systematic random plot sampling in two adjacent parcels with different management histories (parcel A, managed using the selection cutting method, and parcel B, managed using the protected method and without cutting trees) in mixed beech forests in Northern Iran. The results showed that the standing volume, Shannon index, deadwood volume, and SCI index in parcel A were lower than in parcel B. The selection cuttings had no effect on the HDR value of the upper-storey trees, while it decreased the HDR value of the middle-storey and light-demanding trees (maple and alder) and increased the HDR value of the lower-storey and beech trees. Also, the results showed that as a result of the implementation of selection cuttings, the total LCR of the lower-storey trees increased, but the total LCR of the upper-storey trees decreased compared to the protected forest. Furthermore, the results showed that tree growth form (HDR and LCR) are related to the SCI of the stands. These results showed that the implementation of the single-selection method had simplified the structure of the stands; also, with the changes made in the growth form of trees, the possibility of snow and wind damage was increased, especially in young trees. It is necessary to prioritize the ecological values of forest deadwood, thick trees, biological diversity, and the resistance of these stands against snow and wind damage in the next cutting operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests)
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24 pages, 9926 KiB  
Article
A Climate-Sensitive Transition Matrix Growth Model for Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) Natural Forests in Hunan Province, South-Central China
by Xue Du, Xia Wang and Jinghui Meng
Forests 2023, 14(8), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14081539 - 28 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
Masson pine natural forests are ecologically and economically valuable forest ecosystems extensively distributed across China. However, they have been subject to deforestation due to human disturbance. Moreover, climate change affects the growth, mortality, and recruitment of forests, yet available forest growth models do [...] Read more.
Masson pine natural forests are ecologically and economically valuable forest ecosystems extensively distributed across China. However, they have been subject to deforestation due to human disturbance. Moreover, climate change affects the growth, mortality, and recruitment of forests, yet available forest growth models do not effectively analyze the impacts of climate. A climate-sensitive transition matrix model (CM) was developed using data from 330 sample plots collected during the 7th (2004), 8th (2009), and 9th (2014) Chinese National Forest Inventories in Hunan Province. To assess model robustness, two additional models were created using the same data: a non-climate-sensitive transition matrix model (NCM) and a fixed probability transition matrix model (FM). The models were compared using tenfold cross-validation and long-term predictive performance analysis. The cross-validation results did not show any significant differences among the three models, with the FM performing slightly better than the NCM. However, the application of the CM for long-term prediction (over a span of 100 years) under three representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) revealed distinct dynamics that demonstrated enhanced reliability. This is attributed to the consideration of climate variables that impact forest dynamics during long-term prediction periods. The CM model offers valuable guidance for the management of Masson pine natural forests within the context of changing climatic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Diversity and Productivity of Mixed Forests)
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