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Forests
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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests
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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 March 2024) | Viewed by 14923

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Margarita Arianoutsou

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Systematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, 15874 Athens, Greece
Interests: plant ecology and conservation; fire ecology; plant invasions; vegetation dynamics; biodiversity; forest recovery; climate change; dendrochronology
Dr. Nikolaos Fyllas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environment, University of The Aegean, 81100 Mytilini, Greece
Interests: ecosystem science; ecophysiology; functional diversity; process-based models; forest dynamics; global change; dendroecology
Prof. Dr. Josep Peñuelas

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB, CSIC, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Interests: biodiversity; terrestrial ecosystems; global ecology; global change; climate change; pollution; atmosphere-biosphere; biogenic volatile organic compounds; remote sensing; plant ecophysiology; functioning and structure of terrestrial plants and ecosystems; chemical ecology; ecometabolomics; microbial ecology; macroecology and evolutionary ecology; biogeochemistry with special focus on phosphorus; environmental sustainability; food security and global health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests are critical habitats for biodiversity and they are also essential for the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services that are important to human well-being. The benefits provided by forest ecosystems include: goods such as timber, food, fuel and bioproducts. ecological functions such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water and air purification, and maintenance of wildlife habitat. At the same time there is increasing evidence that biodiversity contributes to forest ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of biodiversity and functioning in forest ecosystems. This Special Issue aims at providing selected contributions on advances in forest biodiversity, forest functional diversity, forest dynamics and their interplay under global change conditions. Field-based and modelling studies on biodiversity and ecosystem function as well as integrated approaches for Tropical, Mediterranean, Temperate and Boreal forests will be the focus of this Special Issue. 

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Forest biodiversity;
  • Forest ecosystem services;
  • Functional tree diversity and forest dynamics;
  • Integrating functional diversity in forest dynamics models;
  • Forest biodiversity / functional diversity response to global change;
  • Forest invasibilty and biodiversity
  • Forest restoration and ecosystem functioning.

Prof. Dr. Margarita Arianoutsou
Dr. Nikolaos Fyllas
Prof. Dr. Josep Peñuelas
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 biodiversity
  • ecosystem services
  • climate change
  • ecosystem functioning

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2631 KiB  
Article
Beta Diversity Patterns and Determinants among Vertical Layers of Tropical Seasonal Rainforest in Karst Peak-Cluster Depressions
by Gang Hu, Qingling Pang, Cong Hu, Chaohao Xu, Zhonghua Zhang and Chaofang Zhong
Forests 2024, 15(2), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020365 - 14 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1318
Abstract
Karst peak-cluster depressions in tropical China are characterized by high habitat heterogeneity, supporting complex seasonal rainforest communities, and harboring a rich abundance of endemic and endangered plants. However, for these rainforests, species and phylogenetic beta diversity and their limiting factors are poorly understood. [...] Read more.
Karst peak-cluster depressions in tropical China are characterized by high habitat heterogeneity, supporting complex seasonal rainforest communities, and harboring a rich abundance of endemic and endangered plants. However, for these rainforests, species and phylogenetic beta diversity and their limiting factors are poorly understood. In this study, the relationships between the beta diversity of three vertical layers (herb, shrub, and tree), environmental factors, and physical distance in China’s tropical karst seasonal rainforest were studied. The results showed that each layer exhibited high species and beta diversity, with species turnover being the dominant contributing factor. Environmental filtering and dispersal limitations were significant drivers of community assembly. Environmental filtering exerted a strong influence, with slope position, soil availability of phosphorus and potassium, pH, and organic matter being the key factors. These findings elucidate seasonal rainforest species and beta diversity spatial patterns within karst peak-cluster depressions, providing a foundation for developing karst ecosystem forest management and vegetation restoration measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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19 pages, 6386 KiB  
Article
Microtopographic Variation in Biomass and Diversity of Living and Dead Wood in a Forest in Dongling Mountains, China
by Fang Ma, Shunzhong Wang, Weiguo Sang, Shuang Zhang and Keming Ma
Forests 2023, 14(10), 2111; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102111 - 22 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1466
Abstract
Habitat heterogeneity caused by topographic variations at the local scale is the environmental basis for the establishment and evolution of biodiversity and biomass patterns. The similarities and distinctions between the effects of microtopographic variables on living wood (LWD) and dead wood (CWD) remain [...] Read more.
Habitat heterogeneity caused by topographic variations at the local scale is the environmental basis for the establishment and evolution of biodiversity and biomass patterns. The similarities and distinctions between the effects of microtopographic variables on living wood (LWD) and dead wood (CWD) remain unknown. In the present study, the response mechanisms of biomass and species diversity patterns of living wood (LWD) and coarse woody debris (CWD) to microtopographic parameters were quantified in a warm temperate secondary forest located in Dongling Mountain, China. This quantification was achieved using a generalized additive model on a completely mapped 20-hectare permanent plot. The evaluation of biomass and species diversity of woody plants was carried out by utilizing the total basal area of all individuals and the species richness within each 20 m × 20 m quadrat as a standard. The results indicate that there are notable disparities in the influence of microtopographic elements on the LWD and CWD. In the case of LWD, microtopography accounts for 22.90% of the variation in total basal area, with convexity making a greater relative contribution than elevation, slope, and aspect. Additionally, microtopography explains 46.20% of the variation in species richness, with aspect making a greater relative contribution than elevation, convexity, and slope. Nevertheless, the influence of microtopography on CWD may only account for a deviation of 10.20% in the total basal area and 4.95% in the species richness; aspect and slope have been identified as the primary drivers in this regard. The inclusion of microtopographic factors in the model resulted in a 23.10% increase in the explanatory deviations of LWD biomass and an 8.70% increase in the explanatory deviations of CWD biomass. The findings suggest that topographic considerations have a greater impact on the biomass distribution of LWD compared to that of CWD. Conversely, the biomass of CWD is more influenced by the species richness. The presence of microtopography plays a vital role in determining the spatial distribution of species and biomass at local scales, reflecting the multiple response mechanisms and growth strategies of vegetation in response to redistribution in water, soil, and light. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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15 pages, 3383 KiB  
Article
Resistance to Bark Beetle Outbreak in Norway Spruce: Population Structure Analysis and Comparative Genomic Assessment of Surviving (LTS) and Randomly Selected Reference Trees
by Jiří Korecký, Jaroslav Čepl, Nataliya Korolyova, Jan Stejskal, Marek Turčáni and Rastislav Jakuš
Forests 2023, 14(10), 2074; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102074 - 17 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1522
Abstract
Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), a timber species of significant economic and ecological importance in the Northern Hemisphere, faces increasing threats imposed by drought and bark beetle infestation intensified by ongoing climate change. Despite the extensive mortality within stands, a [...] Read more.
Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), a timber species of significant economic and ecological importance in the Northern Hemisphere, faces increasing threats imposed by drought and bark beetle infestation intensified by ongoing climate change. Despite the extensive mortality within stands, a small proportion of mature trees remarkably survive during severe bark beetle outbreaks. Hypothesizing that bark beetle resilience is genetically determined and thus is under natural selection, we anticipated that there is a genetic variation in genome regions linked to the respective resistance in surviving trees. In the Bohemian Forest, restricted to the area of the Czech–Austrian–German border, we identified those resistant individuals, referred to as the “Last Trees Standing” (LTS). Concurrently, we collected reference samples from randomly selected individuals from natural regeneration within concerned sites (seedlings, young trees) and in adjacent unaffected stands (mature trees). Genomic data were generated on a 50K SNPs genotyping array. We conducted a population genetic study based on the Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) method as well as the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). We identified 12 markers (SNPs) significantly associated with tree survival using this approach. Three of those SNPs are located within the genes with the known function in Arabidopsis thaliana orthologs. After further confirmation, we argue that the identified SNPs can be instrumental in identifying trees of higher resistance to bark beetle infestation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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13 pages, 2608 KiB  
Article
Genetic Variability of Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae) from Plantations and Remnant Populations in the Mayan Forest
by Hugo Ruiz-González, María Raggio, Natalia Y. Labrín-Sotomayor, Miriam M. Ferrer and Yuri J. Peña-Ramírez
Forests 2023, 14(10), 2006; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102006 - 6 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2156
Abstract
In Neotropical regions, plantations and remnant forest populations of native trees coexist in a highly fragmented matrix and may be affected by isolation and reduction in population size, leading to genetic structure, inbreeding, and genetic bottlenecks that reduce the population’s genetic diversity. Tabebuia [...] Read more.
In Neotropical regions, plantations and remnant forest populations of native trees coexist in a highly fragmented matrix and may be affected by isolation and reduction in population size, leading to genetic structure, inbreeding, and genetic bottlenecks that reduce the population’s genetic diversity. Tabebuia rosea variability in the Mayan Forest was studied by genotyping 30 trees from three plantations and three remnant natural populations using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Ho-SSR estimates were lower than He; the mean inbreeding coefficient was 0.07 and did not differ among populations, but was eight times higher in plantations than in remnant populations. Using ISSR data, the individuals were assigned to k = 5 and k = 4 clusters under admixture without and with geographic information used as priors in Bayesian analysis assignments. Genetic differentiation estimated with the Bayesian estimator II (0.0275 ± 0.0052) was significantly different from 0, but FST was not (0.0985 ± 0.1826), while paired FST among populations ranged from 0.05 up to 0.16. Only one remnant population displayed evidence of a genetic bottleneck. T. rosea displays a genetic structure in which the isolated remnant forest populations show moderate inbreeding levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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11 pages, 1861 KiB  
Article
Linking Forest Management Practices to the Functional Composition of Plant Communities
by Yu-Qi Ma, Chun-Jing Wang, Zhi Chen, Fei-Hai Yu and Ji-Zhong Wan
Forests 2023, 14(10), 1939; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14101939 - 23 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1461
Abstract
The functional composition of plant communities (FCPC) makes a significant contribution to ecosystem properties, functions, and services. Here, we used 18 plant functional traits from the sPlot database v2.1 and the global forest management type dataset to explore the links between forest management [...] Read more.
The functional composition of plant communities (FCPC) makes a significant contribution to ecosystem properties, functions, and services. Here, we used 18 plant functional traits from the sPlot database v2.1 and the global forest management type dataset to explore the links between forest management and the FCPC. We used the post hoc Tukey test to explore the differences in the community-weighted mean (CWM) and community-weighted variance (CWV) among different forest management types [i.e., intact forests, managed forests with natural regeneration, planted forests, plantation forests (with up to a 15-year rotation), and agroforestry]. We found that different forest management types can result in significant variability in plant communities’ functional composition. Plantation forests could result in significantly higher CWM and CWV compared to intact forests, and significant differences could occur between natural and managed forests with natural regeneration. Furthermore, the relationship between forest management practices and the FCPC depends on ecozone type changes. There were significant differences between natural and plantation forests for CWM and CWV in temperate forests. Our study provides an effective reference for applying plant functional traits to regulate and optimize the functions and services of forest ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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17 pages, 2995 KiB  
Article
Mapping Above-Ground Carbon Stocks at the Landscape Scale to Support a Carbon Compensation Mechanism: The Chocó Andino Case Study
by Francisco Cuesta, Marco Calderón-Loor, Paulina Rosero, Noam Miron, Andrei Sharf, Carolina Proaño-Castro and Felipe Andrade
Forests 2023, 14(9), 1903; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091903 - 19 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2767
Abstract
(1) Background: Tropical Mountain forests (TMF) constitute a threatened major carbon sink due to deforestation. Carbon compensation projects could significantly aid in preserving these ecosystems. Consequently, we need a better understanding of the above-ground carbon (AGC) spatial distribution in TMFs to provide project [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Tropical Mountain forests (TMF) constitute a threatened major carbon sink due to deforestation. Carbon compensation projects could significantly aid in preserving these ecosystems. Consequently, we need a better understanding of the above-ground carbon (AGC) spatial distribution in TMFs to provide project developers with accurate estimations of their mitigation potential; (2) Methods: integrating field measurements and remote sensing data into a random forest (RF) modelling framework, we present the first high-resolution estimates of AGC density (Mg C ha−1) over the western Ecuadorian Andes to inform an ongoing carbon compensation mechanism; (3) Results: In 2021, the total landscape carbon storage was 13.65 Tg in 194,795 ha. We found a broad regional partitioning of AGC density mediated primarily by elevation. We report RF-estimated AGC density errors of 15% (RMSE = 23.8 Mg C ha−1) on any 10 m pixel along 3000 m of elevation gradient covering a wide range of ecological conditions; (4) Conclusions: Our approach showed that AGC high-resolution maps displaying carbon stocks on a per-pixel level with high accuracy (85%) could be obtained with a minimum of 14 ground-truth plots enriched with AGC density data from published regional studies. Likewise, our maps increased precision and reduced uncertainty concerning current methodologies used by international standards in the Voluntary Carbon Market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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23 pages, 3466 KiB  
Article
Is the Invasiveness of Pittosporum undulatum in Eucalypt Forests Explained by the Wide Ranging Effects of Its Secondary Metabolites?
by Dalila Pasquini, Luana Beatriz dos Santos Nascimento, Cecilia Brunetti, Francesco Ferrini and Roslyn M. Gleadow
Forests 2023, 14(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010039 - 25 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2783
Abstract
Climate change is a driver of biodiversity loss, often favouring invasive species such as in the case of Pittosporum undulatum in Eucalyptus forests of south-eastern Australia. We tested whether the invasiveness of P. undulatum is due to the release of secondary metabolites with [...] Read more.
Climate change is a driver of biodiversity loss, often favouring invasive species such as in the case of Pittosporum undulatum in Eucalyptus forests of south-eastern Australia. We tested whether the invasiveness of P. undulatum is due to the release of secondary metabolites with allelopathic action inhibiting other species germination or to the content of antioxidant secondary metabolites. We compared the germination of P. undulatum and Eucalyptus ovata seeds on different substrates watered with different leachates. Polyphenolic compounds, saponins and tannins of Eucalyptus spp. and P. undulatum leaf extracts were quantified. Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds were collected in the field and analyzed to compare the emissions in eucalypt forests with and without P. undulatum. Eucalyptus germination rates were not affected by different leachates and no allelopathic compounds were identified in P. undulatum leachate. Flavonoids and tannins characterized Eucalyptus leachates, while P. undulatum leachates showed high hydroxycinnamic acids content. The forests invaded by P. undulatum were characterized by high levels of monoterpenes, whereas the forest lacking P. undulatum were dominated by sesquiterpenes. Our results suggest that the invasiveness of P. undulatum may be due to the high content in secondary metabolites that play a protective role against abiotic stresses rather than the release of allelopathic compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Forests)
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