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Forests
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Ecological Forestry and Restoration
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Ecological Forestry and Restoration

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 19852

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jurij Diaci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Vecna Pot 83, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: silviculture; old-growth forest; uneven-aged forest; mixed forest; forest tending; tree regeneration ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Christel Kern

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 5985 Highway K, Rhinelander, WI 54501-9128, USA
Interests: silviculture; harvest-created gaps; natural disturbance-based management; climate-adaptive forestry; tree regeneration; species diversity; sustainable forest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hiromi Mizunaga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forest Ecosystem Section, Center for Education and Research in Field Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 1623-1 Nishifujidaira, Tenryu Hamamatsu 431-3532, Japan
Interests: silviculture; canopy structure; rehabilitation of monoculture plantation; climate hazard risk evaluation; BEF

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecological forestry is increasingly in demand worldwide due to the growing need for the conservation of biodiversity, adaptability of forests to environmental changes, and compatibility with social values. It can both significantly improve the maintenance of natural forest structures and functions and help improve conditions of degraded forests and monoculture plantations through restoration. However, practical approaches differ due to differences in tradition, land use history, and variability in social and cultural environments. Sharing knowledge about these different conditions, countries, and societies is necessary to advance ecological forestry worldwide. The development of ecological forestry must therefore be based on a scientific foundation (examples in this journal Special Issue) including both economic and ecological outcomes, so that ecological forestry can be put into practice. At the global level, ecological forestry is not yet widespread, but there are many examples of long-term best practices, supported by research, which are important to share and further develop.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a scientific basis and practical approaches for ecological forestry. We invite original papers and reviews from all forest biomes covering a range of topics related to the scientific study of ecological forestry. These topics may include the application of research findings on old-growth forests, nature conservation, silviculture, restoration, forest health, stability and resilience, forest management, growth and yield, forest operations, ecological functioning, economics, and social and esthetic aspects.

Dr. Jurij Diaci
Dr. Christel Kern
Dr. Hiromi Mizunaga
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

  • uneven-aged forest
  • mixed species forest
  • ecological processes
  • natural structures
  • biodiversity conservation
  • closer-to-nature management
  • nature-based management
  • gradual conversion
  • succession control
  • natural disturbance regime
  • potential natural vegetation
  • natural tree regeneration
  • legacy trees
  • retention forestry
  • restoration

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2621 KiB  
Article
Woody Species Composition, Stand Structure and Regeneration Status of Londiani Forest in Kenya
by Evalyne Kosgey Chepkoech, Humphrey Agevi, Henry Lung’ayia and Harrison Mugatsia Tsingalia
Forests 2024, 15(4), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040653 - 3 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1334
Abstract
Tropical forests provide habitats for diverse flora and fauna, in addition to playing a crucial role in climate regulation. They are being recognized for their roles as nature-based solutions to many sustainable development challenges, as shown by increased political commitment and global promises [...] Read more.
Tropical forests provide habitats for diverse flora and fauna, in addition to playing a crucial role in climate regulation. They are being recognized for their roles as nature-based solutions to many sustainable development challenges, as shown by increased political commitment and global promises to reduce the rates of deforestation and boost the restoration of degraded forest ecosystems. Understanding tropical forest dynamics and their conservation status is therefore important. This study analysed the forest stand structure, the tree species composition and the regeneration status of Londiani Forest. In the three blocks of Londiani Forest, which are Kedowa, Chebewor and Londiani, belt transects that were 25 m wide and 1 km long were established. At every 200 m along the transects, 25 m × 25 m quadrats were set up in which an inventory of all the tree species was determined. Diameter tape was used to measure the diameter at breast height (DBH) 1.3 m above the ground. With the use of a Suunto angular clinometer, the tree height was measured. A nested 5 m × 5 m quadrat within the 25 m × 25 m quadrat was used to sample the saplings, while a 1m × 1 m quadrat was used to sample the seedlings. The quantities of seedlings and saplings were used to determine the state of regeneration. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel. The total stem density, species density, basal area, species basal area, relative density and species diversity were determined and extrapolated per hectare. A total of 1308 distinct trees from 34 different species and 24 families were counted. Kedowa recorded the highest (27) species richness, followed by Chebewor (19) and then Londiani (14). There was a statistically significant difference in the species richness among the three forest blocks (p < 0.05). Within the three forest blocks, there were no statistically significant variations in the basal area distribution (p > 0.005) or in the mean DBH (F = 0.560; p = 0.729) or height class distribution (F = 0.821; p = 0.558). There was a statistically significant difference in the stem density (F = 12.22; p = 0.005) and woody species diversity (F = 0.32; p = 0.001) within the three forests blocks. The similarity index ranged from 0.34–0.47. The presence of substantial numbers of seedlings and saplings in all forest blocks was an indication that there was regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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12 pages, 1950 KiB  
Article
Different Species Proportions Influence Silvicultural Heterogeneity of Trees in a Restoration of a Ombrophilous Dense Forest in Lowlands
by Chaiane Rodrigues Schneider, Alexandre Dal Forno Mastella, Eduardo Abilhoa Mattar, Alessandro Camargo Angelo, Alexandre Behling, Román Carlos Rios, Christopher Thomas Blum, Antonio Aparecido Carpanezzi, Edinelson Jose Maciel Neves, Karen Koch Fernandes de Souza and Dalton Henrique Angelo
Forests 2024, 15(3), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030447 - 27 Feb 2024
Viewed by 988
Abstract
In order to generate strategies for the use of native species for ecological restoration, this paper presents the effects resulting from planting with facilitating tree species, in different proportions, after 13 years of forest restoration, in an area previously used for cattle buffaloes. [...] Read more.
In order to generate strategies for the use of native species for ecological restoration, this paper presents the effects resulting from planting with facilitating tree species, in different proportions, after 13 years of forest restoration, in an area previously used for cattle buffaloes. The implantation was carried out in the Ombrophilous Dense Forest in the Lowlands, in the Atlantic Rainforest biome of the coastal plain of the state of Paraná and consisted of the plantation of 10 native species, distributed in two treatments: equal (A) and unequal (B) proportions of trees per species. After conducting a forest census, it was identified that the silvicultural expression of the facilitating tree species in the treatments differed significantly, and proportion A contributed to a scenario with greater silvicultural heterogeneity in the areas, which may be beneficial to the evolution of the ecological dynamics of the forest restoration process. In addition, the monitoring of Alchornea glandulosa, Inga edulis, and Myrsine coriacea expressed better development in the area and high resilience to the environmental adversities arising from the cattle ranching activity previously carried out, especially in relation to invasive grasses; therefore, they are recommended for use in the forest restoration of associated ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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17 pages, 6027 KiB  
Article
The Dynamics of Stand Structure Development and Natural Regeneration of Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Plitvice Lakes National Park
by Tomislav Dubravac, Damir Barčić, Roman Rosavec, Željko Španjol and Sead Vojniković
Forests 2024, 15(2), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020357 - 12 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1178
Abstract
The authors investigate the structural characteristics, regeneration processes, growth, development, and survival of a young generation of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) based on three periodic measurements (1998, 2009, and 2018). The studied forest community (Lamio orvale-Fagetum sylvaticae (Ht. 1938) Bohridi [...] Read more.
The authors investigate the structural characteristics, regeneration processes, growth, development, and survival of a young generation of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) based on three periodic measurements (1998, 2009, and 2018). The studied forest community (Lamio orvale-Fagetum sylvaticae (Ht. 1938) Bohridi 1963) is situated within a forest reserve in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Monitoring was carried out according to UN/ECE (2000) for systematic and repeated research. The basic structural indicators, structural canopy elements, and appearance of the young generation were measured as the basic conditions of natural restoration in repeated phytocenological surveys (1980, 1988, 2004). The distribution of the number of trees of the first two measurements (1998–2009) indicates a distribution with pronounced right asymmetry. The structural dynamics observed during the surveys and alongside vegetation surveys indicate the dynamics of the growth and development of beech. The results show that the main drivers of development dynamics in protected forest ecosystems are structural breaks (gaps) that occur in stands due to the action of abiotic and biotic factors. The passive management model in effect in the national park should be replaced with a more active approach to facilitate natural processes with the aim of preserving and renewing the forest ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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16 pages, 2995 KiB  
Article
Disturbance-Dependent Variation in Functional Redundancy Drives the Species Versus Functional Diversity Relationship across Spatial Scales and Vegetation Layers
by Shekhar R. Biswas, Chaoqin Yin, Li Gong, Yanxia Qing and Jialin Li
Forests 2023, 14(2), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020408 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1909
Abstract
Since species’ traits are closely linked to ecosystem functioning, the species versus functional diversity relationship (the SD–FD relationship) is considered a valuable indicator of ecosystem health. However, the extent to which the SD–FD relationship varies among disturbed versus undisturbed subtropical forests and whether [...] Read more.
Since species’ traits are closely linked to ecosystem functioning, the species versus functional diversity relationship (the SD–FD relationship) is considered a valuable indicator of ecosystem health. However, the extent to which the SD–FD relationship varies among disturbed versus undisturbed subtropical forests and whether the conclusion depends on the spatial scale of the observation or vegetation layer remains unclear. In this study, using plots of 100 m2, 400 m2 and 2000 m2, we gathered species and functional diversity data for woody and non-woody vegetation from replicate sites of undisturbed mature forests versus disturbed shrubland and plantations from subtropical China. Our analyses indicated that the species richness versus functional richness relationship, as well as the species evenness versus functional evenness relationship, varies markedly among disturbed versus undisturbed forests and woody versus non-woody layers. Scale-dependent variations in the SD–FD relationship were evident mainly in the woody layers or evenness component. Additional analyses revealed that disturbance-dependent variation in the community-level functional redundancy and species-level functional uniqueness can partly explain the observed variation in the SD–FD relationships. Overall, our study demonstrated that the SD–FD relationships are positive, but the relationship’s slope varies with contexts, partly due to variations in community-level functional redundancy and species-level functional uniqueness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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12 pages, 2969 KiB  
Article
Ecological Potential of Mediterranean Habitats for Black Pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) in Croatia
by Damir Barčić, Vladimir Hršak, Roman Rosavec and Mario Ančić
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1900; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111900 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1934
Abstract
This study outlines research performed on experimental plots established in forest plantations and in natural black pine forests. The objective of the study was to determine the habitat factors that have the greatest impact on the growth and development of natural black pine [...] Read more.
This study outlines research performed on experimental plots established in forest plantations and in natural black pine forests. The objective of the study was to determine the habitat factors that have the greatest impact on the growth and development of natural black pine forests and black pine forests plantations upon the return of climatozonal vegetation. Plots 625 m2 in size were selected and vegetation inventories made, and the structural elements of black pine plantations examined. Multivariate analysis found that elevation and slope were the two variables that had the highest positive correlation with the floristic composition of the vegetation. Furthermore, one of the goals was to determine the differences with regard to reforestation with black pine. The analysis of the isolated experimental plots showed a clear grouping of plots according to habitat factors. The differences in the synecological factors in the research area resulted in the presence of sub-Mediterranean, epi-Mediterranean and eu-Mediterranean elements within the black pine forest plantations. This also reduces the risk of the occurrence and development of large wildfires. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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23 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Quality Assessment and Rehabilitation of Mountain Forest in the Chongli Winter Olympic Games Area, China
by Xiaoqian Liang, Tao Yang, Jianzhi Niu, Linus Zhang, Di Wang, Jiale Huang, Zhenguo Yang and Ronny Berndtsson
Forests 2022, 13(5), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050783 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
Spurred by the degraded forest in the 2022 Chongli Winter Olympic Games area, the Chinese government initiated a national program for mountain forest rehabilitation. We developed a method to assess the quality of mountain forests using an index system composed of stand structure, [...] Read more.
Spurred by the degraded forest in the 2022 Chongli Winter Olympic Games area, the Chinese government initiated a national program for mountain forest rehabilitation. We developed a method to assess the quality of mountain forests using an index system composed of stand structure, site conditions, and landscape aesthetics at three criteria levels. The method involves index weights determined by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy method. The results show that landscape aesthetics was the most important measure for the criterion layer. Slope aspect and naturalness were the most and second-most important indices, respectively, for the alternative layer. The quality of the mountain forest in the Chongli area was divided into four grades. The area had 7.8% with high quality, 46.7% with medium quality, 36.6% with low quality, and 8.9% with inferior quality. In total 76.6% of the damaged forest were distributed on sloping and steep sloping ground at 1700 to 2050 m altitude, and Betula platyphylla Sukaczev and Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii (Mayr) Pilg. were the predominating trees. The damaged forest was divided into over-dense, over-sparse, degraded, inappropriate tree species, and inferior landscape forest. For different types of damaged forest, corresponding modification measures were proposed. The methods developed in this study can be used for rehabilitation projects to improve the quality of degraded forests in mountainous temperate areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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23 pages, 11601 KiB  
Article
Seed Dispersal Models for Natural Regeneration: A Review and Prospects
by Moonil Kim, Seonghun Lee, Songhee Lee, Koong Yi, Hyung-Sub Kim, Sanghoon Chung, Junmo Chung, Hyun Seop Kim and Tae Kyung Yoon
Forests 2022, 13(5), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050659 - 23 Apr 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7918
Abstract
Natural regeneration in forest management, which relies on artificial planting, is considered a desirable alternative to reforestation. However, there are large uncertainties regarding the natural regeneration processes, such as seed production, seed dispersal, and seedling establishment. Among these processes, seed dispersal by wind [...] Read more.
Natural regeneration in forest management, which relies on artificial planting, is considered a desirable alternative to reforestation. However, there are large uncertainties regarding the natural regeneration processes, such as seed production, seed dispersal, and seedling establishment. Among these processes, seed dispersal by wind must be modeled accurately to minimize the risks of natural regeneration. This study aimed to (1) review the main mechanisms of seed dispersal models, their characteristics, and their applications and (2) suggest prospects for seed dispersal models to increase the predictability of natural regeneration. With improving computing and observation systems, the modeling technique for seed dispersal by wind has continued to progress steadily from a simple empirical model to the Eulerian-Lagrangian model. Mechanistic modeling approaches with a dispersal kernel have been widely used and have attempted to be directly incorporated into spatial models. Despite the rapid development of various wind-dispersal models, only a few studies have considered their application in natural regeneration. We identified the potential attributes of seed dispersal modeling that cause high uncertainties and poor simulation results in natural regeneration scenarios: topography, pre-processing of wind data, and various inherent complexities in seed dispersal processes. We suggest that seed dispersal models can be further improved by incorporating (1) seed abscission mechanisms by wind, (2) spatiotemporally complex wind environments, (3) collisions with the canopy or ground during seed flight, and (4) secondary dispersal, long-distance dispersal, and seed predation. Interdisciplinary research linking climatology, biophysics, and forestry would help improve the prediction of seed dispersal and its impact on natural regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Forestry and Restoration)
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