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How Compounding Disturbances Affect Forest Dynamics: Implications for Ecosystem Functioning...
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How Compounding Disturbances Affect Forest Dynamics: Implications for Ecosystem Functioning in a Changing World

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2019)

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Craig Nitschke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Blvd, Richmond, VIC, Australia
Interests: forests; landscapes; ecosystem services; disturbances; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The cumulative effects of disturbance on stand and landscape dynamics can have long-term implications on forest composition and structure. Disturbance-mediated shifts in developmental pathways could have significant impacts on ecosystem function. Recent climate change has already caused a shift in natural disturbance regimes with increased drought-related forest mortality, increased wildfires and increases in forest insects and diseases epidemics. Future climate change is expected to cause further change in disturbance regimes and facilitate shifts in forest composition and structure. In this Special Issue we explore the role of compounding disturbances events (i.e., allogenic and/or biogenic processes) on forest dynamics (i.e., autogenic processes) and function. We will explore the role of scale through the consideration of the impacts of cumulative disturbance on both stand and landscape structure and functioning. Papers submitted must highlighted the cumulative effects (i.e., additive, antagonistic, or synergistic) of disturbance over time and within the same space.  In this issue space can represent the stand, patch and/ or landscape-level. Disturbances can be represented by climate (drought, heatwaves, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding, wind, frosts, snow), wildfire, insects, diseases, invasive species, and forest management (timber harvesting, planned burning, fire suppression, conservation). The objective of this issue is to provide a compendium of papers that scientifically assess the impacts of past, present and/or future compounding disturbances on forest structure, composition and functioning in a manner that can inform decision makers about the implications of future disturbance-mediated changes to forest ecosystems.

Dr. Craig R. Nitschke
Guest Editor

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

  • Disturbance
  • Climate,
  • Fire,
  • Landscape,
  • Forest,
  • Dynamics,
  • Insects,
  • Drought,
  • Ecological Functioning

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3121 KiB  
Communication
Drought Impacts and Compounding Mortality on Forest Trees in the Southern Sierra Nevada
by Lauren S. Pile, Marc D. Meyer, Ramiro Rojas, Olivia Roe and Mark T. Smith
Forests 2019, 10(3), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10030237 - 7 Mar 2019
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4272
Abstract
The increase in compounding disturbances, such as “hotter droughts” coupled with insect outbreaks, has significant impacts on the integrity of forested ecosystems and their subsequent management for important ecosystem services and multiple-use objectives. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, years of severe drought have [...] Read more.
The increase in compounding disturbances, such as “hotter droughts” coupled with insect outbreaks, has significant impacts on the integrity of forested ecosystems and their subsequent management for important ecosystem services and multiple-use objectives. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, years of severe drought have resulted in unprecedented tree mortality across this mountainous landscape. Additionally, past land management practices, including fire suppression, have led to overly stocked, homogenous forest stand structures, dominated by small diameter, shade-tolerant and fire-intolerant tree species. Thus, the current condition of the landscape has further increased the susceptibility of forest trees to multiple stressors. We sought to determine the effects of extreme drought and insect outbreaks on tree mortality and their influence on forest stand structure and composition. To characterize mortality patterns, we monitored the condition of mature forest trees (>25.4 cm diameter at breast height) across 255 monitoring plots with four repeated measurements from 2015 through 2017. Tree mortality varied by species and through time. Reductions in pine species (Pinus lambertiana Douglas and P. ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) occurred earlier in the study period than Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. Ex Hildebr. or Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin. Across species, larger tree size, most often associated with tree height, was consistently related to increased survival in mature, overstory trees. As expected, sites with greater pine stocking and subsequently more bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) host availability had increased pine mortality, especially for P. ponderosa. For Abies concolor, lower overstory basal area increased tree survival for this species. This study highlights the importance of effective forest monitoring, especially during a period of unprecedented ecological change as the compounding disturbance had a disproportional effect on pine species in smaller diameter classes. Proactive forest management may be necessary to maintain and promote these ecologically important species in heterogeneous mixtures across the landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Compounding Disturbances Affect Forest Dynamics: Implications for Ecosystem Functioning in a Changing World)
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16 pages, 2719 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Dynamics of Floodplain Forest Understory–Impacts of Degradation, Light Availability and Temperature on Biomass and Species Composition
by Natalia Czapiewska, Marcin K. Dyderski and Andrzej M. Jagodziński
Forests 2019, 10(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10010022 - 1 Jan 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3714
Abstract
Forest understory significantly contributes to matter cycling in ecosystems, but little is known about its carbon pool. This is especially poorly understood in floodplain forests, one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. We studied seasonal dynamics of biomass and species composition of understory [...] Read more.
Forest understory significantly contributes to matter cycling in ecosystems, but little is known about its carbon pool. This is especially poorly understood in floodplain forests, one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. We studied seasonal dynamics of biomass and species composition of understory vegetation in degraded and non-degraded floodplain forests, to improve our understanding of carbon pools in forest ecosystems. We hypothesized that degraded and non-degraded floodplain forests will differ in patterns of seasonal variability of biomass and species composition. The study was conducted in Poznań (W Poland) in two study plots (each with 10 samples) across 22 dates (March–November 2016). In each date, we collected understory aboveground biomass. We evaluated impact of light availability and soil temperature on biomass and species composition. Our study revealed high dynamics of biomass production. We found maximum biomass crop of understory in degraded floodplain forest on 24 April (930.12 ± 48.70 kg ha−1), whereas in non-degraded floodplain forest the maximum occurred on 30 May (768.99 ± 40.65 kg ha−1). At the beginning of the growing season, understory biomass was dominated by spring ephemerals and later these species were replaced by others present for the whole season. Additionally, we confirmed the positive impacts of light availability and temperature on understory primary production. The pattern revealed drove species composition shifts and low differences in biomass crop between consecutive dates. Patterns of understory biomass dynamics differed between degraded and non-degraded plots. Despite study limitations, we provided rare data about understory biomass dynamics of floodplain forests, increasing knowledge about carbon accumulation and cycling in floodplain forests, and contributing to global carbon assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Compounding Disturbances Affect Forest Dynamics: Implications for Ecosystem Functioning in a Changing World)
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