Forest Ecosystems Research Articles

Information Boards as Forest Conservation Campaign in Bahorok Research Center, Langkat Regency, North Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL) in Bahorok Research Station in Bahorok Sub-district, Langkat District, is a very important location for this work. The hilly terrain of the area provides a beautiful landscape and varied flora and fauna with the main attraction being the corpse flower (Amorphophallus sp). With a preserved natural environment and unique ecological features, this research station allows other parties to participate in protecting the area in various conservation campaign, one of which is the installation/establishment of conservation information boards. Conservation information boards can raise public awareness about the importance of protecting forests and their natural environment. Information on ecosystems, flora, fauna, management, and the importance of conservation can be conveyed through these information boards. Information boards are widely used as an educational tool for local communities and visitors to the forest at the research station. They can learn about forest ecology, the negative impacts of deforestation, and sustainable ways of utilizing forest resources. They can learn about forest ecology, the negative impacts of deforestation, and sustainable ways of utilizing forest resources. Information boards can also be used to invite community participation in conservation efforts, which is expected to improve the quality of knowledge and understanding of conservation areas for communities, researchers, and tourists. Therefore, the installation/establishment of conservation information boards needs to be carried out at Bahorok Research Station, Batu Katak as one of the campaign and solutions to maintain the natural conditions in the forest and river.

Climate-smart forestry: an AI-enabled sustainable forest management solution for climate change adaptation and mitigation

AbstractClimate change is the most severe ecological challenge faced by the world today. Forests, the dominant component of terrestrial ecosystems, play a critical role in mitigating climate change due to their powerful carbon sequestration capabilities. Meanwhile, climate change has also become a major factor affecting the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) is an emerging concept in sustainable forest management. By utilizing advanced technologies, such as information technology and artificial intelligence, CSF aims to develop innovative and proactive forest management methods and decision-making systems to address the challenges of climate change. CSF aims to enhance forest ecosystem resilience (i.e., maintain a condition where, even when the state of the ecosystem changes, the ecosystem functions do not deteriorate) through climate change adaptation, improve the mitigation capabilities of forest ecosystems to climate change, maintain high, stable, and sustainable forest productivity and ecosystem services, and ultimately achieve harmonious development between humans and nature. This concept paper: (1) discusses the emergence and development of CSF, which integrates Ecological Forestry, Carbon Forestry, and Smart Forestry, and proposes the concept of CSF; (2) analyzes the goals of CSF in improving forest ecosystem stability, enhancing forest ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity, and advocating the application and development of new technologies in CSF, including artificial intelligence, robotics, Light Detection and Ranging, and forest digital twin; (3) presents the latest practices of CSF based on prior research on forest structure and function using new generation information technologies at Qingyuan Forest, China. From these practices and reflections, we suggested the development direction of CSF, including the key research topics and technological advancement.

Impact of Microtopography and Neighborhood Effects on Individual Survival Across Life History Stages

Understanding drivers of plant community assembly and individual survival in forest ecosystems is crucial for effective conservation and management. While macro-scale factors influencing vegetation patterns are well documented, the combined impact of microtopographic variations and neighborhood effects at neighborhood scales, particularly in subtropical forests, requires further study. To contribute to this area of research, we established a 9.6 ha dynamic plot in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest to examine the interplay between microtopographic factors and neighborhood effects on individual plant survival across different life stages. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of microtopographic variables and neighborhood effects, with individual plant survival censused through repeated surveys at 5-year intervals. Mixed-effects models were employed to assess the combined influence of these factors across life stages. Our results reveal that both microtopographic factors and neighborhood effects significantly influence plant survival, with their impacts varying across life stages. Water availability, represented by flow direction, emerged as a consistently critical factor throughout all life stages. Elevation and the topographic position index showed significant positive effects on survival, particularly in later life stages, possibly reflecting adaptations to light acquisition and water drainage. The influence of topographic factors intensified with succession, while the impact of neighborhood effects, particularly asymmetric competition and conspecific negative density dependence, changed as plants matured. This study enhances our understanding of forest community assembly, emphasizing the importance of considering abiotic and biotic factors across multiple scales for effective forest conservation and management. It provides insights into mechanisms driving spatial variation in community composition, crucial for preserving biodiversity in heterogeneous forest landscapes.

Topography and Wildfire Jointly Mediate Postfire Ecosystem Multifunctionality in a Chinese Boreal Forest

Both topography and wildfire can exert significant influences on ecosystem processes and functions during boreal forest successions. However, their impacts on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) remain unclear. A mega-fire burned an area of 8700 hectares in the Great Xing’an Mountains in 2000, creating a wide range of fire severity levels across various topographic positions. This provided a unique opportunity to explore the impacts of mixed-severity fire disturbance in boreal forests. We evaluated the effect pathways of wildfire and topography on aboveground multifunctionality (AEMF), soil multifunctionality (SEMF), and overall multifunctionality (OEMF). We found that high-severity burning resulted in lower AEMF, SEMF, and OEMF relative to low-severity burning. Topographic positions significantly influenced SEMF and OEMF, but not AEMF. Specifically, both lower SEMF and OEMF were observed on south-facing slopes. The structure equation model analysis showed that aspect had exerted strong indirect effects on AEMF, SEMF, and OEMF by affecting soil moisture and regenerated tree density (RTD). Fire severity had indirect negative effects on AEMF and OEMF by reducing RTD and on SEMF by reducing soil bacterial diversity and RTD. Our study elucidates the necessity of considering postfire site environments to better manage forest ecosystems and, in turn, promote the rapid recovery of boreal ecosystem functions.

Determination of Forest Health using Remote Sensing Techniques in Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Northeast, Nigeria

This study was conducted in order to determine the health status of forest vegetation in Gashaka-Gumti National Park. Landsat images were downloaded from the USGS website. The images were pre-processed using radiometric correction since the reflectance values were needed for computing spectral indices, the digital numbers were converted to radiance and reflectance, and analysis was carried out using a raster calculator. The range of NDVI, GNDVI, ARVI and MSI were used for health assessment. Utilizing NDVI, GNDVI, ARVI, and MSI as assessment tools revealed moderate to good health in most forest regions, with higher ARVI, GNDVI, and NDVI indicating healthier vegetation and elevated MSI values suggesting areas under moisture stress. the average values of NDVI, GNDVI, ARVI, and MSI over three decades indicate a potential decline in overall vegetation health, reduced green vegetation, changes in vegetation conditions, and a decrease in moisture stress, suggesting a potential increase in greening and photosynthetic activities in plants. These trends highlight the dynamic nature of the forest ecosystem over the studied period. Positive correlations between ARVI, GNDVI, and NDVI across years indicate a consistent vegetation pattern, while negative correlations with MSI suggest potential inverse relationships, providing valuable insights into forest health dynamics. Higher values of ARVI, GNDVI, and NDVI generally signify healthier vegetation, whereas elevated MSI values may indicate areas experiencing moisture stress, emphasizing the importance of monitoring these indices for sustainable forest management. The study recommends the sustained use of NDVI, GNDVI, ARVI, and MSI for forest health monitoring in the study area, implementing integrated pest management based on identified stress conditions, utilize spatial maps for strategic timber harvest planning, developing climate-resilient management considering moisture stress, and invest in research for enhanced assessment precision and understanding of ecosystem dynamics.

Dilodia sapinea as the pathogen causing trunk canker on Pinus bungeana trees in China

Pinus bungeana belonging to the genus Pinus is a pine tree species endemic to China. It plays vital roles in afforestation, forest regeneration, landscaping, forest ecosystems, and environmental protection. However, P. bungeana has been listed as a rare and endangered species in recent years due to population fragmentation. The occurrence of lethal diseases on the trees has made the situation even worse. This study aimed to identify the pathogen causing the trunk canker on P. bungeana trees in Qingdao, China. The morphological identification of the pathogen relied primarily on the morphology of conidia. Molecular identification was performed using the combined sequences of ITS, Tef and Tub2 genes. The eight isolates were all identified as Diplodia sapinea. The pathogenicity of the eight isolates was examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that all the fungal isolates caused severe canker symptoms on the inoculated P. bungeana branches. Moreover, D. sapinea was re-isolated from the inoculated branches. This study is novel in reporting D. sapinea causing trunk canker on P. bungeana trees in China.

Phylogenomic analyses shed new light on the spatiotemporal evolution of global larches: Implications for the dynamics of boreal forests.

As the Earth warms, understanding the long-term dynamics of forest ecosystems is essential for guiding forest management and biodiversity conservation. Insights from past dynamics may provide valuable lessons for managing today's forests. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of global larches to gain further insights into how boreal forests change over time. We first reconstructed a highly resolved and robust phylogeny of Larix covering all widely recognized species, using both transcriptome-based 1,301 orthologous genes (OGs) and plastid genomes. In sharp contrast to previous studies, an unexpected deep split between the circumboreal and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) larches was revealed in our study. Within each lineage, two geographically distinct clades were further resolved. Biogeographical analyses suggest that Larix might have an origin of Eocene in high-latitude uplands, and during the Miocene, all extant species have appeared. Cenozoic climate- and orogeny-triggered vicariance likely played a major role in the divergence of global larches. Our results also demonstrate that the proto-boreal forest biome may have a relatively old origin back to the early Miocene, and significant winnowing and species alteration would have occurred as the climate shifted to much colder and drier during the Neogene. Ecological niche analyses show various responses of the circumboreal and QTP larches under different climate scenarios, but both lineages are negatively impacted by warming climates. These findings have important conservation implications given the sensitivity of boreal forests in the face of global warming. Our work further emphasizes the importance of a solid phylogenetic framework for evolutionary and biogeographical inferences.

Water quality in the Chinese Qinling Mountains over the last 20 years

The Qinling Mountains, the so-called “central water tower,” are extremely important water resource hubs in China. The influence of the forest ecological environment on water quality is complicated. Therefore, to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in water quality, we employed a random forest model to integrate multiple key water quality indicators into one overall ranking value. Monthly monitoring data of surface runoff and atmospheric precipitation events (2003–2022) for the Huodigou stream in the Qinling Mountains were used. The results revealed that after atmospheric precipitation entered the forest ecosystem, the coefficients of variation of surface runoff for most of the selected indicators decreased, but there were significant differences among the six indicators (NO3−, Mg2+, Na+, pH, K+, Ca2+). Most of the indicators within surface runoff were positively correlated, such as those in atmospheric precipitation. However, some indices of surface runoff were negatively correlated with those of atmospheric precipitation, and there was a significant negative correlation between Ca2+ in atmospheric precipitation and Ca2+ in surface runoff and between NO3−in atmospheric precipitation and K+ and Na+ in surface runoff (p < 0.01). The water quality grade of the surface runoff generated by atmospheric precipitation through forest ecosystems was significantly improved (p < 0.001), among which the average water quality grade of surface runoff was approximately 3.6, that is, between Grade I-3 and Grade I-4, whereas the average water quality grade of atmospheric precipitation was approximately 4.5, that is, between Grade I-4 and Grade I-5. The order of improved water quality was NO3− > Mg2+ > Na+ > pH > K+ > Ca2+. Overall, our assessment revealed that from 2003 to 2022, the water quality grade in the Huodigou stream improved and was more stable. In summary, the forest ecosystem in the Huodigou stream has a significant water quality purification effect on the atmospheric precipitation it receives. Our novel criterion-based approach for categorizing the water quality of atmospheric precipitation and surface runoff offers a new tool for examining spatiotemporal stream water quality variations in the Qinling region and other mountainous areas.

Mechanisms Maintaining Biomass Stability in Woody Species Communities in Evergreen Broadleaved Forests of Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, Dong Nai province, Southern Vietnam

Tropical forest ecosystems experience dynamic changes in response to environmental fluctuations and disturbances. Understanding the mechanisms governing their stability is crucial for maintaining ecosystem services. Among these ecosystems, evergreen broadleaved forests play a pivotal global role. This study investigates the impacts of overyielding, stand structure, species asynchrony, and the stability of dominant species on community biomass stability (CBS) within the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve's evergreen broadleaved forests. The study utilized species richness, diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) variation coefficient, species asynchrony, and stability of dominant species as explanatory variables. The response variables included CBS, mean biomass (µ), and biomass standard deviation (σ). Three structural equation models (SEMs) were constructed to assess the relative strengths of direct and indirect effects among these variables. The results indicated that: (1) The SEMs achieved a good fit, explaining 41.8% of the variance in CBS. (2) Species richness negatively correlated significantly with µ (path coefficient = -0.112) and σ (-0.056). (3) DBH variation coefficient showed significant negative correlations with CBS (-0.161) and µ (-0.087). (4) Species asynchrony exhibited significant positive correlations with CBS (0.061), µ (0.076), and σ (0.061). (5) Dominant species stability showed significant positive correlations with CBS (0.588) and µ (0.153) and a negative correlation with σ (-0.588). These findings underscore that while stand structure and species asynchrony significantly influence CBS in evergreen broadleaved forests, the stability of dominant species emerges as the primary predictor of CBS. Therefore, effective forest management strategies should prioritize conserving and enhancing conditions that support dominant species, ensuring the sustainability of forest ecosystems in the study area.

Interspecific association patterns of woody species in an evergreen broadleaved forest of Con Dao National Park, Vietnam

The interspecific associations among tree species in natural forest stands help to reveal mechanisms for maintaining species diversity and provide theoretical foundations for vegetation restoration and regeneration. This study focused on woody species within a 4-ha study plot established in an evergreen broadleaved forest in Con Dao National Park, Vietnam. We analyzed the interspecific associations among sixty-four recorded woody species in the study plot based on their presence and absence in subplots at two sampling scales: 10 m × 10 m and 20 m × 20 m. The results indicated that most of the 3,969 pairs of the sixty-four species exhibited independent associations, confirming an individualistic hypothesis proposed by Gleason. Furthermore, species interactions of common species were stronger than those of rare ones, indicating that species abundance influenced interspecific associations, and this result acknowledges the presence of random processes in driving species coexistence. A comparison of observed communities and random communities based on null models revealed that deterministic processes play a dominant role in governing species co-occurrence within the tree communities in the study area. Our study provides insights into the complex dynamics of species interactions within forest ecosystems, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity maintenance and offering valuable guidance for conservation and restoration efforts.

Vertical variations in enzymatic activity and C:N:P stoichiometry in forest soils under the influence of different tree species

Abstract Tree species play a crucial role in shaping soil properties, significantly influencing nutrient cycling and ecological dynamics within forest ecosystems. In this comprehensive study, we examined the influence of tree species on soil chemistry especially on C/N/P stoichiometry and enzymatic activities across soil profiles. We analyzed soil samples beneath eight distinct tree species at three vertical horizons of soil: organic (O), humus mineral (A), and mineral enrichment (B) horizons. Our study involved detailed assessment of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents, along with the activities of key enzymes: β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, and phosphatase. The study revealed pronounced vertical stratification in soil properties, significantly influenced by the tree species. General linear models (GLMs) highlighted differences in C: N:P stoichiometry and enzymatic activity across different soil horizons and among tree species. Enzymatic activity was strongly correlated with C, N and P content. The conducted research confirms the distinctiveness of coniferous and deciduous species in terms of C, N and P stoichiometry and the activity of the tested enzymes involved in the C, N and P circulation. These variations are indicative of the intricate interactions between tree species and soil processes. Our findings underscore the role of diversity of trees in modulating soil nutrient dynamics and enzyme-driven processes, which are crucial for understanding soil ecosystem functions and nutrient cycling. This study provides new insights into the role of tree species in shaping the soil environment, offering implications for forest management and conservation strategies. Taking into account the impact of individual tree species covered by the research on the soil, it is worth considering the cultivation of mixed stands.

Using Drones for Dendrometric Estimations in Forests: A Bibliometric Analysis

Traditional field inventories have been the standard method for collecting detailed forest attribute data. However, these methods are often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly, especially for large areas. In contrast, remote sensing technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have become viable alternatives for collecting forest structure data, providing high-resolution images, precision, and the ability to use various sensors. To explore this trend, a bibliometric review was conducted using the Scopus database to examine the evolution of scientific publications and assess the current state of research on using UAVs to estimate dendrometric variables in forest ecosystems. A total of 454 studies were identified, with 199 meeting the established inclusion criteria for further analysis. The findings indicated that China and the United States are the leading contributors to this research domain, with a notable increase in journal publications over the past five years. The predominant focus has been on planted forests, particularly utilizing RGB sensors attached to UAVs for variable estimation. The primary variables assessed using UAV technology include total tree height, DBH, above-ground biomass, and canopy area. Consequently, this review has highlighted the most influential studies in the field, establishing a foundation for future research directions.

The Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Leaf-Litter Dwelling Ants in the Tropical Dry Forest of the Colombian Caribbean

There have been few advances in understanding the organization and dynamics of ants in tropical dry forests. The latter are a seriously threatened ecosystem, and ants are important indicators of diversity, disturbance, and restoration in forest ecosystems. Using diversity data and morphofunctional traits, we evaluated the spatial and temporal variation of taxonomic and functional ant groups; in addition, we explored the variation in functional traits and diversity among communities. Ants were sampled during the dry and rainy seasons using mini-Winkler bags. A total of 9 subfamilies, 57 genera, and 146 species were collected. Ant species composition and richness varied both spatially (75 to 119 species) and temporally (121 and 127 species). The fragments from N2 and N3 showed higher diversity than those from N1. The dissimilarity among all areas was moderate (50–60%), mainly attributable to species turnover processes (77%). Twenty functional groups were identified. The N3 fragments had the highest functional diversity, with lower resistance to species loss, while the N1 and N2 fragments reduced functional diversity and increased similarity among species. Our results highlight the importance of integrating a functional analysis with the taxonomic assessment of ants as an important contribution to understanding the organization and dynamics of this community of insects that inhabit the tropical dry forest.

Simulating Ips typographus L. outbreak dynamics and their influence on carbon balance estimates with ORCHIDEE r8627

Abstract. New (a)biotic conditions resulting from climate change are expected to change disturbance dynamics, such as windthrow, forest fires, droughts, and insect outbreaks, and their interactions. These unprecedented natural disturbance dynamics might alter the capability of forest ecosystems to buffer atmospheric CO2 increases, potentially leading forests to transform from sinks into sources of CO2. This study aims to enhance the ORCHIDEE land surface model to study the impacts of climate change on the dynamics of the bark beetle, Ips typographus, and subsequent effects on forest functioning. The Ips typographus outbreak model is inspired by previous work from Temperli et al. (2013) for the LandClim landscape model. The new implementation of this model in ORCHIDEE r8627 accounts for key differences between ORCHIDEE and LandClim: (1) the coarser spatial resolution of ORCHIDEE; (2) the higher temporal resolution of ORCHIDEE; and (3) the pre-existing process representation of windthrow, drought, and forest structure in ORCHIDEE. Simulation experiments demonstrated the capability of ORCHIDEE to simulate a variety of post-disturbance forest dynamics observed in empirical studies. Through an array of simulation experiments across various climatic conditions and windthrow intensities, the model was tested for its sensitivity to climate, initial disturbance, and selected parameter values. The results of these tests indicated that with a single set of parameters, ORCHIDEE outputs spanned the range of observed dynamics. Additional tests highlighted the substantial impact of incorporating Ips typographus outbreaks on carbon dynamics. Notably, the study revealed that modeling abrupt mortality events as opposed to a continuous mortality framework provides new insights into the short-term carbon sequestration potential of forests under disturbance regimes by showing that the continuous mortality framework tends to overestimate the carbon sink capacity of forests in the 20- to 50-year range in ecosystems under high disturbance pressure compared to scenarios with abrupt mortality events. This model enhancement underscores the critical need to include disturbance dynamics in land surface models to refine predictions of forest carbon dynamics in a changing climate.

Reaching new heights: Arboreal ant diversity in a North American temperate forest ecosystem

Abstract Most canopy insect research takes place in tropical forests, where communities are highly vertically stratified. However, temperate forest canopies also provide critical resources to many species and are under intense pressure from global change drivers. The relative lack of knowledge regarding temperate canopy insect ecology impedes our forest management and conservation decisions such that we may be losing temperate canopy biodiversity before we know it exists. We directly compared ant diversity and community composition on the ground and in the tree canopy of North American temperate deciduous forests for the first time. We also evaluated two canopy sampling methods—baits and hand collections. We collected 34 ant species from 102 trees across seven sites. Ant diversity was greater on the ground than in the canopy, and species turnover created distinct communities across vertical strata. Only 12% of species were exclusively arboreal, but 47% were collected in both strata, indicating the canopy is an important resource for temperate ants, even if they are not restricted there. Baiting and hand‐collecting recovered similar species richness, but whether baits captured a subset of hand‐collected species or a unique assemblage was site‐dependent. Nevertheless, we suggest that these methods are most effective in conjunction. Hand collection allowed us to document arboreal nests of 10 species, including the invasive needle ant, Brachyponera chinensis, which was previously thought to be strictly terrestrial. Our results emphasise the importance of including the canopy in temperate forest ecology and conservation assessments.

Empirical analysis of the influence mechanism of vegetation and environment on negative air ion in warm temperate forest ecosystems

Air pollution presents a significant threat to public health in megacities globally. Negative air ions (NAI), often referred to as “air vitamins,” are recognized for their effectiveness in alleviating the harmful effects of air pollution. Forest ecosystems serve as natural generators of NAI, with both vegetation and environmental conditions playing critical roles in the formation and persistence of NAI. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of how forest ecosystems regulate NAI production is essential for leveraging their potential to enhance air quality. However, the intricate dynamics of forest ecosystems, along with seasonal fluctuations in vegetation and environmental factors, introduce uncertainties in NAI generation. This study utilized long-term observational data to explore the relationships between environmental variables, vegetation photosynthetic capacity (using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, SIF), and NAI concentrations. By employing machine learning algorithms, we analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of NAI, identifying the key contributing factors and their relative influence within forest ecosystems. The results revealed distinct seasonal variations in NAI levels, with higher values in summer and lower in winter. SIF and PM2.5 primarily influenced NAI through direct effects across seasons, whereas ambient temperature (TA), relative humidity, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and soil moisture predominantly impacted SIF on NAI through indirect effects in summer. TA was the primary influencing factor in spring and winter, contributing 28% and 25%, respectively, while PAR played a more significant role in summer and autumn, accounting for 37% and 27%. Vegetation had a greater impact on NAI levels during spring and summer, contributing 66% and 62%, whereas environmental factors dominated in autumn and winter, with contributions of 83% and 89%. This study offers both a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for enhancing the role of forest ecosystems in improving air quality and human living environments.

Investigating the Effects of Elevation on Microbial Communities and Soil Properties at Fanjing Mountain, China

Elevation is one of the most influential factors affecting soil characteristics and microbial communities in forest ecosystems. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on how soil characteristics, soil microbials, and their relationships response to the elevation of the mountain ecosystem. We investigated the soil physicochemical characteristics, the activity of soil enzymes, and the microbial community at elevational sites from 600 to 2400 m above sea level (asl) in the western slopes of the Fanjing Mountain ecosystem, China. The soil microbial communities were determined by high throughput 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing. The results demonstrated that soil total nitrogen (TN) showed a slight decrease, whereas total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) gradually tended to increase with increasing elevation. The large macroaggregates (>2 mm) accounted for the largest proportion of the aggregate fraction (66.23%–76.13%) in the 0–10 cm soil layer with elevation. The average values of the soil electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) concentration in the 0–60 cm layer undulated with increasing elevation, and the highest values were observed at 1500–1800 m asl and 1800–2100 m asl, respectively. The activities of soil urease, sucrase, acid phosphatase, and catalase clearly differed (p < 0.05) with increasing elevation, and the minimum values were found at 2100–2400 m asl. Interesting, with increasing soil depth, the values of these factors tended to decrease, indicating surface aggregation. In addition, the soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) community diversity exhibited a single-peak pattern with elevation. Our results also revealed that the soil bacterial and fungal communities varied significantly at different elevation sites. The bacterial communities were dominated by the phyla Acidobacteria, Pseudomonadota, and Chloroflexi, and the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominated the fungal communities. The Pearson and redundancy analyses revealed that the SOC, TP, four soil enzymes, and soil aggregates were significant factors influencing the soil microbial community. In conclusion, soil properties and enzyme activities jointly explained the elevational pattern of the soil microbial community in the Fanjing Mountain. The results of this study provide insights into the influence of elevation on soil characteristics, microbial communities, and their relationships in the Fanjing Mountain ecosystem.

The “Ruined Landscapes” of Mediterranean Islands: An Ecological Framework for Their Restoration in the Context of SDG 15 “Life on Land”

The “ruined landscapes” of the Mediterranean littoral are a consequence of millennia of human impact and include abandoned agricultural lands, deforested areas, and degraded coastal areas. One of the drivers is the historical pattern of land use, which has resulted in the clearing of vegetation, soil erosion, and overgrazing. These have caused significant damage to natural ecosystems and landscapes leading to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and the destruction of habitats. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 “Life on Land” recommends a substantial increase in afforestation (SDG 15.2). Whilst this goal is certainly necessary in places, it should be implemented with caution. The general perception that certain ecosystems, such as forests, are inherently more valuable than grasslands and shrublands contributes to afforestation drives prioritising quick and visible results. This, however, increases the possibility of misguided afforestation, particularly in areas that never supported forests under the present climatic conditions. We argue that in areas that have not supported forest ecosystems, targeted reinforcement of existing populations and recreation of historical ones is preferable to wholesale ecosystem modification disguised as afforestation. We present a possible strategy for targeted reinforcement in areas that never supported forests and that would still achieve the goals of SDGs 15.5 and 15.8.

Modeling the interaction between wildfires and windthrows: A pilot case study for Italian Alps

Wildland fires and windthrows represent relevant disturbances for forest ecosystems worldwide. In this context, especially for Italian catchments, the interaction between windthrows and changes in wildfire behaviour starting from ALS data processing is scarcely investigated. Therefore, this research aims to compute a multi-temporal analysis of the interaction between windthrows and wildfire behaviour in a forested area (Veneto region, northern Italy), recently affected by the renamed Vaia windstorm. The semi-empirical FlamMap model was applied, starting from ALS data processing implemented in R for mapping the spatial distribution of forest attributes and fuels within the catchment. The role of windthrows in altering wildfire behaviour was investigated considering ALS point clouds acquired before and after the occurrence of the storm Vaia. Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), Canopy Height Models (CHMs), topographic data and metrics describing forest structure were extracted from ALS data for both scenarios at 5 m resolution, to compare changes in wildfire behaviour over time. Differences in Rate of Spread (RoS), flame length (FL), midflame windspeed (WS) and arrival time (AT) were assessed, and their correlation with windstorm damages was investigated at the catchment detail. , An increase of RoS, FL, and WS greater than 30 m/min, 3 m and 1.1 m/s were respectively estimated in windthrown areas, as well as a decrease of AT greater than 30 min, attesting the key role of windthrows in altering wildfire behaviour over time. The correlation between windthrows and changes in wildfire attributes was finally modeled by computing regression analysis, with R2 of 0.86, 0.93, 0.62, and 0.91 resulted for RoS, FL, WS and AT. This research represents a pilot case study for better detecting changes in wildfires behaviour due to windthrows occurrence, therefore proposing and carrying out effective planning and management strategies for disturbed forest stands over time.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Forest Ecosystems and Climate Interplay: A Review

This review comprehensively examines the multifunctional role of forest ecosystems in climate regulation and the consequential impacts of climate change on these critical biomes. A systematic approach was employed, utilizing extensive bibliometric analysis and synthesis of recent literature from databases such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Key ecological functions of forests, including carbon sequestration, albedo modulation, evapotranspiration, and cloud formation, were scrutinized to elucidate their contributions to the global carbon cycle and local/regional climate dynamics. The analysis highlights significant phenological shifts, species migrations, and increased vulnerabilities to pests, diseases, and fire disturbances as primary indicators of climate-induced ecological changes. Furthermore, the study explores the intricate feedback loops that exacerbate deforestation and alterations in forest structure and function. Predictive models incorporating various climate scenarios are discussed, emphasizing their importance in developing adaptive management strategies for forest conservation. The findings underscore the necessity for interdisciplinary approaches and stakeholder engagement to formulate effective strategies for mitigating climate change impacts and enhancing forest ecosystem resilience. This review advances the field of ecology by providing critical insights into the interplay between forest ecosystems and climate dynamics, offering a foundation for future research and policy development.