The scientific event “Italian Oak Forests Facing Stress Factors and Climate Change: Current Evidence, Ecophysiological Knowledge and Management Perspectives”, organized by the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) and the Italian Academy of Forest Sciences, addressed the critical issues threatening the conservation of oak forests in Italy. Oak decline, documented since the 1980s, emerges as a multifactorial phenomenon driven by climatic stress (drought, heatwaves), biotic agents (pathogens, insects), and species-specific ecophysiological traits. A meta-analysis of over 200 studies shows drought reduces vigor and resilience but triggers adaptive mechanisms such as stomatal regulation and osmotic adjustment. Future scenarios predict a reduction in forest cover and the replacement of native species with more resistant species to extreme climatic events. Long-term data from the CONtrollo degli ECOsistemi FORestali (CONECOFOR) program confirm species-specific strategies: Q. pubescens sheds leaves in summer, Q. cerris exhibits sudden mortality, while Q. ilex, though drought-tolerant, is vulnerable to extreme events. Regional case studies (Sardinia, Apulia, Lombardia-Ticino Park) highlight widespread dieback and mortality in oak stands and the role of pathogens such as Phytophthora spp. and Diplodia corticola in exacerbating the negative impact of extreme drought events. Sustainable management should enhance genetic diversity and select resilient genotypes, integrating either ground and remote sensing monitoring. The concluding roundtable proposed establishing a National Technical Board to coordinate monitoring, training, and adaptive strategies, aligned with the National Forest Strategy. This body should ensure multidisciplinarity, stakeholder representation, and operational capacity, leveraging national, regional, and EU resources to counter the growing risk of resilience loss in Italian oak forests.

The relevance of field monitoring of soil respiration is beyond doubt and is determined by the significance of this process in assessing the biological activity of soils and the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the dominance of manual measurements, the patterns of daily and seasonal dynamics of soil respiration, especially at night and in the cold season, are poorly understood. The work uses a new approach that allows fully automating field monitoring of soil respiration in order to identify patterns of its multi-scale dynamics in the annual cycle. The know-how of the approach consisted in using soil chambers periodically purged with atmospheric air with built-in low-cost CO2 loggers HT-401/5, recording the dynamics of CO2 concentrations every minute. Purging with atmospheric air brought the chamber concentration of CO2 to the background level, after which the compressor was turned off, and the logger recorded the trend of CO2 accumulation due to soil respiration, used for the standard calculation of the CO2 flux according to the linear model for a closed chamber. The results of continuous automatic monitoring of CO2 fluxes at the stationary site of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Serebryanobor experimental forestry on cultivated sod-podzolic sandy loam soil (loamy sand Cambisol) under blue spruce (Picea pungens, Engelm.) during 2024–2025 with two cold seasons showed the significance of night soil respiration in the daily cycle and respiration in the cold period of the year from November to March in the annual cycle, as well as the role of the temperature factor in multi-scale dynamics of soil respiration, which is of interest for predictive empirical models of this process in a changing climate.

This study reports the breeding history and main characteristics of a new chestnut (Castanea crenata Siebold & Zucc.) cultivar, 'EePi No. 2', developed by the National Institute of Forest Science in Korea.'EePi No. 2' originated from a cross between 'Riheiguri' and 'Ganne' in 2000, and was first selected in 2007, followed by secondary selection from 2008 to 2011.From 2012 to 2015, a series of stability tests for fruit traits were conducted, confirming its distinct characteristics.The cultivar was used for plant variety protection in November 2015 (Application No. 2015-25) and was officially registered in January 2024 under Registration No. 338.'EePi No. 2' is classified as a mid-to late-maturing cultivar, with a harvest period from late September to early October.The average nut weight is 30.1 g, with a soluble solid content of 12.35%, and the pellicle removal rate was 90.5%.Compared to the control cultivar 'Daebo,' 'EePi No. 2' produces larger nuts with superior pellicle removability, making it suitable for roasted chestnuts and fresh consumption.These results suggest that 'EePi No. 2' is a promising new cultivar that can contribute to the production of high-quality chestnuts and the expansion of consumer markets (Registration No. 338).

Simulation in Forest Engineering: Planning the Next Generation of Forest Operations and Logistics for the Challenges of the XXI Century

Skilled operation of forestry harvesters is essential for ensuring safety, efficiency, and sustainability in logging practices. However, conventional training methods are often prohibitively expensive and limited by access to specialized equipment. This study delivers one of the first user-centered validations of a low-cost, VR HMD-based forestry harvester simulator, directly addressing access and scalability barriers in training. With 26 participants, we quantify cognitive load, usability, user experience, and simulator sickness using established instruments. An increase in cognitive load was seen from baseline tutorial to each training module (NASA-TLX: 18.65→34.26→38.43; rm-ANOVA, p < 0.001). Usability was ‘Good’ (with a mean SUS score: 76.63), hedonic UX ranked in the top decile (UEQ-S), and simulator sickness was moderate (mean SSQ score: 28.91), while task success remained high across all modules. These results indicate early-stage feasibility and usability of a low-cost VR HMD harvester simulator for student-focused introductory instruction, and they provide actionable design guidance (e.g., managing extraneous load, comfort safeguards) advancing evidence-based VR HMD-based training in the forest engineering and harvesting domain. Our findings validate the potential of VR-HMD as a tool for forestry education capable of addressing training accessibility gaps and enhancing learner motivation through immersive experiential learning.

The article presented is part of a doctoral research defended and validated in the career of Engineering in Forest Sciences, of the National University of Forestry Sciences (UNACIFOR). It provides a review of references that have studied competencies in Higher Education from theoretical, methodological and normative perspectives, with emphasis on their application to contexts of the training of professionals in the Honduran Forestry Sector, in order to support the design of the competency-based graduation profile of the Forestry Science Engineer of the UNACIFOR. Honduras. The method applied in this research was documentary review, through the systematic analysis of academic sources, curricular development regulations and the legal framework that regulates the Honduran Forestry Sector. The main findings show: a) the need for greater coherence between the competency approach, the graduation profile and the legal framework of the Honduran forestry sector, b) assuming conceptual, procedural and attitudinal competencies as the articulating axis of forestry training and the UNACIFOR; and c) the insufficient deepening of procedural competencies in the current exit profile, which required their strengthening in order to respond effectively to the challenges demanded by the forestry sector. As a result, a conceptual model of the graduate profile based on competencies is proposed, which integrates epistemological, pedagogical and legal components, in addition to aligning with the approaches proposed by UNESCO and the Tuning Latin America Project. In conclusion, an aligned, responsible, coherent, relevant and committed graduate profile is proposed with the State and society, responding to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the current demanded by the Forestry Sector in line with current trends.

New editorial team and changed publication process for Annals of Forest Science

Based on the MODIS satellite data and the database of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences, we have determined the areas of peat fires occurred in Moscow oblast from 2001 to 2023. The peat fires were mainly located in disturbed peatlands where peat extraction had been carried out. We have assessed greenhouse gas emissions from these fires before and after a large-scaled peatland rewetting project was implemented in the region. The calculation of emissions for the 1535 ha Radovitsky Moss pilot site showed that after its rewetting in 2010, the amount of emissions decreased by 34 t CO2-eq/(ha year). The developed methodological approach can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of climate projects.

This article presents the results and summary of the most important and interesting reports from the IX All-Russian (with international participation) scientific conference “Aerospace Methods and Geoinformation Technologies in Forest Science, Forestry, and Ecology”, held April 15-17, 2025, in Moscow at the Isaev Centre for Forest Ecology and Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences (CEPF RAS). Over the three days of the conference, 60 reports were presented on promising areas of using remote sensing methods and GIS technologies in various aspects of forest ecosystem studies. The 130 participants represented research and educational organizations, as well as commercial companies from Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. The plenary sessions covered important topics related to the assessment of large-scale changes in Russian forests using space monitoring data: the dynamics of species and age structure, forest damage from fires, and pyrogenic carbon emissions from forests. Considerable attention was also paid to the potential for predicting forest insect outbreaks using satellite data and the need for remote monitoring of forest reforestation on abandoned agricultural lands in Russia. A significant number of sectional presentations were devoted to the challenges and prospects of using aerial imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), airborne and terrestrial laser scanning, web application development, information and analytical systems, and automated services for monitoring forest vegetation changes to assess forest characteristics. Conference participants proposed recommendations for improving remote monitoring systems and noted significant progress in the development and use of artificial intelligence for recognizing tree crowns, clear-cut areas, forest infrastructure facilities, and other features using remote sensing data. A collection of abstracts from the conference was prepared electronically and posted on the website of the scientific electronic library Elibrary. Information about the IX All-Russian Scientific Conference, including the program, collection of materials, video broadcasts of plenary and sectional sessions, and presentations of papers, is available at https://cepl.rssi.ru/confs/ASGIS2025/.

High-resolution data of individual trees are critical for advancing forest monitoring, inventory development, and ecological research. This dataset, BioDiv-3DTrees, comprises 4,952 individual tree point clouds of 19 species, captured using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Laser Scanning (ULS), along with 3,386 Quantitative Structure Models (QSMs) and graph representations of the 14 broadleafed species in the dataset. The trees were sampled across the three research areas of the Biodiversity Exploratories in Germany. Each tree is linked to an existing open-access forest inventory dataset, which includes species identity, diameter at breast height (DBH), and tree height. The dataset is suitable for various research applications, including biomass estimation, algorithm development, tree structure analysis, and data fusion with traditional inventory methods. All QSMs were generated using TreeQSM 2.4.1 and have been validated for tree height, diameter at breast height and crown projection area against their underlying point clouds to ensure consistency. The dataset provides a reliable and scalable resource for forest science and remote sensing communities.

Dust pollution poses significant environmental challenges, affecting plant growth and ecosystem stability in both natural and managed environments. Eucalyptus camaldulensis, commonly known as the River Red Gum, is an important tree species due to its rapid growth, adaptability, and widespread use in reforestation and land reclamation programs. This study was designed to evaluate the growth potential and physiological responses of Eucalyptus camaldulensis under different levels and sources of dust pollution. A pot experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Institute of Forest Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Five treatments were applied, including T1 (Control), T2 (Charcoal dust), T3 (Wood dust), T4 (Soil dust), and T5 (Cement dust), each with three replicates to ensure statistical reliability. The results showed that dust pollution significantly affected plant physiological performance, while Eucalyptus camaldulensis exhibited moderate tolerance under stress conditions. The maximum chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents (0.94 mg g⁻¹ FW and 0.67 mg g⁻¹ FW, respectively) were recorded in the control treatment (T1), whereas the minimum values (0.52 mg g⁻¹ FW and 0.41 mg g⁻¹ FW, respectively) were observed under charcoal dust (T2). Overall, charcoal dust was the most harmful treatment, followed by cement, soil, and wood dust in terms of negative effects on physiological attributes. This study highlights the potential role of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in mitigating dust pollution impacts. The findings provide useful insights into plant stress physiology and support its application in environmental management, urban plantations, and ecological restoration programs.

Dialogue among forest actors determines the success of sustainable forest management. However, for such dialogue to be fruitful, common concepts must be shared and agreed among different parties. Hence, we aimed to understand how the concept of “tropical timber species” is created and shared among forest actors, using the Amazon region as a study case. A systematic review in Web of Science and Scopus (1980-2023) was carried out to identify different definitions of tropical timber species. In addition, a survey was conducted among forest administrations to elucidate how the concept of timber species is used by each national authority. Results were categorized and compared with definitions of timber species by international forest organizations such as FAO and ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization). The systematic review detected a surprisingly low number of scientific papers (31) mentioning a definition of timber species. Four main thematic categories associated with the timber species concept were identified: economical, ecological, aesthetic and wood properties. Meanwhile, all forest administrations mentioned the lack of official concept or definition on timber species. However, both forest scientists and policymakers associated similar thematic categories to the concept of timber species. In addition, responses from national departments did not align with timber species definitions by international organizations. In all, while common ground was identified among different forest actors, such understanding is not included in official documentations, and the lack of consistent definitions is likely to be a factor inhibiting the effective application of science-based sustainable forest management in the Amazon

Tree diversity, community structure and aboveground biomass of a lowland dipterocarp forest of Western Ghats, India

Competition for limited resources is a key driver of forest structure and dynamics. While growth dominance and tree size inequality are widely used to describe competitive interactions, their relationship remains poorly understood in managed forests. This study examines the links between growth dominance, tree size inequality, stocking density, and climatic conditions in silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) dominated stands. Using data from circular 109 plots established across four sites in Germany, Italy, and Poland, and incre­ment cores from 386 silver fir and 77 European beech trees, we fitted generalized additive models (GAM) to reconstruct individual tree growth and a piecewise structural equation model (SEM) to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of stand structure and climate aridity on growth dominance. The fitted GAMs showed moderate to high explanatory power (adjusted R² = 0.48–0.77). The SEM ex­plained a substantial proportion of variance in growth dominance (marginal R² = 0.57). Growth dominance increased strongly with tree size inequality (standardized estimate = 0.635), while climate aridity reduced it directly (–0.321) and indirectly through negative effects on tree size inequality (–0.324) and stocking density (–0.404). The total effect of climate aridity on growth dominance was substantial (–0.472). These findings demonstrate that growth dominance is an emergent property shaped by resource competi­tion, disturbance, and management legacies. Recognizing this is crucial for forest science and management, as it helps disentangle competition modes and highlights the need to integrate stand structure and com­petitive dynamics into silvicultural planning to sustain the stability and productivity of silver fir dominated stands.

Under climate change, the importance of ecosystem monitoring has been repeatedly emphasized over the past decades. Leaf Area Index (LAI), a key ecosystem variable linking the atmosphere and rhizosphere, has been widely studied through various LAI measurement methods. As satellite-based LAI products continue to advance, the demand for extensive and periodic in situ LAI observations has also increased. In this study, we evaluated the combinations of binarization techniques and temporal filtering to reduce variability in an automatic in situ LAI observation network using fisheye lens imagery, which was established by the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS). Compared to the widely used methods such as Otsu thresholding (Otsu) and K-means clustering (K-means), the deep learning (DL) method showed more stable LAI time series under field conditions. Under different illumination conditions, mean LAI values fluctuated significantly—from 0.89 to 3.15—depending on image acquisition time. Furthermore, sixteen temporal filtering methods were tested to identify a reasonable range of LAI values, with optimal post-processing strategies suggested: seven-day moving average for maximum LAI (LAI different range among filtering methods −6.1~−1.5) and a three-day moving average excluding rainy days for minimum LAI (LAI different range among filtering methods 0~0.9). This study highlights uncertainties in canopy classification methods, the effects of acquisition timing and lighting, and the necessity of outlier filtering in automatic LAI networks. Despite these challenges, the need for automated LAI observation system is growing, particularly in complex and fragmented forests such as those found in South Korea.

Forest ecosystems are critically important for biodiversity, carbon storage, climate regulation, and socio-economic services. This review examines the transformative role of technological infrastructure in sustainable forest management. Focusing on innovation and methodology, it evaluates the applications of technologies such as remote sensing, GIS, UAVs, IoT, artificial intelligence, and digital twins in forest engineerng applications, forest inventory, fire management, biodiversity monitoring, and decision support systems through a systematic literature review. The results reveal that these technologies enable a transition to a data-driven, proactive, and effective management paradigm. However, significant challenges such as cost, the digital divide, human resources, and ethical limitations persist. The article provides strategic recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and forest managers and discusses the contributions of technology-integrated forest engineering and management to socio-economic and ecological sustainability.

This study investigates how university students perceive the ecosystem services provided by gardens, utilizing Q methodology to categorize subjective viewpoints and analyze distinct perception types. Thirty-two students majoring in forest and landscape architecture at Wonkwang University (Iksan, Republic of Korea) participated, sorting 30 Q-statements each for provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Principal component analysis identified three factors for provisioning and regulating services, and two factors for cultural and supporting services. The findings reveal that students’ perceptions are primarily based on generalized, idealized expectations, while their understanding of specific practices, such as food production, distribution, and community economic integration, remains insufficient. This indicates that their perceptions are more conceptual than practical, reflecting themes such as eco-friendly resource sharing, environmental regulation, nature experience, biodiversity enhancement, and sustainability. These results suggest the need for enhanced educational efforts to improve students’ understanding of the role of ecosystem services in urban contexts. The study highlights the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical recognition to foster more comprehensive perceptions, ultimately informing future garden design, management strategies, and environmental education programs.

Against the backdrop of advancing ecological civilization and increasing public interest in reconnecting with nature, this study examines fireflies—iconic insects cherished for their natural charm—as valuable landscape resources. This study was conducted in Dalingshan Forest Park, Dongguan (Pearl River Delta), using the Forest Science Trail as a sampling site. Surveys combining line transect and point count methods were employed to analyze firefly species composition, adult activity patterns, and flight characteristics. Key findings include: (1) Four species were identified—Asymmetricata circumdata, Pygoluciola qingyu, Aquatica analis, and Luciola satoi—three of which were observed along the trail; (2) Adults appeared sporadically after 19:00, with peak activity occurring between 19:30 and 20:00, showing minor interspecific variation; (3) Although flight height varied slightly among species, most activities concentrated within 0–1.5 m, corresponding to herbaceous and shrub layers; (4) Distinct flight patterns were observed: A. circumdata displayed prolonged intermittent flights, while P. qingyu and L. satoi exhibited shorter perching-based flights. These results provide a scientific basis for firefly habitat conservation, biodiversity promotion, and the sustainable integration of firefly landscapes into nature education and ecotourism.

Abstract Damage to crops is a major cause of human–elephant conflict (HEC) in elephant range states. Elephant crop raiding drives farmers' resentment against elephants and reduces local community support for wildlife conservation. While elephant crop raiding ecology is well studied, further investigations on HEC mitigation strategies are still needed. Thus, there is a need to focus on less investigated areas, such as the physiological drivers of elephant crop‐raiding behaviour, using multidisciplinary sciences. Two physiological proxies, gastrointestinal parasite infestations (GPI) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations, common in animal ecophysiology, were used to help understand differences or motivations in the preferences of crops by elephant raiders. The results show, for the first time, that forest elephants may increase the frequency of crop raiding according to GPI, indicating a self‐medication behaviour. Increases in parasitism prevalence (PP) and parasitism intensity (PI) in sampled boluses led to 28% and 0.16% more intakes of all crops, respectively. Parasitism prevalence (PP) increases in elephant boluses also led to 16% and 25% more bananas and papaya intakes, respectively, while PI increases in boluses led to 0.1% more intakes of both bananas and papaya plants. No such predictions were found for other crops (cassava and palm plant), nor for natural food species intakes. Furthermore, fGCM concentrations were not related to elephant crop raiding. Results highlight a trade‐off between the benefit of elephants raiding crops and the danger of encountering farmers by adopting nocturnal crop‐raiding behaviours. Practical implication . We propose that elephants may choose specific plant parts while raiding crops as a self‐medication behaviour. We further discuss the importance of forest elephant conservation as they are not only forest engineers but also appear to be self‐medication specialists, which could possibly help humans cope with present and future health issues. Further understanding of that self‐medication behaviour can help communities cohabiting with forest elephants to focus on the broader health benefits rather than solely on the immediate issue of crop damage.

Founded in 1995, the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) has promoted scientific rigour, inclusivity and collaboration to advance forest sciences in Italy. SISEF supports early-career researchers through initiatives such as its biennial congresses, which provide a platform for scientific exchange and collaboration at national and international levels. Recently, SISEF has expanded its activities to encompass urban forestry and supported the establishment of the AlberItalia Foundation. This foundation focuses on mitigating climate change through nature-based solutions, large-scale tree planting and civic engagement in reforestation and forest stewardship. SISEF has also provided scientific expertise in developing the National Forest Strategy, which was approved in 2022 and provides a framework for sustainable forest management in Italy. Through its platinum open access journals, Forest@ and iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, SISEF promotes the dissemination of scientific knowledge. As it marks its thirtieth anniversary, SISEF remains committed to addressing both current and emerging challenges in sustainable forest management, as well as contributing to broader efforts to address climate change.