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The Special Issue "Impact of climate warming and disturbances on forest ecosystems" underscores the critical importance of understanding how forests respond to these environmental challenges and the legacy of past management practices. Forest ecosystems are facing significant challenges due to ongoing climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and increased frequency of extreme events. The rapid pace of climate change is altering disturbance patterns and the adaptability of forests, which have a direct impact on ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being. This Special Issue features 11 research papers from nine countries. Some key outputs from these research papers include evidence on how climate change is already impacting forest ecosystems. For instance, the climatic envelope of many forest species has shifted due to global warming, making species more vulnerable, especially in lower elevations and at the edges of their distribution. Urgent adaptive measures in forest management are necessary to address this challenge. Climate change also affects vegetation phenology, tree growth, stand productivity, reproduction rates, and stand regeneration. Remote sensing data and ecological modeling techniques play a crucial role in monitoring and understanding these changes, especially in remote regions where field measurements are limited. The rising frequency and intensity of extreme events like droughts, windstorms, and forest fires require enhanced prediction and automatic monitoring. Leveraging machine learning tools and remote sensing data is imperative. This Special Issue provides insights into the intricate relationships among forests, climate change, and human interventions. We provide further research recommendations for the quantification and automated monitoring of forest fires and the management of forests to better withstand storms and increase their resilience to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in global temperature, the global change situation dominated by climate warming is becoming more and more serious. Climate change will cause differences in the suitable areas of species in different periods. Ginkgo biloba L., a rare and endangered wild plant protected at the national level in China, is the oldest relict plant in the world. Because of severe climate change, only China's wild Ginkgo biloba has been preserved, yet China's wild Ginkgo biloba population is facing extinction risk. Ginkgo biloba has rich ornamental value, application value, economic value, medicinal value and ecological value. Not only can it produce economic and ecological benefits, but it can also produce huge social benefits. Based on the data of Ginkgo biloba sample distribution, bioclimatic variables and soil variables, this paper uses the MaxEnt model to simulate Ginkgo biloba suitable area under current and future different climate scenarios, and analyzes the changes in the potential suitable area of Ginkgo biloba in the future through ArcGIS 10.6. The results are as follows: (1) the results simulated by the MaxEnt model are AUC > 0.9, showing that the simulation results have a high accuracy; (2) the min temperature of the coldest month, precipitation of the wettest month, elevation, and temperature seasonality are the main environmental variables affecting the change in the Ginkgo biloba suitable area; (3) under future climate scenarios, the suitable area of Ginkgo biloba is predicted to expand in the future, covering most of the south and some northeast regions, and moderate temperature and precipitation changes under climate change are conducive for the growth of Ginkgo biloba; and (4) in the future, the distribution center of the suitable area will move to the northeast. According to the conclusions in this paper, it is expected to provide theoretical reference for cultivation and management, sustainable utilization and solution of ecological environment problems of Ginkgo biloba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence patterns of forest insect pests and diseases have been altered by global events such as climate change. Recent developments in improved monitoring methods and tools for data analyses provide new opportunities to understand the causes and consequences of such changes. Using a variety of management tools, forest pest management programs can mitigate the influence of global changes on forest health. The goal of this Special Issue is to improve our understanding of the root causes of changes that have induced global changes. Fifteen papers are included in this Special Issue, covering several issues in forest pest management. One paper reviews the causes of Korean oak wilt, and another paper discusses fourteen invasive tree pests in Russia. The remaining thirteen papers cover issues related to the monitoring and management of forest pests. These studies provide a better understanding of the causes of change in the patterns of forest pests under the influence of global changes. These reviews also contribute to the development of forest-pest-management strategies to mitigate such impacts on forests due to global changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest soils are considered the largest carbon and nitrogen pools in soil organic matter among terrestrial ecosystems, and soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are normally affected by climate change and human activity. The collection of recent research on this scientific theme would provide a basis for understanding the responses of soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems to climate change and human activity. A Special Issue was, thus, organized to discuss recent research achievements, including a total of nine research articles and one review. This Special Issue includes the effects of climate changes such as changes in throughfall, snow cover, and permafrost degradation; human activities such as nitrogen and/or phosphorus addition and the use of biochar; and soil–plant interactions on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems. Although this collection of papers reflects only a small part of this scientific theme, it can, to some extent, provide a basis for understanding some important research aspects related to the future of forest soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in a changing world, thereby enabling sustainable development and the mitigation of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxus chinensis var. mairei is an endangered tree species endemic to China; it has important ornamental, timber, and medicinal value. In this work, based on a MaxEnt model, the Jiangnan hilly region was used as the study area, and geographic, climatic, soil, and vegetation data were synthesized to simulate the present area of suitable habitat for T. chinensis; the key environmental factors that constrain its habitat expansion were also explored. Additionally, the potential future distribution of this species under different climate-change scenarios was predicted. The results showed that the six variables making the highest contribution to T. chinensis habitat suitability were the precipitation of the warmest quarter (14.2%), precipitation seasonality variation coefficient (9.1%), aspect (8.2%), altitude (8%), maximum temperature of the warmest month (7.4%), and base saturation (6.6%). Ideal areas have middle elevations, northeastern or northwestern slopes, warmest quarterly precipitation of 508.3–629.2 mm, maximum temperature in the warmest month of 34.6–35.9 °C, and relatively moist soil. The current area of suitable habitat is 6.09 × 105 km2, of which the area of high suitability is 7.56 × 104 km2; this is mainly concentrated in the southwestern part of Hunan, the southwestern part of Jiangxi Province, and the northern part of Zhejiang. Under the SSP2-4.5 climate scenario, the area of high habitat suitability increases; under both the SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios, the suitable habitat area expands similarly. The direction of the center-of-mass migration of T. chinensis under different climate scenarios is somewhat different from that caused by the uncertainty of human activities and climate warming. This paper clarifies the distribution of suitable habitat and future potential for T. chinensis in the Jiangnan hilly region, providing a theoretical basis for habitat management of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought intensity and frequency have increased in recent years, which poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, especially in the context of global climate change. This paper is aimed at summarizing the current state of research and global development trends regarding drought-induced tree mortality mechanisms in tree physiology. Developing a robust literature foundation will facilitate in-depth research and foster the exchange of knowledge related to this subject. A literature review was conducted using tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix R-package to review the literature from the Web of Science's core database from 1985 to 2023. We intend to determine the current state and evolution of global research on drought-induced tree mortality mechanisms. The results reveal that research on drought-induced tree mortality mechanisms gained momentum predominantly in the last two decades, with a marked surge post-2012. The United States is the epicenter of research, leading the global scientific community with its preeminence in publication volume, citation rates, and the scope of collaborative networks, with China in close pursuit. Tree Physiology stands out as the leading journal in this domain, boasting 129 articles. McDowell NG emerges as the most prolific author, with an H-index of 41, underscoring his influence in the field. There is a clear upward trend in collaborations spanning authors, journals, research institutions, and countries. The analysis of frequently cited keywords and topic evolution suggests that drought and tree mortality will likely remain key research areas for the foreseeable future. The future of research on drought-induced tree mortality mechanisms in physiology is promising, as it emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches and global collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is among the most valuable conifers in Europe for ecological and economic reasons. Throughout the course of history, primarily in the 20th century, its share in stands has been declining due to ill-suited management practices, especially clear-cut management, air pollution (SO2 and NOX emissions), and wildlife-induced damage. This literature review compiles findings from 338 scientific papers. It describes futures for silver fir and its distribution, ecological requirements, threats and diseases, seed production and nurseries, and forest management practices with emphasis on ongoing climate change. Based on recent knowledge of fir ecology and population dynamics, small-scale shelterwood and selection management have been introduced in fir stands, which have also stabilized them. Fir is an essential species for maintaining high stability and biodiversity, especially on planosols and in waterlogged habitats. Owing to its shade tolerance and environmental plasticity, it can coexist very well with many tree species in mixtures, which can increase the productive potential of stands within the natural range in Europe. The average stand volume of mature fir stands ranges from 237–657 m3 ha−1. For its successful natural regeneration, it is essential to reduce cloven-hoofed game and thus prevent bud browsing damage. The attractiveness of fir in terms of heavy browsing is the highest of all conifers (52% damage). On the other hand, fir is a species relatively resistant to bark stripping and the spread of secondary rot compared with Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). Under global climate change, fir is expected to shift to higher elevations with sufficient precipitation, while in the southern part of its natural range or at lower elevations, outside water-influenced habitats, it is likely to decline. Climate change is intricately linked to the heightened prevalence of forest pathogens with significant damage potential in Europe, necessitating careful consideration and strategic adaptation within management practices of fir forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palms (OP) produce palm oil, a unique commodity without commercial alternatives. A serious disease of OP is basal stem rot (BSR) caused by Ganoderma boninense Pat. Climate change will likely increase BSR, thereby causing mortality of OP and reduced yields of palm oil. Work is being undertaken to produce modified OP (mOP) to resist BSR, although this will take decades for full development, if successfully produced at all. mOP will not be 100% effective, and it would be useful to know the effect of mOP on the key parameters of BSR incidence, OP mortality, and yield loss. The current paper employed CLIMEX modeling of suitable climates for OP and modeling narratives for Indonesia and Thailand. Indonesia is the largest producer of OP and Thailand is a much smaller manufacturer, and it was informative to compare these two countries. The gains from using mOP were substantial compared to the current production of some other continents and countries. The current paper, for the first time, assessed how climate change will affect BSR parameters for conventional and mOP. Greater consideration of the potential benefits of mOP is required to justify investing in the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, forest ecosystems, especially subtropical forests, play a central role in biogeochemical cycles and climate regulation, demonstrating their irreplaceable function. The subtropical region of China, characterized by its unique forest ecosystem, complex terrain, climate heterogeneity, diverse vegetation types, and frequent human activities, underscores the importance of the in-depth study of its net primary productivity (NPP). This paper employs the eddy covariance–light use efficiency (EC-LUE) model to quantitatively estimate the gross primary productivity (GPP) of this region from 2001 to 2018, followed by an estimation of the actual net primary productivity (ANPP) using the carbon use efficiency (CUE). The results showed that over these 18 years, the annual average ANPP was 677.17 gC m−2 a−1, exhibiting an overall increasing trend, particularly in mountainous areas, reserves, and the cultivated lands of the northeastern plains, whereas a significant decrease was observed around the urban agglomerations on the southeast coast. Furthermore, the Thornthwaite memorial model was applied to calculate the potential net primary productivity (PNPP), and diverse scenarios were set to quantitatively evaluate the impact of climate change and human activities on the vegetation productivity in the study area. It was found that in areas where the ANPP increased, both human activities and climate change jointly influenced ANPP dynamics; in areas with a decreased ANPP, the impact of human activities was particularly significant. Additionally, the heterogeneous distribution of ANPP across different altitudinal gradients and the driving effects of various climatic factors were analyzed. Finally, a partial correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between the temperature, precipitation, and ANPP. This study indicated that temperature and precipitation have a substantial impact on the growth and distribution of vegetation in the region, yet the extent of this influence shows considerable variation among different areas. This provides a robust scientific basis for further research and understanding of the carbon dynamics of subtropical forest ecosystems and their role in the global carbon cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has affected vegetation cover in alpine areas. In this paper, we analyzed the correlation between Leaf Area Index (LAI) and climate factors of the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin, and identified their contributions using the quantitative analysis method. The results show that the vegetation cover in the study area generally exhibited an increasing trend. Grassland in the middle- and high-altitude areas was the main contributing area. Temperature is the dominant climatic factor affecting the change, the effect of which increases with the rise in elevation. The influences of precipitation and radiation had obvious seasonality and regionality. The vegetation illustrated a lag response to climate drivers. With the change in the elevation band, the response time to precipitation was significantly less than that to air temperature in the low-elevation area, while the opposite trend was observed in the high-elevation area. In the future, the LAI of the watershed will show different characteristics at different time points, with the increases in the LAI in autumn and winter becoming the main factors for the future increase in the LAI. This provides a crucial basis upon which to explore hydrological and ecological processes as important components of the Third Pole region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate warming has profoundly affected terrestrial ecosystems. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is an ecologically vulnerable region that emerged as an ideal place for investigating the mechanisms of vegetation response to climate change. In this study, we constructed an annual synthetic NDVI dataset with 500 m resolution based on MOD13A1 products from 2000 to 2021, which were extracted by the Google Earth Engine (GEE) and processed by the Kalman filter. Furthermore, considering topographic and climatic factors, a thorough analysis was conducted to ascertain the causes and effects of the NDVI's spatiotemporal variations on the TP. The main findings are: (1) The vegetation coverage on the TP has been growing slowly over the past 22 years at a rate of 0.0134/10a, with a notable heterogeneity due to its topography and climate conditions. (2) During the study period, the TP generally showed a "warming and humidification" trend. The influence of human activities on vegetation growth has exhibited a favorable trajectory, with a notable acceleration observed since 2011. (3) The primary factor influencing NDVI in the southeastern and western regions of the TP was the increasing temperature. Conversely, vegetation in the northeastern and central regions was mostly regulated by precipitation. (4) Combined with the principal component analysis, a PCA-CNN-LSTM (PCL) model demonstrated significant superiority in modeling NDVI sequences on the Tibetan Plateau. Understanding the results of this paper is important for the sustainable development and the formulation of ecological policies on the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Windstorms are considered among the most impacting natural events for European forests and related Socio-Ecological Systems (SES). Given that their intensity and frequency are increasing, an in-depth understanding of their impacts is crucial to mitigate risks and potential negative effects. However, so far, scientific research on windstorm impacts has mainly focused on environmental dimensions, while socio-economic and institutional ones are rarely taken into consideration. Our analysis aims at enriching the current scientific knowledge on windstorm impacts on forest SES by providing an overview of the state-of-the-art academic investigations on windstorm impacts on socio-economic and institutional dimensions. Overall, 46 papers were reviewed to identify the most recurrent post-windstorm dynamics and drivers that influence resilience and adaptation of socio-economic, institutional and related governance dimensions of European forest SES. Results show that the current scientific knowledge on socio-economic impacts of windstorms mainly concentrates on forest-related stakeholders and sectors, paying little attention to the broader social, cultural and institutional drivers that contribute to forest SES resilience. Further, cascade effects linking environmental, social and institutional dimensions are poorly analyzed. This restricted focus could lead to an incomplete understanding of the dynamics shaping socio-economic adaptability to windstorms, affecting long-term and sustainable recovery from extreme natural events. To correctly frame effective, intersectoral and coordinated recovery strategies gaining a deeper understanding of human–environment interactions is needed, as well as acknowledging the positive influence of causal relationships in improving forest-related SES resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging an undeniable need for innovation, this paper offers a qualitative assessment for recognition and policy advocacy for superior innovations—for new wood products and processes offering more benefits and fewer drawbacks than other innovations. The paper highlights the irrationality of using the limited natural and human-made goods of the world to produce and consume inferior innovations, especially when they fail to mitigate or, in fact, contribute to worsening climate change. Raymond Williams' "structures of feeling" are used to disclose evaluative commitments associated with the "new" characteristic of industrialized and indigenous civilizations toward illuminating potential pathways for halting an otherwise seemingly unstoppable engine of climate change from pushing all of life on Earth over its precipice. Discussing how the "new" is always implicated in the "old," decision-making and design methods applicable over the whole of the value chain are proposed for generating "new" innovations and processes that are genuinely able to change the current world trajectory of our species. Future research is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests and forestry-related industries and ecosystem services play a critical role in the daily life of all societies, including in cultural, ecological, social, economic, and environmental aspects. Globally, there are about 4.1 billion hectares of forestland. In the United States, there are about 304 million hectares of forestland, covering about 34% of the total land area, and the forest product industry produces over USD 200 billion worth of forestry products annually. Evidence suggests these precious resources may be negatively impacted by climate change via direct and indirect processes, including wildfires, insect/pest pressure, drought, extreme storm events, increased air temperature, solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and other factors and variables that can be detrimental. All these can not only cause significant changes in the health and productivity of the forests, but can also cause the extinction, migration, and/or re-distribution of different tree species. Thus, humankind has the paramount responsibility to take policy, technologic, economic, environmental, and management decisions and actions to protect this vital resource for current and future generations, plants, and animals. This paper provides an overview of some of the important characteristics of forest environmental services, climate–environment–forest interactions with respect to forest health and productivity, climate change's impacts on forest species, and the utilization of forest biomass for high-value products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest carbon stock is an important indicator reflecting the structure of forest ecosystems and forest quality, and an important parameter for evaluating the carbon sequestration capacity and carbon balance of forests. It is of great significance to study forest carbon stock in the context of current global climate change. To explore the application ability of multi-loaded, high-resolution satellite data in the estimation of subtropical forest carbon stock, this paper takes Huangfu Mountain National Forest Park in Chuzhou City as the study area, extracts remote sensing features such as spectral features, texture features, backscattering coefficient, and other remote sensing features based on multi-loaded, high-resolution satellite data, and carries out correlation analyses with the carbon stock of different species of trees and different age groups of forests. Regression models for different tree species were established for different data sources, and the optimal modeling factors for multi-species were determined. Then, three algorithms, namely, multiple stepwise regression, random forest, and gradient-enhanced decision tree, were used to estimate carbon stocks of multi-species, and the predictive ability of different estimation models on carbon stocks was analyzed using the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) as indexes. The following conclusions were drawn: for the feature factors, the texture features of the GF-2 image, the new red edge index of the GF-6 image, the radar intensity coefficient sigma, and radar brightness coefficient beta of the GF-3 image have the best correlation with the carbon stock; for the algorithms, the random forest and gradient-boosting decision tree have the better effect of fitting and predicting the carbon stock of multi-tree species, among which gradient-boosting decision tree has the best effect, with an R2 of 0.902 and an RMSE of 10.261 t/ha. In summary, the combination of GF-2, GF-3, and GF-6 satellite data and gradient-boosting decision tree obtains the most accurate estimation results when estimating forest carbon stocks of complex tree species; multi-load, high-resolution satellite data can be used in the inversion of subtropical forest parameters to estimate the carbon stocks of subtropical forests. The multi-loaded, high-resolution satellite data have great potential for application in the field of subtropical forest parameter inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry offsets, recognized for their diverse environmental and social co-benefits, are gaining a growing interest as nature-based solutions to combat climate change. Despite Canada's extensive forest resources, its potential for carbon credit remains largely untapped. This study aims to unveil the prevailing challenges in developing forestry offsets in Canada and propose potential solutions, drawing on insights from in-depth semi-structured interviews (SSIs) with 23 experts in the field. A qualitative thematic analysis highlighted 14 challenges under four major frequently discussed themes: methodological (37%), social (29%), economic (22%), and implementation challenges (12%). Our findings highlighted the urgency of addressing key obstacles, including the impermanent nature of forestry carbon offsets, substantial public knowledge gaps, uncertainties in the cost-effectiveness impacting financial viability, and the need for enhanced capacity for project implementation. Building on the discussions on the identified challenges, this study further presented a comprehensive analysis of the future directions for Canada, emphasizing the importance of addressing key methodological issues, enhancing public and Indigenous education and engagement, and leveraging advanced technologies and innovative approaches like ton-year accounting for economic viability. This paper delivers pivotal insights that have the potential to shape the direction and integrity of the forestry offset markets in both Canada and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze economic perspectives of forest adaptation to risk attributes, caused mostly by climate change. We construct a database with 89 systematically chosen articles, dealing simultaneously with climate, adaptation, risk and economy. We classify the database with regard to 18 variables bearing on the characteristics of the paper, the description of the risk and the adaptation strategy, the topic and the corresponding results. To achieve a “high level-of-evidence”, we realize a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to identify which variables were found in combination with one other in the literature and make distinct groupings affecting adaptive decisions. We identify three groups: (i) profit and production; (ii) microeconomic risk-handling; and (iii) decision and behavior. The first group includes economic costs and benefits as the driver of adaptation and prioritizes simulation, and a mix of theoretical and empirical economic approach. The second group distinctly involves risk-related issues, in particular its management by adaptation. The third group gathers a large set of social and behavioral variables affecting management decisions collected through questionnaires. Such an approach allows the identification of gaps in the literature, concerning the impact of owners’ preferences towards risk and uncertainty regarding adaptation decisions, the fact that adaptation was often reduced in an attempt to adapt to the increasing risk of wildfire, or the existence of a regional bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has become a threat to humanity, and achieving carbon neutrality is a worldwide objective. Forests are significant natural carbon sinks; forest ecosystems are one of the effective ways to mitigate climate change, and professional management may effectively contribute to achieving carbon neutrality goals. Using the bibliometrix R-package in R and CiteSpace for bibliometric analysis of research areas from general statistics and knowledge base perspectives, this study systematically reviewed the status, evolution, and research hotspots of forest management in the context of carbon neutrality based on 6112 papers published in this research area between 2002 and 2022. The results revealed: (1) The research on forest management in the context of carbon neutrality has rapidly developed with a high level of attention between 2002–2022. Furthermore, this field of research has become a well-established discipline. (2) Throughout the research history, there were five main research hotspots, which were the function of forest carbon sinks, scientific and rational forest management, forest ecosystem services, assessment of forest carbon sinks, and forest management models. (3) Potential future research avenues include the development of a new model of forest management in the context of carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions has a direct impact on the sustainable development of human society and has gained widespread concern globally. Biological carbon sequestration measures, mainly forests, are conducive to improving the ecological carbon sink capacity and play an important role in mitigating global climate change. Therefore, assessing the efficiency of forest carbon storage (FCS) is key. In view of the lack of evaluation methods for forest carbon storage efficiency (FCSE) on a large spatial scale and long time series, a method based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was proposed in this paper. The FCS was calculated using the forest storage expansion method, and the FCSE was calculated using the DEA-Malmquist index to solve the dynamic balance between regional forestry economic input and carbon storage output efficiency. The FCSE in Chinese provinces was analyzed. The results showed that from 1999 to 2018, China's FCS increased annually, from 7558.34 million tons to 9476.73 million tons, and the spatial distribution pattern of total FCS was always different among regions. The average TFP value of FCSE was 1.089, which proves that the FCSE in China has been on the rise in the past 20 years, but the efficiency growth differed between provinces and was affected by different factors such as technical efficiency and technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With global warming, the frequency, intensity, and period of extreme climates in more areas will probably increase in the twenty first century. However, the impact of climate extremes on forest vulnerability and the mechanisms by which forests adapt to climate extremes are not clear. The eastern Tianshan Mountains, set within the arid and dry region of Central Asia, is very sensitive to climate change. In this paper, the response of Picea schrenkiana and Larix sibirica to climate fluctuations and their stability were analyzed by Pearson's correlation based on the observation of interannual change rates of climate indexes in different periods. Additionally, their ecological adaptability to future climate change was explored by regression analysis of climate factors and a selection of master control factors using the Lasso model. We found that the climate has undergone significant changes, especially the temperature, from 1958 to 2012. Around 1985, various extreme climate indexes had obvious abrupt changes. The research results suggested that: (1) the responses of the two tree species to extreme climate changed significantly after the change in temperature; (2) Schrenk spruce was more sensitive than Siberian larch to extreme climate change; and (3) the resistance of Siberian larch was higher than that of Schrenk spruce when faced with climate disturbance events. These results indicate that extreme climate changes will significantly interfere with the trees radial growth. At the same time, scientific management and maintenance measures are taken for different extreme weather events and different tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of forest height over a large area is beneficial to reduce the uncertainty of forest carbon sink estimation, which is of great significance to the terrestrial carbon cycle, global climate change, forest resource management, and forest-related scientific research. Forest height inversion using polarimetric interferometry synthetic aperture radar (PolInSAR) data through Random volume over ground (RVoG) models has demonstrated great potential for large-area forest height mapping. However, the wavelength and baseline length used for the PolInSAR data acquisition plays an important role during the forest height estimation procedure. In this paper, X–, C–, L–, and P–band PolInSAR datasets with four different baseline lengths were simulated and applied to explore the effects of wavelength and baseline length on forest height inversion using RVoG models. Hierarchical Bayesian models developed with a likelihood function of RVoG model were developed for estimated results uncertainty quantification and decrease. Then a similar procedure was applied in the L– and P–band airborne PolInSAR datasets with three different baselines for each band. The results showed that (1) Wavelength showed obvious effects on forest height inversion results with the RVoG model. For the simulated PolInSAR datasets, the L– and P–bands performed better than the X– and C–bands. The best performance was obtained at the P–band with a baseline combination of 10 × 4 m with an absolute error of 0.05 m and an accuracy of 97%. For the airborne PolInSAR datasets, an L–band with the longest baseline of 24 m in this study showed the best performance with R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 3.32 m, and Acc. = 77.78%. (2) It is crucial to select suitable baseline lengths to obtain accurate forest height estimation results. In the four baseline combinations of simulated PolInSAR datasets, the baseline combination of 10 × 4 m both at the L– and P–bands performed best than other baseline combinations. While for the airborne PolInSAR datasets, the longest baseline in three different baselines obtained the highest accuracy at both L– and P–bands. (3) Bayesian framework is useful for estimation results uncertainty quantification and decrease. The uncertainties related to wavelength and baseline length. The uncertainties were reduced obviously at longer wavelengths and suitable baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has caused vulnerability not only to the forest ecosystem but also to forest-dependent communities. Therefore, its management is essential to increase forest ecosystem services and reduce vulnerability to climate change using an integrated approach. Although many scientific studies examined climate change impact on forest ecosystems, forest vulnerability assessment, including forest sensitivity, adaptability, sustainability and effective management was found to be scant in the existing literature. Through a systematic review from 1990 to 2019, this paper examined forest vulnerability to climate change and its management practices. In this paper, descriptive, mechanism and thematic analyses were carried out to analyze the state of existing research, in order to understand the concept of vulnerability arising from climate change and forest management issues. The present study proposed a framework for integrated forest assessment and management for addressing such issues in future research. The conversion of forest land into other land uses, forest fragmentation, forest disturbance and the effects of climate change on the forest ecosystem are the existing problems. Forest vulnerability, effective adaptation to forest ecosystems and long-term sustainability are priority areas for future research. This study also calls for undertaking researchers at a local scale to involve communities for the effective management of forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are under stress due to variety of climatic and non-climatic factors. Therefore for suitably managing the forests, vulnerability of the forests needs to be understood. The present paper attempts to estimate the vulnerability of various temperate forests of Western Himalaya due to climate change by analyzing the patterns of different taxonomical indices, based on primary data i.e., vegetation data. The paper presents a novel approach for climate change vulnerability assessment based on field data through a bottom-up approach. The vulnerability of the forests was assessed through the IPCC framework by suitably selecting indicators (taxonomy indices and climatic parameters) for the three dimensions of vulnerability i.e., exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The field data were collected from 17 different temperate forests distributed at the elevation "1600 to 3500 m" in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, India. Abundance and richness for each forest were collected by randomly laying ten quadrats of size 0.1 ha each. The analysis resulted into identifying the most and the least vulnerable temperate forests of the western Himalaya to climate change. The analysis showed that the Neoza Pine; Moist Deodar; Ban Oak and Dry Broadleaved and Coniferous forest were the most vulnerable forests in the Himalayan temperate forests due to climate change. Moreover, the variation in the levels of the vulnerability status of the selected forests was insignificant with elevational range as well as exposure to climate. The proposed method will serve for vulnerability estimation of forests due to climate change based on the actual realization of the species in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of global warming on plant phenology is the subject of a growing number of studies. However, most of these do not focus on woody species, and few examine the entire annual phenological cycle of woody species. In this paper, we explore the phenological pattern of seven woody species native to Europe under ex situ conditions for 3 years, in two urban areas with different mesoclimates. The average temperature differs by 1.81 °C between the two sites. The investigated plants were clonally identical for each species, and the exact same care protocol was kept at both sites. Despite the large variation in the phenological pattern between years, during the study, spring phenophases occurred earlier, while the examined autumn phenophases were delayed at the site observing a higher average temperature. The phenological sensitivity of flowering was significantly higher than that of leaf bud burst. The growing season was 14.8 days longer at the site with a higher average temperature. In most cases, a significant correlation was obtained between the examined phenophases and climatic factors at both sites. Among the autumn phenophases, the strongest correlation was found between the maximum temperature between July and October and the beginning of leaf coloring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, climate change and heat extremes are becoming highly challenging problems in many cities across the globe. One of the solutions to overcome this problem is the use of vegetation, and, in particular, extending the range of overgrown areas, which are sometimes referred to as "urban green areas." In this paper, the moisture condition and its mitigating effect on Land Surface Temperature in urban areas were examined in Warsaw, Poland, using satellite data. To do so, the so-called "Triangle Method" was employed. The triangle method is based on a Land Surface Temperature–Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (LST-NDVI) scatterplot to calculate the Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) and its modification–quadratic Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (qTVDI). This article discusses, in detail, the usefulness of the triangle method for the analyses of built-up areas. The drought satellite indices TVDI and qTVDI compared with those of LST, NDVI, and NDBI (Normalized Difference Building Index). The study shows that the triangle method based on LST-NDVI scatterplot analysis is a promising tool for establishing moisture conditions over urban areas and for studying the effect of vegetation impact on urban heat islands. Detailed analysis shows that over an urban area, qTVDI shows better agreement with LST than classic TVDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1950s, divergence problems have reduced the temporal stability of tree rings in response to climate, shaken the foundations of dendroclimatology, and affected the reliability of reconstructed models based on tree rings and the accuracy of historical climate series. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate divergence problems, which will help us to better understand the growth strategies of trees in response to climate warming and provide a scientific basis for accurate climate reconstruction and simulation of forest dynamics. This paper aims to elucidate the mechanism of divergent growth of Picea schrenkiana at high altitudes in the western Tianshan from three aspects: variations in atmospheric circulation, changes in climatic factors, and the coping strategy of trees with climate change. High spring temperatures accelerate the melting of snow cover. Large amounts of snowmelt initially replenish soil water, leading to the rapid growth of trees, but later, the continuous consumption of snowmelt reduces the available water capacity of soil, resulting in water stress on trees. The pattern of trees' response to changes in climate ranges from a pure temperature limitation to a collaborative temperature–moisture limitation. Since the 1990s, the weakening of the westerly circulation and the North Atlantic Oscillation has reduced their impacts on the hydroclimate in the Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia. The combination of heat-induced water deficit and a long-term weakening trend in atmospheric circulation has slowed tree growth over the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate assessment and prediction of forest ecosystem quality is an important basis for evaluating the effectiveness of regional ecological protection and restoration, establishing a positive feedback mechanism for forest quality improvement and restoration policies, and promoting the construction of an ecological civilization in China. Based on the existing studies at home and abroad, this paper mainly analyzes and summarizes the connotation of forest ecosystem quality, assessment index systems, assessment and prediction methods, and outlooks on the existing problems of imperfect forest ecological quality assessment index systems, preliminary assessment and prediction capabilities, and unknown dynamic responses of forest ecological quality to climate change, etc. Efforts should be made to develop a scientific and standardized assessment index system, produce high-quality forest ecological data products, develop localization of assessment model parameters, and explore forest quality–climate change response mechanisms to provide references for in-depth research to realize the transformation of forest ecosystem quality assessments from historical and status quo assessments to future predictions, and to support the construction of a national ecological civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of local communities in southern Africa depend on forest ecosystems and the goods and services they provide for their livelihoods. This paper aims to assess the socio-economic benefits of forest goods and services in a changing climate by focusing on the forest products of Colophospermum mopane (C. mopane) in the Kunene and Omusati regions in northern Namibia. We used C. mopane product data from 2011 to 2021. Our analyses showed that local communities harvested five main products from C. mopane, namely firewood, poles, droppers, rafters, and roots. Firewood and poles were the primary C. mopane products harvested by local communities, mainly for subsistence use. Our results suggest that C. mopane potentially continues to the provision of goods and services for the livelihood of local communities, despite the changing climate in northern Namibia. We propose future studies in predictive analysis focus on extreme weather events, such as forest fires, droughts, floods, and other climate-related hazards that affect goods and services provided by forest ecosystems in the northern regions and the entire country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a driver of biodiversity loss, often favouring invasive species such as in the case of Pittosporum undulatum in Eucalyptus forests of south-eastern Australia. We tested whether the invasiveness of P. undulatum is due to the release of secondary metabolites with allelopathic action inhibiting other species germination or to the content of antioxidant secondary metabolites. We compared the germination of P. undulatum and Eucalyptus ovata seeds on different substrates watered with different leachates. Polyphenolic compounds, saponins and tannins of Eucalyptus spp. and P. undulatum leaf extracts were quantified. Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds were collected in the field and analyzed to compare the emissions in eucalypt forests with and without P. undulatum. Eucalyptus germination rates were not affected by different leachates and no allelopathic compounds were identified in P. undulatum leachate. Flavonoids and tannins characterized Eucalyptus leachates, while P. undulatum leachates showed high hydroxycinnamic acids content. The forests invaded by P. undulatum were characterized by high levels of monoterpenes, whereas the forest lacking P. undulatum were dominated by sesquiterpenes. Our results suggest that the invasiveness of P. undulatum may be due to the high content in secondary metabolites that play a protective role against abiotic stresses rather than the release of allelopathic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the existing reforestation and forest conservation policies and strategies in Southeast Asia and how they have impacted people's lives. Southeast Asia contains 11 countries and is home to 20% of the world's species. Unfortunately, the region has been practising deforestation at an alarming rate. The main cause of deforestation in the region is the creation of land for agriculture, with forest fires and the growing demand for timber also contributing. As a result, the region has lost 376,000 km2 of forest in the last 30 years. Parts of the region have been involved in international efforts to protect forests, such as the 2016 Paris Agreement. However, some of these policies have not made much difference because most countries are not willing to support the necessary strategies. From the study findings, the main strength of the existing polices and strategies is that they are being amended to suit different changes in demographics and the practical needs of the sector. The sector has been able to shift from the initial state forestry management to making forests a multi-sectoral economic development agent. On the other hand, there are few polices at the national level that ensure every citizen participates in tree planting and that they understand the need to stop deforestation. In addition, many countries in the region are less willing to join the international communities in fighting climate change; that is, they do not agree with international partnerships like the Pris Climate Change Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden, where forests cover more than 60% of the land area, silviculture and the use of forest products by industry and society play crucial roles in the national carbon balance. A scientific challenge is to understand how different forest management and wood use strategies can best contribute to climate change mitigation benefits. This study uses a set of models to analyze the effects of different forest management and wood use strategies in Sweden on carbon dioxide emissions and removals through 2105. If the present Swedish forest use strategy is continued, the long-term climate change mitigation benefit will correspond to more than 60 million tons of avoided or reduced emissions of carbon dioxide annually, compared to a scenario with similar consumption patterns in society but where non-renewable products are used instead of forest-based products. On average about 470 kg of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided for each cubic meter of biomass harvested, after accounting for carbon stock changes, substitution effects and all emissions related to forest management and industrial processes. Due to Sweden's large export share of forest-based products, the climate change mitigation effect of Swedish forestry is larger abroad than within the country. The study also shows that silvicultural methods to increase forest biomass production can further reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by an additional 40 million tons of per year. Forestry's contribution to climate change mitigation could be significantly increased if management of the boreal forest were oriented towards increased biomass production and if more wood were used to substitute fossil fuels and energy-intensive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the common mulberry tree species, Morus notabilis C. K. Schneid plays a significant role in various industries such as silkworm rearing, papermaking, and medicine due to its valuable mulberry leaves, fruits, and wood. This study utilizes the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the potential distribution of M. notabilis in China under future environmental changes. By integrating the relative percentage contribution score of environmental factors with jackknife test analysis, important variables influencing the distribution of M. notabilis were identified along with their optimal values. The results indicate that Annual Precipitation (bio12), Precipitation of Driest Month (bio14), Min Temperature of Coldest Month (bio6), Temperature Annual Range (bio5–bio6) (bio7), Precipitation of Warmest Quarter (bio18), and Precipitation of Coldest Quarter (bio19) are the primary environmental variables affecting its potential distribution. Currently, M. notabilis exhibits high suitability over an area spanning 11,568 km2, while medium suitability covers 34,244 km2. Both current and future suitable areas for M. notabilis are predominantly concentrated in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces, as well as Chongqing city in southwest China. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario representing high greenhouse gas concentrations by 2050s and 2090s, there is an increase in high suitability area by 2952 km2 and 3440 km2, with growth rates reaching 25.52% and 29.74%, respectively. Notably, these two scenarios exhibit substantial expansion in suitable habitats for this species compared to others analyzed within this study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast forests of Northeast China are under great pressure from climate change. Understanding the effects of changing climate conditions on spring phenology is of great significance to assessing the stability of regional terrestrial ecosystems. Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data from 1982 to 2013, this paper investigated the changes in the start date of the vegetation growing season (SOS) of two main forest types in Northeast China, analyzing the changes in temporal and spatial patterns of forest spring phenology before and during the recent short-term warming slowdown, and exploring the effects of day and night temperatures and precipitation on the start of the growing season. The results showed that, during the rapid warming period (1982–1998), the SOS of deciduous needleleaf forests (DNF) was significantly advanced (−0.428 days/a, p < 0.05), while the rate of advance of SOS of deciduous broadleaf forests (DBF) was nonsignificant (−0.313 days/a, p > 0.10). However, during the short-term slowdown (1998–2013), the SOS of DBF was strongly delayed (0.491 days/a, p < 0.10), while the change in SOS of DNF was not significant (0.169 days/a, p > 0.10). The SOS was sensitive to spring maximum temperature for both forest types during the analysis period. Increases in winter precipitation influenced the SOS during the rapid warming period for DNF; this combined with the increase in the spring maximum temperature contributed to the advance in SOS. The decrease in the spring maximum temperature during the short-term slowdown, combined with a decrease in the previous summer maximum temperature, contributed to the rapid delay of SOS for DBF. DBF SOS was also more influenced by lagged effects of prior conditions, such as previous autumn to spring precipitation during the rapid warming period and previous summer maximum temperature during the short-term slowdown. In general, SOS was mainly determined by changes in daytime thermal conditions; DNF is more sensitive to temperature increases and DBF is more sensitive to decreases. Different regional climate conditions lead to differences in the distribution of DNF and DBF, as well as in the response of SOS to climate change during the rapid warming and short-term slowdown periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Loess Plateau (LP) of China, which is the pilot region of the "Grain to Green Project" (GGP), has received worldwide attention due to its significant changes in the natural and social environment. Investigation of vegetation variations in response to climate change and human activities is vital for providing support for further ecological restoration planning. This paper aimed to monitor vegetation dynamics of the LP with trend comparisons of various vegetation types, disentangle the effects of climate variations and ecological programs on vegetation variations, and detect the consistency of vegetation variations. More specifically, vegetation dynamics during 1982–2015 were analyzed using the Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping System third-generation Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GIMMS NDVI3g) data with the application of Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) and Hurst Exponent. The results showed that: (1) Vegetation manifested a significant greening trend (0.013 decade−1p < 0.01) in the LP during 1982–2015, and a breakpoint (BP) was detected in 1999, which was the beginning of the GGP. Interannual NDVI after the BP (ABP) showed more than 3.5 times greening rates compared to the NDVI before the BP (BBP). (2) Human activities dominated the vegetation variation (accounted for 59.46% of vegetation variation), among which reforestation and land-use change with steep slopes (i.e., ≥15°) lead to the greening after the GGP implementation. (3) Future trends should be noticed in the Forest Zone and Forest-Grass Zone, where the greening trends tend to slow down or even reverse in the southern LP. The long-term GIMMS NDVI3g time series and multiple geospatial analyses of this study might facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms of vegetation variations for the assessment of the large restoration programs in fragile ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent climate change scenarios show significant increases in temperature and extreme drought events in Southern and Eastern Europe by the end of the 21st century, which will have a serious impact on forest growth and adaptation, and important consequences for forest management. The system of provenance regions, according to the OECD Scheme and EU Directive, was thought to encourage the use of the local seed sources, under the concept 'local is the best'. However, climate is changing faster than some species or populations can adapt or migrate, which raises some uncertainties with respect to the future performance of local populations. In Romania, as in other countries, the delimitation of provenance regions is based on geographical, ecological and vegetation criteria. The aim of this study is to evaluate: (1) the climate change that has occurred at the level of the provenance regions; (2) which regions will be most vulnerable to climate change; (3) which forest types will be the most vulnerable in a certain region; and (4) changes in the climatic envelope of forest species. Several climatic parameters and an ecoclimatic indices have been calculated and analyzed at the level of provenance regions, subregions and ecological sectors (forest types) in Romania, during the period 1951–2020. The results highlight a general shift towards warmer and drier conditions in the last 30 years, the mean annual temperature increasing with 0.3–1.1 °C across the provenance subregions. The De Martonne aridity index for the vegetation season shows that 86% of the ecological sectors fell into the arid and semiarid categories, which indicates a very high degree of vulnerability for forest species. On the Lang rainfall index, forest steppe climatic conditions occurred in all pure or mixed pedunculate oak forests, thermophile oak species, meadow forests, poplar and willow, Turkey oak and Hungarian oak forests. The Ellenberg coefficient highlights that the warming process is more evident along the altitude and the degree of vulnerability increase at lower altitude or at the edge of species distribution. The climate envelopes of many forest species have already shifted to another ecosystem's climate. This paper presents the importance of re-delineation the provenance regions for the production and deployment of forest reproductive materials according to the climate change occurred in the last decades, as a fundamental tool for an adaptive forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline corridors have been rapidly increasing in length and density because of the ever growing demand for crude oil and natural gas resources in hydrocarbon-rich permafrost regions. Pipeline engineering activities have significant implications for the permafrost environment in cold regions. Along these pipeline corridors, the shrubification in the right-of-way (ROW) has been extensively observed during vegetation recovery. However, the hydrothermal mechanisms of this ROW shrubification have seldom been studied and thus remain poorly understood. This paper reviews more than 112 articles mainly published from 2000 to 2022 and focuses on the hydrothermal mechanisms of shrubification associated with environmental changes induced by the rapidly degrading permafrost from pipeline construction and around the operating pipelines under a warming climate. First, the shrubification from pipeline construction and operation and the ensuing vegetation clearance are featured. Then, key permafrost-related ROW shrubification mechanisms (e.g., from the perspectives of warmer soil, soil moisture, soil type, soil nutrients, topography and landscapes, and snow cover) are discussed. Other key influencing factors on these hydrothermal and other mechanisms are hierarchically documented as well. In the end, future research priorities are identified and proposed. We call for prioritizing more systematic and in-depth investigations and surveys, laboratory testing, long-term field monitoring, and numerical modeling studies of the ROW shrubification along oil and gas pipelines in permafrost regions, such as in boreal and arctic zones, as well as in alpine and high-plateau regions. This review can improve our understanding of shrubification mechanisms under pipeline disturbances and climate changes and help to better manage the ecological environment along pipeline corridors in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined wood preservation practices and outlook considering climate change from the perspective of Finnish experts through interviews. Key findings highlighted that: (1) pressure impregnated wood will continually evolve and secure its market, and it seems worthy of developing modified wood products, especially with the increasing attention to recyclability and lifecycle concepts; (2) demand for highly processed surface treatment products is high; (3) opportunities for more sustainable and environmentally friendly wood preservation methods, and thus production volume will increase in the future; (4) increasing mold problems in Finland due to climate change make surface treatment more important than ever; (5) demands for fire protection treatments are increasing, but fire testing fees and processes have slowed product development; (6) although the possibility of the spread of termites triggered by global warming to Finland seems to be a future scenario, this issue needs to be considered in products exported to hot countries; and (7) preservatives have become more critical to protect untreated wood from the adverse effects of climate change. It is believed that this study will help accelerate the transition of innovative and environmentally friendly wood treatments on the Finnish market, thereby promoting the use of wood in the building construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) is widely used to resolve a fundamental problem of tree responses to past, ongoing and forecasted climate changes. Potentially, QWA data can be considered as a new proxy source for long-term climate reconstruction with higher temporal resolution than traditional dendroclimatic data. In this paper, we considered a tracheidogram as a set of two interconnected variables describing the dynamics of seasonal variability in the radial cell size and cell wall thickness in conifer trees. We used 1386 cell profiles (tracheidograms) obtained for seven Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees growing in the cold semiarid conditions of Southern Siberia over the years 1813–2018. We developed a "deviation tracheidogram" approach for adequately describing the traits of tree-ring formation in different climate conditions over a long-term time span. Based on the NbClust approach and K-means method, the deviation tracheidograms were reliably split into four clusters (classes) with clear bio-ecological interpretations (from the most favorable growth conditions to worse ones) over the years 1813–2018. It has been shown that the obtained classes of tracheidograms can be directly associated with different levels of water deficit, for both the current and previous growing seasons. The tracheidogram cluster reconstruction shows that the entire 19th century was characterized by considerable water deficit, which has not been revealed by the climate-sensitive tree-ring chronology of the study site. Therefore, the proposed research offers new perspectives for better understanding how tree radial growth responds to changing seasonal climate and a new independent proxy for developing long-term detailed climatic reconstructions through the detailed analysis of long-term archives of QWA data for different conifer species and various forest ecosystems in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon stored in harvested wood products (HWPs) can play an important role in climate change mitigation and needs to be accounted for accurately and consistently. This study reviewed the features of previous HWP carbon accounting frameworks and discussed potential improvements for a more complete assessment of all HWP contributions to net zero carbon targets at subnational levels. The basic features include the components, the methods, the approaches, and the modeling principles. A key recommendation is to expand previous HWP C accounting framework components to include other climate change mitigation benefits such as local or regional substitution effects (i.e., material replacement, fossil fuel displacement effects, energy efficiency gains, recycling effects, and cascading use impacts) of all produced and consumed HWPs. Another area for improvement is the need for subnational unit-specific activity data and conversion factors. Adopting variants of the domestic origin-stock change approach will also help account for relevant production and consumption activities within the subnational unit. These recommendations will enhance the accuracy and/or precision of HWP accounting frameworks at the subnational level and help capture all potential benefits of HWPs as a carbon sink for climate change mitigation and a valuable contributor to subnational net zero carbon targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and function of many forest ecosystems will be modified as a result of air pollution and climate change. Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) forests are among the first terrestrial ecosystems to respond to this change. We analysed how changes in climate and environmental factors will affect vegetation cover in Norway spruce forests and whether it is possible to assemble a list of diagnostically important/sensitive species that would be the first to react to changes in habitats of Norway spruce in Central Balkan. Significant changes in the vegetation cover of Norway spruce forests are mainly influenced by temperature increases (≈4 °C), and precipitation decreases (≈102 mm) by the end of the 21st century. Projections show that vegetation cover changes and future habitat conditions for Norway spruce forests on podzolic brown soils with a low base saturation and soil pH decreases, and temperature growth and precipitation decline, with the worst in the Rodope montane forest ecoregion. In Dinaric Mountain and Balkan mixed forest ecoregions, the range of natural occurrence of Norway spruce forest will shift to higher altitudes, or to the north. One of the cognitions of this paper is that, through available environmental models and their indices, species from the IUCN Red List should be recognised more properly and included in model calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area of forests and the standing volume per hectare are constantly increasing in Europe, and this trend is expected to continue for several more decades; the aim of this paper was to provide an empirical overview of the development of disturbances in selected countries of central Europe and based on this overview to empirically model and predict the development and intensity of disturbances in the future. Statistical methods (Holt–Winters) and predictive risk models of the growth simulator SIBYLA were used for prediction. From the statistically predicted values by this method, it follows that, in the next three years, it is possible to assume that stagnation will result in declining volumes of incidental fellings in all countries. Forecast from the growth simulator SIBYLA shows a substantial increase in the predicted volume of incidental fellings for the years 2021 and 2022, compared with 2020. The volumes of incidental fellings should grow most significantly, especially in Germany, Poland, and Austria. The performed analysis and predictions suggest that the peak of wood volumes damaged by disturbances in the next decade will probably be reached already in the reports for 2021 or 2022. However, the risk of disturbances remains high, and other large-scale area disturbances in forest ecosystems cannot be completely ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural regeneration is crucial for the development of sustainable forestry practices in light of the current global climate changes. In this paper, we compared the size distributions of Quercus acutissima seedlings in the understory of Q. acutissima forest plantations in Mount Tai in 2010 and 2017, studied the physiological and morphological responses of seedlings to the microenvironment, and explored the maintenance mechanisms of the seedling bank. The results showed that the density of understory seedlings in 2017 was only 61.63% of that in 2010, especially in the 20–40 cm height class. Between 2011 and 2016, the precipitation and soil water content were the highest in 2011, followed by 2013. The 2–4-year seedlings (height < 40 cm) were not significantly different in seedling biomass, biomass allocation, and root morphology (root total surface area, root volume, and root average diameter), and were significantly different in total root length, specific root length, specific root surface area, and nonstructural carbohydrate content of root, stem, and leaves. However, 5–6-year seedlings (height > 40 cm) showed the largest biomass. Principal component analysis indicated that altering root morphology, nonstructural carbohydrate, and biomass allocation played significant roles in the drought adaptation of seedlings in the understory. In conclusion, drought stress together with seedling adaptation influenced the dynamics of seedling bank in the understory of Q. acutissima plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is home to 40% of the pine species in the world. By the year 2050, 20% of the Mexican forests could be lost because of climate change and other human-related activities. In this paper, we determine the potential areas for seed collecting of four species of the genus Pinus and its ex situ economic value under different future Climate Change Scenarios (CCS). The species analyzed were Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl, P. rudis Endl., P. culminícola Andresen et Beaman and P. leiophylla Schiede ex Schltdl. and Cham which together accounts for 19% of the timber production in Mexico. Potential areas of distribution of populations in habitats with Annual Mean Maximum Temperatures (AMMT) for seed collection were modelled through a Geographic Information System and climate database. The seed storage economic value was determined by using the Collection Cost Method. The AMMT of P. oocarpa, P. rudis, P. culminícola and P. leiophylla were 28 °C, 20 °C, 18.3 °C and 27.4 °C, respectively. The economic losses from shortages of these species due to CCS in 2050, were estimated of 88.5 million (USD) and 67.16 million (USD) with severe and conservative future CCS, respectively. The nominal investment rate would be 8.84% or more, for storing seeds of the four species and withstanding climate change. An ex situ seed bank is a medium and long-term investment; among its benefits are establishing a market price for the use and conservation of species in the face of possible adverse scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides that, forest soil carbon plays a crucial role in forest ecosystems including nutrient provision, carbon sequestration, water regulation, soil structuring and biodiversity promotion. 10.3390/f12020239 8 Makita N., Fujimoto R., Tamura A. The Contribution of Roots, Mycorrhizal Hyphae, and Soil Free-Living Microbes to Soil Respiration and Its Temperature Sensitivity in a Larch Forest. Forest soil carbon is an important component of the global carbon cycle, and the changes of its accumulation and decomposition, stabilization and destabilization directly affect the atmospheric CO SB 2 sb concentration and global warming. [Extracted from the article]

Peatlands are wetlands with an accumulation of peats, partially decomposed organisms, under waterlogged and anoxic conditions. Despite peatlands being extensively studied due to their wide distribution and various functions, the trends in peatland research have hardly been analyzed. We performed dynamic topic modeling (DTM) and network analysis to investigate the changes in the global trends in peatland research. Among the searched studies using the keyword 'peatland' from ScienceDirect, titles and abstracts from 9541 studies (1995–2022) were used for the analysis. They were classified into 16 topics via DTM (geomorphology, land use and land cover, production, greenhouse gas, habitat, permafrost, management, deposit, fire, soil organic matter, peatland formation, forest, past environmental change, microbe, metal, and hydrology). Among these, the proportion of 'management' was the largest and increased the fastest, showing the transition of research trends toward the sustainable management of peatlands under climate change. The keywords used within topics tended to change dynamically when related to a large number of studies and increasing trends. Network analysis among topics suggested that studying peatlands as a response measure to climate change will promote overall peatland research because the greenhouse gases topic had the greatest impact on other topics. Despite increasing research on peatland management under climate change, a gap between academia and policies was found in the field of using peatlands as a response measure to climate change, indicating the necessity for effective policies, research, and technology. This study demonstrates that DTM and network analysis are useful tools for understanding the temporal shift of views on peatlands and finding a gap we need to focus on in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, forest ecosystems are often located in remote areas, far from direct sources of air pollution. Nonetheless, they may be affected by different types of atmospheric deposition, which can compromise their health and inner balance. Epiphytic lichens respond to air pollution and climate change, and they have been widely adopted as ecological indicators, mainly in urban and industrial areas, while forest ecosystems are still underrepresented. However, in recent years, their use has become increasingly widespread, especially in the context of long-term monitoring programs for air pollution in forests. In this review, we provide a critical analysis of the topic from the point of view of the different methodological approaches based on lichen responses adopted in forest ecosystems. Further, we discuss the main challenges posed by the current global change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has had a widespread and profound impact on global temperature and precipitation patterns, especially in semi-arid areas. Plant δ13C and iWUE indicate the trade-off between carbon uptake and water loss, which is pivotal for understanding plant responses to climate change. Information about the long-term responses of the physiological and ecological processes of different tree species to climate change is also required. To investigate the impact of different forest stand structures and site conditions on long-term growth and physiological processes of coniferous and broad-leaved trees in the mountainous area of Beijing, we analyzed the tree-ring δ13C variation of four tree species (Platycladus orientalis, Pinus tabuliformis, Quercus variabilis, Robinia pseudoacacia) sampled from 64 plots with varying site and stand conditions. We found that the tree-ring δ13C of the four tree species varied from each other and was mainly affected by density and slope aspect, followed by slope and age. Both tree-ring δ13C and iWUE of the four tree species showed increasing trends over time, mechanistically linked to long-term changes in global CO2 concentration. This indicates the four native tree species have adapted well to climate change, and the risk of decline is relatively low. The increased iWUE translated into different growth patterns which varied with tree species, site, and stand condition. Different tree species have varying sensitivities to environmental factors. The iWUE of coniferous tree species is more sensitive to climate change than that of broad-leaved tree species, especially to temperature (T), the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterized as a climatologically sensitive region, the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (STP) is an ideal location for dendrochronological research. Here, five tree-ring width (TRW) chronologies were developed: three for Picea likiangensis along altitudinal gradients from 3600 to 4400 m a.s.l. and two for Sabina saltuaria and Abies squamata from 4200 m a.s.l. Significant differences in the growth rates and age composition of Picea likiangensis were observed at various elevation gradients. The chronology statistics (mean sensitivity, etc.) fluctuated with the elevation gradient. Picea likiangensis showed distinct growth patterns in response to climatic variability along the altitude gradient: the minimum temperature influenced tree growth at lower and middle altitudes, while higher altitudes were affected by precipitation. The radial growth of different tree species growing in the same region is controlled by the same climatic factors. Sabina saltuaria and Abies squamata exhibited similar growth responses to Picea likiangensis. Stand conditions (wind speeds, slope, and elevation) and biotic factors (the depth of root, forest type, tree age, and sensitivity) can partially explain why the ring width–climate relationships change with altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global climate change intensifies and human activities escalate, changes in vegetation cover, an important ecological indicator, hold significant implications for ecosystem protection and management. Shandong Province, a critical agricultural and economic zone in China, experiences vegetation changes that crucially affect regional climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. This study employed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, combined with climatic, topographic, and anthropogenic activity data, utilizing trend analysis methods, partial correlation analysis, and Geodetector to comprehensively analyze the spatiotemporal variations and primary driving factors of vegetation cover in Shandong Province from 2001 to 2020. The findings indicate an overall upward trend in vegetation cover, particularly in areas with concentrated human activities. Climatic factors, such as precipitation and temperature, exhibit a positive correlation with vegetation growth, while land use changes emerge as one of the key drivers influencing vegetation dynamics. Additionally, topography also impacts the spatial distribution of vegetation to a certain extent. This research provides a scientific basis for ecological protection and land management in Shandong Province and similar regions, supporting the formulation of effective vegetation restoration and ecological conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are essential for maintaining the ecological balance of the planet and providing critical ecosystem services. Amidst an increasing rate of global forest loss due to various natural and anthropogenic factors, many countries are committed to battling forest loss by planting new forests. Despite the reported national statistics on the land area in plantations, accurately delineating boundaries of planted forests with remotely sensed data remains a great challenge. In this study, we explored several deep learning approaches based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for mapping the extent of planted forests in the Korean Peninsula. Our methodology involved data preprocessing, the application of data augmentation techniques, and rigorous model training, with performance assessed using various evaluation metrics. To ensure robust performance and accuracy, we validated the model's predictions across the Korean Peninsula. Our analysis showed that the integration of the Near Infrared band from 10 m Sentinel-2 remote sensing images with the UNet deep learning model, incorporated with unfrozen ResNet-34 backbone architecture, produced the best model performance. With a recall of 64% and precision of 76.8%, the UNet model surpassed the other pixel-based deep learning models, including DeepLab and Pyramid Sense Parsing, in terms of classification accuracy. When compared to the ensemble-based Random Forest (RF) machine learning model, the RF approach demonstrates a significantly lower recall rate of 55.2% and greater precision of 92%. These findings highlight the unique strength of deep learning and machine learning approaches for mapping planted forests in diverse geographical regions on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]