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Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation

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A special issue of Climate (ISSN 2225-1154).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 21798

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jianbang Gan

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Guest Editor

Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: forest economics; forest management; forest policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Guangyu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Interests: forest management; forest policy; land-use change; conservation; ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Yeo-Chang Youn

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Guest Editor

Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Biological Resources Science, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-ku, Seoul 08826, Korea
Interests: forest restoration; policy analysis; ecosystem services; governance; common pool resources; traditional knowledge; valuation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting you to submit your manuscripts to this Special Issue of Climate: “Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation”. Forests and climate change interact with each other. On the one hand, climate change has impacted and will continue to impact forest ecosystems and forestry. On the other hand, forests and forestry can play an important role in sequestrating and storing carbon to offset greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to a changing climate. We welcome original research and review articles that focus on but are not limited to the following topics:

Impacts of climate change on deforestation and forest degradation;
Impacts of climate change on forest-related disturbances (e.g., wildfire, pest infestations, plant diseases, invasive species);
Impacts of climate change on the economic and social wellbeing of forest-dependent communities and the forestry industry;
Roles of forests and forestry in carbon sequestration and storage;
Forest management and policy options for responding to climate change;
Resilience of forest-dependent communities.

Research and review articles that involve multidisciplinary efforts or innovative approaches are especially encouraged. Articles targeting any forest types and regions are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Jianbang Gan
Prof. Dr. Guangyu Wang
Prof. Dr. Yeo-Chang Youn
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Climate is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

deforestation
forest degradation
climate change
disturbances
sustainable management
economics
policy
social resilience

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1512 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Translocal Practices in a Natural Climate Solution in Ghana

by John Narh, Stefanie Wehner, Christian Ungruhe and Andreas Eberth

Climate 2023, 11(11), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110216 - 30 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

People-centred reforestation is one of the ways to achieve natural climate solutions. Ghana has established a people-centred reforestation programme known as the Modified Taunya System (MTS) where local people are assigned degraded forest reserves to practice agroforestry. Given that the MTS is a people-centred initiative, socioeconomic factors are likely to have impact on the reforestation drive. This study aims to understand the role of translocal practices of remittances and visits by migrants on the MTS. Using multi-sited, sequential explanatory mixed methods and the lens of socioecological systems, the study shows that social capital and socioeconomic obligations of cash remittances from, as well as visits by migrants to their communities of origin play positive roles on reforestation under the MTS. Specifically, translocal households have access to, and use remittances to engage relatively better in the MTS than households that do not receive remittances. This shows that translocal practices can have a positive impact on the environment at the area of origin of migrants where there are people-centred environmental policies in place. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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13 pages, 2884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth Response of Red Oaks to Climatic Conditions in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley: Implications for Bottomland Hardwood Restoration with a Changing Climate

by Junyeong Choi, Nana Tian, Jianbang Gan, Matthew Pelkki and Ouname Mhotsha

Climate 2023, 11(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11010010 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1698

Abstract

Bottomland hardwood forests (BHFs) offer a wide range of ecosystem services that are of high environmental and socioeconomic value. Yet, nearly 70% of BHFs in the southern United States have been lost during the past 100 years primarily due to land use change including agricultural expansion, calling for restoration efforts. We estimated the statistical relationship of the annual radial growth rate of three red oak species with climatic conditions and tree age using the tree ring data collected from a BHF plantation in the Arkansas Delta region. These species were Cherry bark oak (Quercus pagoda), Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii), and Nuttall oak (Quercus texana). The destructive sampling method was employed to obtain tree growth data and the cross-dating method was used for tree age determination. A log-linear regression model was estimated to uncover the statistical relationship between annual tree ring growth rate and climatic conditions. We identified the most critical time windows of climate variables that affect the growth of these trees. We found that the average temperature in October of the previous year and the minimum temperature between December of the previous year and January of the current year were positively associated with the radial growth rate in the current year although the maximum temperature from January to August and total precipitation from April to July of the current year were negatively correlated with the growth rate. Compared to Cherry bark and Shumard oaks, Nuttall oak was less sensitive to a rise in the minimum temperature between December and January. The projected climate change is likely to create slightly more favorable overall climatic conditions for these oak species in the region. Our findings suggest that these three red oak species are well suited for the study region for restoring BHFs, especially with a changing climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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14 pages, 1522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Periods and Amplitudes of Southern Pine Beetle Infestations under Climate Change

by Hyunjin An and Jianbang Gan

Climate 2022, 10(9), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10090126 - 28 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1915

Abstract

The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is one of the most destructive insects to pine forests in North and Central America. Historical SPB infestations have shown strong cyclical patterns and are attributed to an array of abiotic and biotic factors with climatic conditions being the dominant. Climate change has been projected to increase SPB infestations; however, its impacts on the cyclical patterns of SPB infestations remain unknown. Here, we estimated the statistical relationship between SPB infestations and climatic and other factors using generalized linear regression modeling and historical data, analyzed the cyclical patterns of SPB infestations via periodogram analysis and explored how these patterns would evolve with the projected future climate change in 11 states of the Southern United States. We found that SPB infestations intensified with increases in seasonal average temperatures and minimum winter temperatures and decreases in spring and winter precipitations. Compared to the historical SPB infestation patterns, climate change was estimated to nearly double SPB infestation frequencies although with smaller amplitudes in the region. Our findings advance the understanding of cyclical patterns of SPB infestations, especially climate change impacts on such patterns, aiding in developing and deploying future SPB management practices and strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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13 pages, 4781 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Identifying Forest Degradation and Restoration Opportunities in the Lancang-Mekong Region: A Tool to Determine Criteria and Indicators

by Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon, James Douglas Langston, Guangyu Wang, Kebiao Huang, Chao Long and Hongbo Zhai

Climate 2022, 10(4), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10040052 - 30 Mar 2022

Viewed by 2801

Abstract

Forest restoration is increasingly becoming a priority at international and national levels. Identifying forest degradation, however, is challenging because its drivers are underlying and site-specific. Existing frameworks and principles for identifying forest degradation are useful at larger scales, however, a framework that includes iterative input from local knowledge-holders would be useful at smaller scales. Here, we present a new mechanism; a framework for developing criteria and indicators that enables an approach for the identification of forest degradation and opportunities for restoration in landscapes that is free from failures that are often inherent to project cycles. The Degradation and Restoration Assessment Mechanism (DReAM) uses an iterative process that is based on local expertise and established regional knowledge to inform what is forest degradation and how to monitor restoration. We tested the mechanism’s utility at several sites in the Lancang-Mekong Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam). The application of this mechanism rendered a suite of appropriate criteria and indicators for use in identifying degraded forests which can help inform detailed guidelines to develop rehabilitation approaches. The mechanism is designed to be utilized by any individual or group that is interested in degradation identification and/or rehabilitation assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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Review

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19 pages, 1420 KiB

Open AccessReview

Grassland Resilience to Woody Encroachment in North America and the Effectiveness of Using Fire in National Parks

by Han Ling, Guangyu Wang, Wanli Wu, Anil Shrestha and John L. Innes

Climate 2023, 11(11), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110219 - 02 Nov 2023

Viewed by 4248

Abstract

The grasslands of North America are threatened by woody encroachment. Restoring historical fire regimes has been used to manage brush encroachment. However, fire management may be insufficient due to the nonlinear and hysteretic responses of vegetation recovery following encroachment and the social–political constraints affecting fire management. We synthesized the fire thresholds required to control woody encroachment by typical encroaching species in North America, especially the Great Plains region, and identified the social–political constraints facing fire management in selected grassland national parks. Our synthesis revealed the resistance, hysteresis, and irreversibility of encroached grasslands using fire and emphasized the need for a combination of brush management methods if the impacts of climate change are to be addressed. Frequent fires alone may maintain grassland states, reflecting resistance. However, high-intensity fires exceeding fire-mortality thresholds are required to exclude non-resprouting shrubs and trees, indicating hysteresis. Fire alone may be insufficient to reverse encroachment by resprouting species, exhibiting reversibility. In practice, appropriate fire management may restore resistant grassland states. However, social–political constraints have restricted the use of frequent and high-intensity fires, thereby reducing the effectiveness of management actions to control woody encroachment of grasslands in national parks. This research proposes a resilience-based framework to manage woody encroachment in grassland national parks and similar protected areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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22 pages, 3778 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bamboo as a Nature-Based Solution (NbS) for Climate Change Mitigation: Biomass, Products, and Carbon Credits

by Chunyu Pan, Guomo Zhou, Anil Kumar Shrestha, Jialu Chen, Robert Kozak, Nuyun Li, Jinliang Li, Yeyun He, Chunguang Sheng and Guangyu Wang

Climate 2023, 11(9), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11090175 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5159

Abstract

Bamboo, a rapidly growing woody grass prevalent in pan-tropical zones, holds promising potential as a nature-based solution (NbS) for climate change mitigation. In this systematic review of 91 research articles, we critically assess the scope and constraints of bamboo’s role in mitigating climate change across three dimensions: as a carbon sink in biomass form, as carbon storage in bamboo products, and as a contributor to carbon project credits. Our analysis reveals that existing studies disproportionately focus on 36 limited species, such as Phyllostachys pubescens and Bambusa vulgaris, with geographic concentration in Asia (91%) and limited studies from Africa (7%) and South America (1%). While many studies emphasize the carbon-saving benefits of bamboo products compared with traditional goods, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive evaluations of carbon pools from individual bamboo forests encompassing all product varieties. While bamboo forests offer significant carbon trading potential, their global role is restricted by the absence of internationally accepted methodologies and the presence of debates about classifying bamboo as a tree species. This extensive review highlights the multifaceted value of bamboo in climate change mitigation, thereby highlighting its significance as a critical component for informed policymaking and the development of sustainable practices in future climate strategies worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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17 pages, 8579 KiB

Open AccessReview

Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in China and India: A Literature Review (1990–2021)

by Wen Gao, Jiefan Huang, Quan Qiu, Anil Shrestha, Changyan Yuan, Subhash Anand, Guibin Wang and Guangyu Wang

Climate 2023, 11(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11010022 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2872

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) are key to biodiversity conservation. As two highly populous and biodiverse countries, China and India are facing similar socioenvironmental pressures in the management of PAs. A comparative analysis of studies of PA policies in these two countries provides an objective assessment of policy concerns. This study involved a bibliometric analysis of studies of PA policies in China and India. Relevant publications were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus. The analysis was carried out using the Bibliometrix R Package, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. The results indicate that PA policies studies in China are growing at an exponential rate, while Indian studies were cited significantly more often. “Environmental protection” was the main focus of the Chinese studies, with top keywords including “forest ecosystem” and “strategic approach”. In India, research was mainly focused on “wildlife management”, and the top keywords were “climate change” and “ecosystem service”. Studies from both countries were concerned with natural resource conservation and endangered species. Studies in India began relatively earlier and were more developed. India focused on people-related themes, while China emphasized strategic approaches. China is improving its system of PA and should learn from India to consider the relationship between environmental protection and people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

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