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Forests
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Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development
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Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 November 2024 | Viewed by 5472

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jesús Fernández-Moya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ETSI Montes, Forestal y Medio Natural, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: planted forests; forest plantations; forest management; agroforestry; non-timber products; ecosystem services; timber production; walnut; teak

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The area covered with planted forests has been increasing by 3-5 million ha year−1 since 1990. Nowadays, planted forests only represent 7% of the total forest area, but they play a key role in providing society with a wide variety of goods and services. Just considering timber production as an example, it is estimated that half of the timber produced globally comes from planted forests (including forest plantations and other planted forests). Under the umbrella of the planted forest label we can include a wide range of forest ecosystems, from an intensively managed forest plantation for the production of timber and/or non-timber products to a multifunctional planted forest oriented towards the provision of ecosystem services (e.g., water regulation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation, among others). This also includes a wide variety of plantation designs and schemes, from “pure” plantations (single species or mixed) to different agroforestry systems combining planted forests with agriculture and/or livestock.

Taking these considerations into account, planting forests is a very powerful tool that helps us to face the challenges that we are facing and keep us on the path towards sustainable development. Hence, this Special Issue aims to present current research on planted forests, including all of the diverse topics that might be connected with the establishment and/or management of planted forests and/or the direct goods and services provided by them. In this respect, the potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Timber production;
  • Non-timber product production;
  • Ecosystem services;
  • Land tenure and social issues;
  • Financial analysis;
  • Agroforestry systems;
  • Silviculture and management practices;
  • Remote sensing;
  • Environmental concerns and risks.

Dr. Jesús Fernández-Moya
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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

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

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • planted forests
  • forest plantations
  • timber production
  • wood
  • non-timber products
  • ecosystem services
  • agroforestry
  • afforestation
  • reforestation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2579 KiB  
Article
Site-Level Modelling Comparison of Carbon Capture by Mixed-Species Forest and Woodland Reforestation in Australia
by Koen Kramer, Lauren T. Bennett, Remi Borelle, Patrick Byrne, Paul Dettman, Jacqueline R. England, Hielke Heida, Ysbrand Galama, Josephine Haas, Marco van der Heijden, Anna Pykoulas, Rodney Keenan, Vithya Krishnan, Helena Lindorff, Keryn I. Paul, Veronica Nooijen, Jeroen van Veen, Quinten Versmissen and Arnout Asjes
Forests 2024, 15(6), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060990 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1123
Abstract
Large areas of Australia’s natural woodlands have been cleared over the last two centuries, and remaining woodlands have experienced degradation from human interventions and anthropogenic climate change. Restoration of woodlands is thus of high priority both for government and society. Revegetation of deforested [...] Read more.
Large areas of Australia’s natural woodlands have been cleared over the last two centuries, and remaining woodlands have experienced degradation from human interventions and anthropogenic climate change. Restoration of woodlands is thus of high priority both for government and society. Revegetation of deforested woodlands is increasingly funded by carbon markets, with accurate predictions of site-level carbon capture an essential step in the decision making to restore. We compared predictions of carbon in above-ground biomass using both the IPCC Tier 2 modelling approach and Australia’s carbon accounting model, FullCAM, to independent validation data from ground-based measurements. The IPCC Tier 2 approach, here referred to as the FastTrack model, was adjusted to simulate carbon capture by mixed-species forests for three planting configurations: direct seeding, tubestock planting, and a mix thereof. For model validation, we collected data on above-ground biomass, crown radius, and canopy cover covering an age range of 9–35 years from 20 plantings (n = 6044 trees). Across the three planting configurations, the FastTrack model showed a bias of 2.4 tC/ha (+4.2% of the observed mean AGB), whilst FullCAM had a bias of −24.6 tC/ha (−42.9% of the observed mean AGB). About two-thirds of the error was partitioned to unsystematic error in FastTrack and about one-quarter in FullCAM, depending on the goodness-of-fit metric assessed. Model bias differed strongly between planting configurations. For the FastTrack model, we found that additional canopy cover data estimated from satellite images obtained at different years can improve the carbon capture projections. To attain the highest accuracy of carbon projection at the site level, we recommend using a model with parameters calibrated for the specific planting configuration using local representative data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development)
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18 pages, 2923 KiB  
Article
Nutrient Contribution and Carbon Sequestration of an Agroforestry System of Coffea canephora Cultivated by Conventional and Organic Management in the Ecuadorian Amazon
by Leider Tinoco-Jaramillo, Yadira Vargas-Tierras, Fernando Paredes-Arcos, William Viera, Alfonso Suárez-Tapia, Tannia Vargas-Tierras, Sandra Suárez-Cedillo, Vanessa Morales-León and Wilson Vásquez-Castillo
Forests 2024, 15(5), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050807 - 3 May 2024
Viewed by 1175
Abstract
Agroforestry systems (AFSs) seek synergies that improve productivity, sustainability, and environmental benefits. This is achieved through the supplying of nutrients to the soil, carbon storage, and sequestration. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, Coffea canephora is planted together with leguminous, woody, forest, and secondary forest [...] Read more.
Agroforestry systems (AFSs) seek synergies that improve productivity, sustainability, and environmental benefits. This is achieved through the supplying of nutrients to the soil, carbon storage, and sequestration. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, Coffea canephora is planted together with leguminous, woody, forest, and secondary forest species, where the continuous incorporation of vegetative residues from shade species represents a substantial addition of nutrients within these systems. This study was carried out from 2018 to 2022 to determine the contribution of nutrients contained in the biomass and C sequestration in agroforestry systems of coffee with conventional (high use of agrochemicals) and organic (without the use of chemicals) management. The study was carried out with a randomized complete block design, using a factorial arrangement (2 × 4 with three replications). This arrangement included two types of systems (agroforestry and monoculture) and four agronomic management practices (high and medium for conventional, and intensive and low organic). The biomass and nutrient content were measured twice a year (every 180 days); in addition, the yield was also recorded. A multivariate and univariate analysis was used for data analysis through R and SAS software. After five years of evaluation, it was determined that the N, K, Ca, and Mg contents were higher in the agroforestry systems than the monocultures. In the AFSs, the highest nutrient content was obtained with the medium conventional and low organic agronomic management, while in the monocultures, it was obtained with the high and medium conventional management. In addition, at a soil depth of 20 cm, the total storage and CO2 were 38.12 and 139.8 t ha−1, respectively. The highest yields were obtained with conventional management in AFSs (1599 kg ha−1) and monoculture (1789.45 kg ha−1). Overall, AFSs showed a significant contribution of nutrients, such as N, K, Ca, and Mg, for coffee cultivation; moreover, yields were similar in the AFS and monoculture with both conventional and organic management, which is positive, since AFSs also contribute environmental benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development)
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22 pages, 13275 KiB  
Article
Effects of Planting Position, Seedling Size, and Organic Nitrogen Fertilization on the Establishment of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) Seedlings
by Bodil Häggström, Jörgen Hajek, Annika Nordin and Jonas Öhlund
Forests 2024, 15(4), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040703 - 16 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1152
Abstract
The forest regeneration phase in Sweden commonly involves mechanical soil preparation followed by the planting of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) seedlings. The prepared soil offers planting positions with different properties, including reduced damage [...] Read more.
The forest regeneration phase in Sweden commonly involves mechanical soil preparation followed by the planting of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) seedlings. The prepared soil offers planting positions with different properties, including reduced damage by pine weevils (Hylobius abietis L.). Nitrogen fertilization can be applied at the time of planting to aid establishment of the seedlings. In this study, we compared the effects of different planting positions, organic nitrogen fertilization, and different seedling sizes on the early survival and growth of Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. The main planting positions were capped mound, hinge, and mineral soil. Seedlings planted close to organic material were categorized as being in “low-quality positions”, since proximity to organic material increases pine weevil attraction. Higher mortality rates related to pine weevil damage were recorded for the seedlings planted in the low-quality positions, regardless of seedling size or N fertilization. Pine weevil attack rates increased with increasing seedling size. Growth was, in general, lowest in the mineral soil positions. The effect of organic N fertilization on growth was positive for the spruce regardless of the planting position or seedling size, while it depended on the planting position and seedling size for the pine, indicating that the effects of organic N fertilization depend on the seedling species, seedling size, and planting position. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development)
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Review

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24 pages, 5002 KiB  
Review
Research Progress on Forest Eco-Product Value Realization and Eco-Industry: The Inspiration for Planted Forests in Karst Desertification Control
by Zefu Zhang, Kangning Xiong, Yu Zhang and Youze Ning
Forests 2024, 15(3), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030517 - 11 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1280
Abstract
Karst desertification (KD) is a phenomenon in which the surface of the karst region presents a landscape similar to desertification, which restricts the social development of the karst region. How to develop values based on karst desertification control is the focus of current [...] Read more.
Karst desertification (KD) is a phenomenon in which the surface of the karst region presents a landscape similar to desertification, which restricts the social development of the karst region. How to develop values based on karst desertification control is the focus of current research, with the continuous promotion of karst desertification control (KDC). Planted forests for KDC are an important part of the value realization of ecological products (EPs) and ecological industry (EI) in karst areas. The statistical analysis of 265 relevant papers in this paper shows the following: (1) the literature focuses on EP and EI research; (2) the overall research shows a year-on-year growth trend. It includes three stages: budding (2001–2006), fluctuating growth (2007–2015) and rapid development (2016–2023), with 6, 58 and 211 articles published in each stage, respectively; (3) China is the country with the largest number of articles published, followed by the United States and then Canada, accounting for 47.74%, 11.93% and 6.17%. This paper summarizes the landmark results and key scientific issues to be solved in the study directions of EP supply capacity, EP value accounting, eco-products value realization (EPVR) and EI, taking into account the above results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planted Forests: A Path towards Sustainable Development)
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