Ecosystem-Disturbance Interactions in Forests

Dear Colleagues,

In the past few years, major disturbances due to wind, snow pressure, avalanches, fire, and insect outbreaks have occurred in forests worldwide. Increasing the complexity of the problem, these disturbances are projected to increase in intensity and frequency, interact, and fuel further destructive impact on ecosystems. For example, windthrow, snow pressure, and stressful weather conditions can act in concert to trigger insect outbreaks. Forest ecosystems respond to disturbance events and legacies at different timescales in different ways. Their response generally depends on a multitude of factors related to climate, environment, and the properties of the ecosystem itself. Key components in this respect are the structure, composition, and diversity of the vegetation and their variation in time and space. Disturbance–structure interactions change as trees and forests age and influence the landscape-scale processes. The increasing interactions of disturbance regimes with forest structures and the differential responses of trees and ecosystems pose a novel challenge for forest research and management. With this Special Issue, we call for research that investigates the system properties and their link to disturbance–structure interactions. A quantification of the structural and functional components related to the disturbance impact and the recovery process from stand- to landscape-scale is necessary to understand these natural processes and to design and implement adaptive management and enhance the restoration and resilience of forest systems.

Prof. Dr. Camilla Wellstein
Prof. Dr. Roberto Tognetti
Dr. Daniel Scherrer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• disturbance event
• ecosystem properties
• ecosystem recovery
• forest management
• forest restoration
• insect outbreak
• pathogens
• tree composition
• vegetation structure
• weather conditions