Impacts of Climate and Anthropogenic Disturbances on Vegetation Structure and Functions

Vegetation serves as a habitat for various wildlife species, provides crucial ecosystem services to society, and plays a critical role in regulating the global climate [1]. Both climate and anthropogenic changes (pollution, land-use change, etc.) have been identified as the most influential factors affecting biological systems worldwide, and have increasingly become the primary foci in ecology research [2,3]. To advance our understanding of how climate and anthropogenic disturbances affect vegetation, and how vegetation responds to these changes, this Special Issue (SI) presents recent progress in these research areas. With this knowledge, we will be able not only to further understand the complex relationships and impacts of such changes on vegetation, but also create better adaptive management plans and policies to promote positive effects while minimizing negative ones. The following studies that are included in our SI provide a good start.

There are four articles included in this SI that conducted research on the effect of climate or anthropogenic changes on vegetation. Two of them investigate the mechanisms of the effects from the individual perspective [4,5], while the other two show the spatiotemporal pattern of the effects [6,7].

In Chen et al. (2022a) [4], a study was conducted on the effects of ozone stress on different tree species. The study found that the increase in ozone concentration reduced the water consumption, ozone uptake rate, net photosynthetic rate, and water-use efficiency of different tree species. The article provides valuable insights into the impact of ozone pollution on vegetation systems and highlights the importance of planting conifers in areas with serious ozone pollution.

Gao et al. (2022a) [5] discussed the impact of ozone stress on typical urban landscaping tree species. The results showed that with the increase in ozone concentration, the maximum photochemical efficiency, electron transfer quantum yield, electron transfer rate, and chlorophyll content of the different tree species decreased significantly, while their relative conductivity increased significantly. The study is significant for improving urban environmental quality and ozone control and provides a basis for selecting tree species with strong ozone tolerance.

In Chen et al. (2022b) [6], the authors studied the impact of drought on vegetation change in Xilin Gol, China. Using monthly observation data from nine meteorological stations in Xilin Gol, they calculated the effective drought index and studied the spatiotemporal pattern of drought and its influence on vegetation using various statistical methods.

Song et al. (2023) [7] analyzed the spatiotemporal changes and contribution of human and meteorological factors to the net primary productivity of grassland in the Three-Rivers Headwater Region from 2000 to 2019. The article provides a quantitative assessment of the contributions of meteorological and human factors to changes in grassland NPP using the scenario simulation method. The obtained results showed that the contribution of human factors to the abrupt increase in NPP was significantly greater than the contribution of meteorological factors.

The two other articles in this SI focused on the response of vegetation to the environment from both individual species [8] and spatial [9] perspectives, respectively.

Gao et al. (2022b) [8] explained the reasons for the differences in the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ dust-retention capacities of different tree species. The study aimed to select tree species with strong PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 dust-retention capacity and improve ambient air quality in the northwest of Hebei Province.

Lastly, in the study by Wang et al. (2022) [9], the authors examined the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the seasonal ecosystem water-use efficiency of various vegetation types in Inner Mongolia from 2001 to 2020. The study aimed to reveal the response and adaptation characteristics of different vegetation types within the context of global warming on a regional scale, providing insights into the quantification of the temporal and spatial changes in the water-use efficiency of ecosystems in response to climate change, which is highly significant in light of the increasing visibility of environmental problems caused by global changes.

In summary, this group of articles advances our understanding of the impacts of climate and anthropogenic disturbances on the functions and structure of vegetation, and in turn its responses. We thank the authors for their great contributions and hope that this Special Issue will inspire future research on this important topic.