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Forests
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Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Environmental Stress
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Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Environmental Stress

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 1791

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Quan Qiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: planted forest; tree physiology; eucalyptus; forest therapy; soil microbiology
Dr. Junwen Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Interests: plantation forest cultivation; tree physiology; tree ecology
Dr. Shaohui Fan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing 100102, China
Interests: plantation cultivation nutrition; long-term productivity; maintenance mechanisms; natural forest conservation; restoration and cultivation techniques; cultivation and ecology in bamboo forests
Dr. Guanglu Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing 100102, China
Interests: cultivation and ecology in bamboo forests

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are often subjected to various abiotic stresses due to the constantly changing environment. Droughts, floods, extreme temperatures, salinity, and other environmental stressors have been widely reported to cause production losses and even death in plants worldwide. Plants can adapt to environmental changes by altering their morphology and controlling their physiological metabolism. Researchers have made significant advancements in understanding the physiological mechanisms of plant responses to single and combined environmental stresses. These mechanisms are crucial for plant tolerance, providing valuable insights into how plants can better adapt to challenging environments and aiding in developing strategies to enhance the resilience and productivity of plants. This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in the physiological mechanisms of plant responses to environmental stress. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Plant adaptation and tolerance to single environmental stress；
  • Physiological mechanisms underlying environmental-stress-induced plant mortality；
  • Physiological mechanisms of plant responses to combined environmental stresses；
  • Effective approaches to enhance plant tolerance to environmental stress；
  • Balanced mechanisms between plant growth and stress response.

Dr. Quan Qiu
Dr. Junwen Wu
Dr. Shaohui Fan
Dr. Guanglu Liu
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. 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

  • plant stress tolerance
  • plant physiological response
  • plant mortality
  • combined environmental stress
  • drought
  • flooding
  • heat
  • cold
  • shade

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2151 KiB  
Article
Clonal Variation in Growth, Physiology and Ultrastructure of Populus alba L. Seedlings Under NaCl Stress
by Mejda Abassi, Mohammed S. Lamhamedi, Ali Albouchi, Damase Khasa and Zoubeir Bejaoui
Forests 2025, 16(5), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16050721 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2025
Abstract
Afforestation and reforestation (A/R) of non-agricultural and marginal saline lands by promoting fast-growing and salinity-tolerant woody species are crucial strategies to overcome land degradation and vegetation cover scarcity. To obtain basic information before using Populus alba clones in such degraded areas, morpho-physiological and [...] Read more.
Afforestation and reforestation (A/R) of non-agricultural and marginal saline lands by promoting fast-growing and salinity-tolerant woody species are crucial strategies to overcome land degradation and vegetation cover scarcity. To obtain basic information before using Populus alba clones in such degraded areas, morpho-physiological and cellular responses to salt stress were investigated. The experiment was conducted in a nursery where cuttings of three P. alba clones (MA-104, MA-195 and OG) were grown for 90 days in 100 mM NaCl versus a non-saline control. A global approach highlighting clonal differences in terms of dry mass production and plant physiological performance was achieved by comparing plant water status, gas exchange, ionic selectivity, osmotic adjustment and chloroplast ultrastructure under the two treatments. Dry mass production and eco-physiological processes were reduced in response to salt stress, with substantial clonal variation. Clone MA-104 exhibited salinity-tolerant behaviour in contrast to clone MA-195 and OG’s medium or sensitive behaviour towards the stress. Tolerance mechanisms may be attributed to enhanced stomatal control and osmotic adjustment, thereby enabling the maintenance of turgor in plants subjected to salt stress. The chloroplast ultrastructure also showed modifications that are often involved in adaptation to salinity stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Environmental Stress)
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31 pages, 5095 KiB  
Article
Stoichiometric Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Different Components of Karst Forest Plants at the Microtopography and Microhabitat Scale in Maolan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China
by Peng Wu, Hua Zhou, Wenjun Zhao, Guangneng Yang, Yingchun Cui, Yiju Hou, Chengjiang Tan, Ting Zhou and Fangjun Ding
Forests 2025, 16(2), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020317 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 542
Abstract
The main dominant tree species of karst forest at the microtopography and the microhabitat scale were taken as the research object in this study, and the stoichiometric characteristics of different components and their influencing factors were analyzed in order to reveal the survival [...] Read more.
The main dominant tree species of karst forest at the microtopography and the microhabitat scale were taken as the research object in this study, and the stoichiometric characteristics of different components and their influencing factors were analyzed in order to reveal the survival strategy of karst forest plants in harsh habitats and their mechanism of adaptation to complex terrain. The results showed that the nutrient distribution among different components of the plant was closely related to its organizational structure and functional attributes. The microtopography had a significant effect on plant nutrient accumulation. However, the effect of the microhabitat on plant stoichiometric characteristics was relatively small. Different ecological factors had various regulatory effects on the stoichiometric characteristics of plant components, among which the specific leaf area (SLA) was the most critical biological factor affecting the stoichiometric characteristics of new leaves. Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) had the greatest effect on mature leaves, litter, and branches, and the trunks were mainly affected by plant species. There are synergistic tradeoffs between different plant components, and the interaction between each element mainly shows antagonistic and synergistic effects. Plants adapt to the changes in the karst microtopography and microhabitat by adjusting resource allocation and structural and functional traits. In the upslope, shady slope, and semi-shady slope regions and slopes above 25°, the plants adopted a conservative strategy. In depressions, on sunny slopes, and on flat land, as well as on slopes below 25°, the resource acquisition strategy was adopted. This is the result of the interaction of biological and abiotic factors, which reflects the resource acquisition and nutrient allocation strategies of plants in different habitats, and it is also an mechanism of adaptation to a complex and changeable environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Environmental Stress)
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12 pages, 1949 KiB  
Article
Response of Non-Structural Carbohydrates and Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Stoichiometry in Pinus yunnanensis Seedlings to Drought Re-Watering
by Chengyao Liu, Junwen Wu, Jianyao Gu and Huaijiao Duan
Forests 2024, 15(11), 1864; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111864 - 24 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 880
Abstract
Pinus yunnanensis is an endemic tree species in southwest China that has high ecological and economic benefits. Nowadays, global climate change is remarkable, the frequency of drought is increasing day by day, the distribution of rainfall is unbalanced, and even the phenomenon of [...] Read more.
Pinus yunnanensis is an endemic tree species in southwest China that has high ecological and economic benefits. Nowadays, global climate change is remarkable, the frequency of drought is increasing day by day, the distribution of rainfall is unbalanced, and even the phenomenon of alternating drought and flood has appeared, which is unfavorable to the growth of P. yunnanensis. We set up four treatments, namely normal water (CK), light drought (LD), moderate drought (MD), and severe drought (SD), and water content was controlled by the weighing method. After continuous drought for 30 days, re-watering was performed for 7 days. The stoichiometric characteristics of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), soluble sugars (SS), and starch (ST), as well as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), in various organs of P. yunnanensis seedlings were measured. The results revealed significant effects of re-watering on NSC and its components in P. yunnanensis seedlings. The SS and NSC contents in the leaves of P. yunnanensis seedlings treated with SD were significantly higher than those of the control. The C content in the leaves and stems of P. yunnanensis seedlings recovered to the CK level after re-watering under different drought degrees. The contents of N in different organs and P in the fine roots of P. yunnanensis seedlings increased after re-watering with the LD, MD, and SD treatments, while the C/N ratio decreased. In summary, the recovery mechanism of P. yunnanensis seedlings to re-watering varied with the drought degree. The contents and ratios of NSC, C, N, and P in different organs of P. yunnanensis seedlings were significantly affected by re-watering. Combining the phenotypic plasticity index and PCA results, seedlings of P. yunnanensis adapted to drought re-watering by adjusting leaf NSC, leaf P, stem SS/ST, fine root ST, and fine root NSC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Environmental Stress)
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