Impacts of Climate Extremes on Forests

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2024 | Viewed by 2824

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: dendroecology; wood isotopes; wood anatomy; forest dymanics; climate change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extreme climatic events are anomalous and abrupt changes in climate conditions, such as intense droughts, heat waves, cold spells and frosts. These events impact forest productivity, tree growth and vigor. If they are very intense or recurrent, these events can trigger forest decline and shape long-term forest dynamics. The study of the impacts of climate extremes on forests and the assessment of post-event resilience are fundamental issued to understanding, forecasting and better managing vulnerable forests, especially in those places where their intensity and frequency are expected to increase due to climate change, such as tree populations that represent a species’ geographic and climatic distribution limits.

Climate extremes have received abundant attention in recent years, but there are still many issues under discussion that require more effort. The objective of this Special Issue is to contribute to the filling of gaps in the research and to advance those issues that are under discussion, such as the appropriate methodology to evaluate the resistance and resilience of growth to these events, the factors that influence tree responses, the management alternatives that increase resilience or the effects of extreme climate events on growth and dynamics as a function of species, location, and future climatic conditions. Studies of multidisciplinary approaches combining several methodological tools and frameworks are welcome, as are those more focused on specific methods or disciplines. Articles based on remote sensing, tree-ring, inventory, monitoring, anatomical and ecophysiological data will be considered as well as those dealing with experimental approaches involving seedlings in greenhouses or provenance trials. Overall, we aim to disentangle how climate extremes impact forests and to detect potential interactions with other drivers of global change, including climate warming, rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and increased N deposition.

Dr. Álvaro Rubio-Cuadrado
Dr. Jesús Julio Camarero
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • resistance
  • resilience
  • tree growth
  • radial growth
  • forest dynamics
  • drought
  • spring frost
  • late frost

Published Papers (3 papers)

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14 pages, 6512 KiB  
Article
Tree Rings Elucidate Differential Drought Responses in Stands of Three Mexican Pines
by Eduardo Daniel Vivar-Vivar, Marín Pompa-García and Jesús Julio Camarero
Forests 2024, 15(6), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060994 - 6 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 563
Abstract
Knowledge regarding the growth of trees is essential to understanding their response to predicted warmer and drier climate scenarios. We used the annual rings of three Mexican pines (Pinus montezumae Lamb., Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl., and Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém) [...] Read more.
Knowledge regarding the growth of trees is essential to understanding their response to predicted warmer and drier climate scenarios. We used the annual rings of three Mexican pines (Pinus montezumae Lamb., Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl., and Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém) to explore their drought responses. Correlation analyses showed that hydroclimatic factors differentially impact tree species in terms of the intensity and temporality. The negative influence of the maximum temperature and positive effect of the precipitation on the growth indices were notable, with P. montezumae being the most responsive species, followed by P. oocarpa and P. monophylla. The climate–growth relationships were specific and driven by the differential hydrothermal conditions across the study areas. SPEI analyses indicated that P. monophylla is better able to tolerate drought than P. montezumae or P. oocarpa, especially in recent years. The lower resilience of P. montezumae and P. oocarpa could predispose them to a higher mortality risk if warming and drying rates increase. Our findings strengthen the understanding of the responses of tree growth to seasonal drought, which is critical considering the biogeographic shifts that will potentially be experienced by these forests in the future. This knowledge improves the understanding of young Mexican stands and could contribute to the design of management strategies in the face of predicted climatic variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Extremes on Forests)
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0 pages, 3500 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Forest Cover Loss as a Response to Drought and Dieback of Norway Spruce and Evaluating Sensitivity of Various Vegetation Indices Using Remote Sensing
by Boban R. Miletić, Bratislav Matović, Saša Orlović, Marko Gutalj, Todor Đorem, Goran Marinković, Srđan Simović, Mirko Dugalić and Dejan B. Stojanović
Forests 2024, 15(4), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040662 - 5 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1371 | Correction
Abstract
The Norway spruce is one of the most important tree species in Europe. This tree species has been put under considerable pressure due to the ongoing impacts of climate change. Meanwhile, frequent droughts and pest outbreaks are reported as the main reason for [...] Read more.
The Norway spruce is one of the most important tree species in Europe. This tree species has been put under considerable pressure due to the ongoing impacts of climate change. Meanwhile, frequent droughts and pest outbreaks are reported as the main reason for its dieback, resulting in severe forest cover loss. Such was the case with Norway spruce forests within the Kopaonik National Park (NP) in Serbia. This study aims to quantify, spatially and temporally, forest cover loss and to evaluate the sensitivity of various vegetation indices (VIs) in detecting drought-induced response and predicting the dieback of Norway spruce due to long-lasting drought effects in the Kopaonik NP. For this purpose, we downloaded and processed a large number of Landsat 7 (ETM+), Landsat 8 (OLI), and Sentinel 2 (MSI) satellite imagery acquired from 2009 to 2022. Our results revealed that forest cover loss was mainly driven by severe drought in 2011 and 2012, which was later significantly influenced by bark beetle outbreaks. Furthermore, various VIs proved to be very useful in monitoring and predicting forest health status. In summary, the drought-induced response detected using various VIs provides valuable insights into the dynamics of forest cover change, with implications for monitoring and conservation efforts of Norway spruce forests in the Kopaonik NP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Extremes on Forests)
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20 pages, 783 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Miletić et al. Quantifying Forest Cover Loss as a Response to Drought and Dieback of Norway Spruce and Evaluating Sensitivity of Various Vegetation Indices Using Remote Sensing. Forests 2024, 15, 662
by Boban R. Miletić, Bratislav Matović, Saša Orlović, Marko Gutalj, Todor Đorem, Goran Marinković, Srđan Simović, Mirko Dugalić and Dejan B. Stojanović
Forests 2024, 15(5), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050815 - 7 May 2024
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Abstract
In the original publication [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Extremes on Forests)
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