How Fires and Drought Shape Forest Plant Physiology and Function

Dear Colleagues,

Wildfires have been a major disturbance for at least 400 million years. The paleological record shows us that major periods of speciation, at geological scales, coincide with periods of large wildfire activity. Understanding to which extent fires have shaped the ecology and evolution of forest species, as well as patterns of intra-specific variation, has been the topic of much discussion, and conclusions are far from equivocal. Wildfires may also impact plant evolution and acclimation at shorter timescales, and rapid evolution and plastic responses to fire are also being currently discussed. Particularly relevant for understanding the responses of forest species to the ongoing climate change will be understanding how fires and drought jointly impact the evolution of physiological adaptations to both disturbance and stress, as well as the limits in the adaptation of these responses.

This Special Issue of Forests is focused on understanding how fires and drought shape forest plant physiology and function. We particularly welcome studies that consider the effects of fire, alone or in interaction with drought, on physiological and functional plant traits.

Prof. Dr. Víctor de Dios
Dr. Fernando Silla
Guest Editors

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