Forest Community Restoration under Invasive Species and Climate-Induced Disturbance

Dear Colleagues,

Deforestation (habitat loss), invasive species, and climate change are the main drivers responsible for global biodiversity loss. Thus, climate change has a remarkable impact on trees and forests. Although trees have natural potential for adaptations to climatic changes, the pace of these changes is so intensive that many species may lose their climatic optimum within the next few decades (in Europe, ca. 50 years). One may expect that this phenomenon is tackling forest species globally. An obvious question arises on the possible actions to reverse these negative trends and improve the adaptation of trees.

Furthermore, since in the era of global warming, natural, large-scale disturbances increase in frequency, intensity, and severity, the resistance of forest ecosystems to disturbances and their potential for post-disturbance recovery play a pivotal role in their continuous existence. The more structurally complex, more species-rich, and functionally integrated a forest ecosystem is, the more resistant to disturbance it is. Natural disturbances are vital to the restoration of structural complexity and diversity in forests, which once lost such features due to previous management practices. However, forest disturbances and subsequent recovery are shifting with global climatic changes, altering forest dynamics processes. Additionally, most of the forests worldwide are heavily exploited and modified by humans even though forest communities undisturbed via forest management are more stable and resistant to any negative environmental impact. This also refers to the biological invasions. In contrast, forests affected by heavy exploitation and successive human-induced disturbance are very prone to the negative impact of invasive alien species. Invasive species, widely encroaching and establishing in such forests, substantially modify the natural processes of forest dynamics and via suppression of native species lead to the homogenization of forest ecosystems and biodiversity loss.

These negative changes drive the existing forests worldwide toward a blind path, which, combined with the intensively progressing, deliberate deforestation, will eventually lead to a global climatic catastrophe. The only way to halt this journey is to substantially reduce logging, protect all the remaining old-growth forests, which are among the most effective carbon sequestration “factories”, and combine it with global efforts to increase the area of forested land.

This Special Issue aims to present research articles that focus on any aspects of forest restoration and recovery. Studies on the perspective of different types of forest ecosystems in different parts of the world, formerly deteriorated via invasive species and natural and human-made disturbances to recover in environmental conditions altered by global climatic changes, would also be appreciated. Finally, the applicative results of any restoration projects (failed or successful), including conservation of remnant forests, or active protection aiming at accelerating natural regeneration, and tree planting and seed sowing experiments, are welcomed.

Dr. Anna Orczewska
Dr. Damian Chmura
Guest Editors

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• climate change
• deforestation
• disturbance
• biological invasion
• forest restoration
• forest recovery
• restoration methods
• biodiversity
• afforestation
• reforestations