Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2020) | Viewed by 6903

Special Issue Editor

Yamanashi Forest Research Institute, Saishoji 2290-1, Fujikawa, Yamanashi 400-0502, Japan
Interests: biodiversity; forest ecosystem management; forest ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To achieve ecologically sustainable forest management, we must consider various aspects, not only sustaining yield and economic returns, but also other ecosystem services. Some techniques to enhance yield from forests, such as herbicide spraying and exotic plantations, have been applied, but such techniques can be harmful to other ecosystem services. To compromise and solve such issues, more discussion and case studies are necessary from local to global scales.

At present, stakeholders in forest and forestry sectors and using forest resources are focusing on accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the UN Forum on Forests notes that forest activities contribute to the achievement of 14 out of 17 SDG targets. Thus, the stakeholders should be interested in how forests can be managed for ecologically sustainable forest management.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions about natural, social, and interdisciplinary approaches to accomplishing proper ecologically sustainable forest management.

Dr. Takuo Nagaike
Guest Editor

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.

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Keywords

  • ESG investment
  • forest certification
  • ecosystem services
  • conserving biological diversity

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2503 KiB  
Article
How Well Do Three Tree Species Adapt to the Urban Environment in Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China Regarding Their Growth Patterns and Ecosystem Services?
by Chi Zhang, Qing Zhao, Honghui Tang, Wanhui Qian, Murong Su and Lijun Pan
Forests 2020, 11(4), 420; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11040420 - 09 Apr 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2122
Abstract
It is predicted that global change combined with urbanization will impact increasingly on the society and terrestrial ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China (GBA). In this context, the cities in GBA began to plant a variety of urban trees since [...] Read more.
It is predicted that global change combined with urbanization will impact increasingly on the society and terrestrial ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China (GBA). In this context, the cities in GBA began to plant a variety of urban trees since 2000 which are considered to play an important role in fixing carbon, improving air quality, reducing noise and providing other ecosystem services. However, data on the growth patterns and ecosystem services of the planted trees remains scarce, which hampers a comprehensive understanding of how well the planted trees adapt to the local urban environment. Therefore, we selected three widely planted tree species in Foshan, one of the core cities in GBA and investigated their tree growth and ecosystem services via a harvest campaign and soil analysis. With the same, fast tree growth as natural forests and the greatest above- and below-ground biomass among the three tree species, Ml (Mytilaria laosensis Lec.) showed a distinguished adaption to the local urban environment in terms of growth patterns, carbon fixation, stabilization against typhoon risk and water uptake capacity against potential drought risk in the future. Although Cf (Chinese fir) showed reduced diameter at breast height (DBH) and volume development, it significantly increased the total and available potassium in soils to improve the soil quality. The DBH growth of Sp (Slash pine) decreased between six and 12 years old while it recovered at the age of 12 years, probably suggesting its adaptation might take a longer time. Our results indicated that different trees had different growth patterns and ecosystem services after they were planted in cities. In a harsh urban environment under climate change, precise and comprehensive data on urban trees is necessary, helping to provide different perspectives for urban managers to select appropriate tree species and make policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management)
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28 pages, 2434 KiB  
Article
The Long-Term Survival and Growth of Enrichment Plantings in Logged Tropical Rainforest in North Queensland, Australia
by Phan Minh Quang, Jack Baynes, John Herbohn, Grahame Applegate and Murray Keys
Forests 2020, 11(4), 386; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11040386 - 30 Mar 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2235
Abstract
Enrichment planting is often suggested as a means of enhancing the productivity of logged rainforest. However, little is known about the long-term survival and growth of these trees. In this study, we used historical data from enrichment planting trials ranging from 15 to [...] Read more.
Enrichment planting is often suggested as a means of enhancing the productivity of logged rainforest. However, little is known about the long-term survival and growth of these trees. In this study, we used historical data from enrichment planting trials ranging from 15 to 32 years old to examine the survival and growth of 16 tree species across different sites in north Queensland, Australia. The results complement and extend current knowledge on the potential role of enrichment planting from a production perspective. A key finding was that the initial level of post-logging overwood did not appear to affect the immediate survival of enrichment plantings, but in the longer term (up to 30 years) survival decreased as post-logging overwood and regrowth increased. This suggests that removal of overwood should take place at the time of enrichment planting. A further key finding was that despite regular tending to remove vegetation adjacent to the plantings, competition from saplings and trees that were situated outside the tended area emerged as a major source of competition in some plots. By implication, the success of enrichment planting may depend on removal of competition from the entire logged area, not just adjacent to enrichment plantings. Results between individual species and trials varied widely. The best development of Flindersia brayleyana resulted in a mean tree diameter of 32.5 cm at age 22 for the 100 tallest trees per hectare. Although Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus microcorys, and Eucalyptus pilularis all failed—as expected, because they do not normally grow in rainforest—Corymbia torelliana, Cardwellia sublimis, Araucaria bidwillii, Khaya senegalensis, Flindersia amboinensis, and Swietenia macrophylla also failed although they grow naturally in similar sites. In other trials, tree height and basal area growth were often poor. For example, Khaya ivorensis grew to a basal area of only 1.3 m2/ha and a mean height of 7.7 m at age 10, and Flindersia ifflaiana only grew to a basal area of 0.7 m2/ha and a height of 7.9 m, also at age 10. Overall, these results emphasise the necessity of site–species matching before enrichment planting begins and the necessity of post-planting monitoring and remedial tending. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management)
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13 pages, 3932 KiB  
Article
Base Cation Fluxes from the Stemflow in Three Mixed Plantations in the Rainy Zone of Western China
by Yilin Liu, Long Jiang, Chengming You, Han Li, Siyi Tan, Bo Tan and Wanqin Yang
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1101; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f10121101 - 02 Dec 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2100
Abstract
Base cation transfer from stemflow is an important process for nutrient transfer and plays a key role in maintaining the balance of soil nutrient pools. To research the differences of stemflow chemistry in mixed plantations, we conducted a continuous field experiment in the [...] Read more.
Base cation transfer from stemflow is an important process for nutrient transfer and plays a key role in maintaining the balance of soil nutrient pools. To research the differences of stemflow chemistry in mixed plantations, we conducted a continuous field experiment in the rainy zone of Western China from December 2016 to November 2017. Three representative mixed plantations, including a conifer–broadleaved mixed plantation, a deciduous broadleaved mixed plantation and a multispecies mixed plantation, were selected to investigate the concentration and flux characteristics of K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ in stemflow. The results showed that: (1) the K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes ranged from 1.75 to 2.44 kg ha−1 year−1, 0.14 to 0.24 kg ha−1 year−1, 1.25 to 2.11 kg ha−1 year−1, and 0.40 to 0.60 kg ha−1 year−1 in these mixed plantations during the one-year observation, and the annual or seasonal (i.e., rainy or dry season) base cation fluxes in the stemflow varied slightly with the plantation types; (2) broadleaved trees had a higher average stemflow base cation contribution rate and flux-based enrichment ratio than coniferous trees, and the enrichment ratios showed a decreasing tendency with increasing trunk diameter; (3) the stemflow base cation concentration was higher in the dry season, while flux was observed to be higher in the rainy season. These results suggested that increasing the proportion of broadleaved species in mixed plantations might improve soil nutrient content and benefit material cycling in subtropical forest ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management)
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