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Forests
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Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration
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Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration

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 August 2021) | Viewed by 18376

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Bruce D. Clarkson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Interests: urban ecology; restoration ecology; restoration planting; habitat reconstruction; autecology of threatened plants; vegetation succession

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, there has been increasing interest in bringing nature back into urban centers and the multiple benefits and services provided by urban forests. The Covid 19 pandemic has crystallized thinking about the importance of accessible nature in times of lockdown and stress. But there are significant challenges in maintaining existing forest remnants in urban environments, and in restoring or reconstructing forest habitats, which are resilient and sustainable in the face of increasing population, development, and climate change. This Special Issue will draw on experience from around the world in the theory and practice of urban forest restoration, to achieve all or some of the multiple benefits of retaining or expanding urban forests. We are particularly interested in examples of intergenerational projects, at a local or regional scale, which highlight adaptive management approaches to the success and failure experienced along the way. As urban forestry is transdisciplinary, and successful urban ecological restoration involves understanding and navigating coupled socio-ecological systems, we welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines, as well as those which bridge disciplines.

Prof. Dr. Bruce D. Clarkson
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.

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

  • urban forestry
  • ecological restoration
  • habitat reconstruction
  • bringing nature back into cities
  • biodiversity and ecosystem services
  • benefits and wellbeing
  • resilience and sustainability
  • adaptive management

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3363 KiB  
Article
Restoration Strategies for Three Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A.Rich.) de Laub., Kahikatea Remnants in Hamilton City, New Zealand
by Hannah C. Rogers and Bruce D. Clarkson
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1633; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13101633 - 06 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1326
Abstract
Identifying appropriate restoration strategies is vital for successful urban remnant restoration, but projects often lack consistent methods that distinguish them. In New Zealand, there are unique opportunities to restore depleted Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A.Rich.) de Laub. (kahikatea, white pine) semi-swamp forest remnants in numerous [...] Read more.
Identifying appropriate restoration strategies is vital for successful urban remnant restoration, but projects often lack consistent methods that distinguish them. In New Zealand, there are unique opportunities to restore depleted Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A.Rich.) de Laub. (kahikatea, white pine) semi-swamp forest remnants in numerous urban centres. To assess potential restoration strategies for three kahikatea remnants in Hamilton City, we compared their physical features, native vascular species composition, age structures, life forms and epiphytes with a notional reference site (Te Papanui). Numerous native vascular species gaps are revealed among Te Papanui (66 species), Totara Park (40 species), Hillcrest Park (15 species) and Grove Park (nine species). Age structure analyses suggest that Hillcrest Park comprises the oldest kahikatea population, with an average age of 82 years, followed by Grove Park (70 years), Te Papanui (60 years) and Totara Park (32 years). A native floristic analysis of thirteen life forms found that Te Papanui contains the most (11), followed by Totara Park (eight), Grove Park (six) and Hillcrest Park (five). Despite the abundance of invasive plants at Totara Park, its high-water table and favourable humid, sheltered conditions support more epiphytes (nine) than Te Papanui (six), Hillcrest Park (one; Pyrrosia eleagnifolia), and Grove Park (none). Epiphytes absent from Te Papanui found at Totara Park may be due to the loss of the once abundant tree fern and host, Dicksonia squarrosa (whekī). Totara Park requires careful manipulation of troublesome weeds, whereas Hillcrest Park and Grove Park necessitate buffer extensions and native understory plantings. This study provides a simple framework that uses biophysical differences among urban remnants and a reference site to reveal suitable restoration strategies that could guide other urban restoration projects regionally and nationally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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16 pages, 6018 KiB  
Article
Restoration Trajectories and Ecological Thresholds during Planted Urban Forest Successional Development
by K. J. Wallace, Bruce D. Clarkson and Bridgette Farnworth
Forests 2022, 13(2), 199; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13020199 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4810
Abstract
Successfully reconstructing functioning forest ecosystems from early-successional tree plantings is a long-term process that often lacks monitoring. Many projects lack observations of critical successional information, such as the restoration trajectory of key ecosystem attributes and ecological thresholds, which signal that management actions are [...] Read more.
Successfully reconstructing functioning forest ecosystems from early-successional tree plantings is a long-term process that often lacks monitoring. Many projects lack observations of critical successional information, such as the restoration trajectory of key ecosystem attributes and ecological thresholds, which signal that management actions are needed. Here, we present results from a 65 ha urban temperate rainforest restoration project in Aotearoa New Zealand, where trees have been planted annually on public retired pasture land, forming a 14 years chronosequence. In 25 plots (100 m2 each), we measured key ecosystem attributes that typically change during forest succession: native tree basal area, canopy openness, non-native herbaceous ground cover, leaf litter cover, ground fern cover, dead trees, and native tree seedling abundance and richness. We also monitored for the appearance of physiologically-sensitive plant guilds (moss, ferns, and epiphytes) that may be considered ecological indicators of succession. Linear regression models identified relationships between all but one of the key ecosystem attributes and forest age (years since planting). Further, using breakpoint analysis, we found that ecological thresholds occurred in many ecosystem attributes during their restoration trajectories: reduced canopy openness (99.8% to 3.4%; 9.6 years threshold), non-native herbaceous ground cover (100% to 0; 10.9 years threshold), leaf litter cover (0 to 95%; 10.8 years threshold), and increased tree deaths (0 to 4; 11 years threshold). Further, juvenile native plant recruitment increased (tree seedling abundance 0 to ~150 per 4 m2), tree seedling species richness (0 to 13 per 100 m2) and epiphytes colonized (0 to 3 individuals per 100 m2). These and other physiologically-sensitive plant guilds appeared around the 11 years mark, confirming their utility as ecological indicators during monitoring. Our results indicate that measurable, ecological thresholds occur during the restoration trajectories of ecosystem attributes, and they are predictable. If detected, these thresholds can inform project timelines and, along with use of ecological indicators, inform management interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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16 pages, 3811 KiB  
Article
Effects of Adjacent Land Use Types on the Composition of Vascular Flora in Urban Forest Ecotones in the Southern Poland
by Beata Fornal-Pieniak, Barbara Żarska and Marcin Ollik
Forests 2021, 12(11), 1440; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12111440 - 22 Oct 2021
Viewed by 1506
Abstract
The purpose of the research was the recognition of edge effects regarding similarities and differences of vascular flora in undergrowth layers in the urban forest ecotones. Four types of urban forest neighborhoods were analyzed: ecotones adjacent to the manor park, the agriculture field, [...] Read more.
The purpose of the research was the recognition of edge effects regarding similarities and differences of vascular flora in undergrowth layers in the urban forest ecotones. Four types of urban forest neighborhoods were analyzed: ecotones adjacent to the manor park, the agriculture field, housing estates and the road. The plant compositions in the forest ecotones were compared with the plant compositions in the urban forest interior and the forest nature reserve. The phytosociological type of studied forests was a subcontinental oak-hornbeam one (Tilio-Carpinetum). Diagnostic plant species (e.g., characteristic) for forests from the non-diagnostic ones were identified. Forest consistent plant species dominated in the ecotone adjacent to the manor park and in the interior of urban forests too, but the best conditions for these plants were inside the forest nature reserve, where native consistent forest plants showed the highest dominance when comparing all studied areas. A higher anthropogenic pressure from the adjacent areas results in supporting the growth of inconsistent plant species in the forests, and these plants are mostly represented by plants belonging to grass and synanthropic communities. Another conclusion drawn from our research is that the protected forest, represented by a nature reserve in the city, provides better “shelter” for native forest plants than the urban forest without any protection. Ultimately, a permanent challenge is to achieve and maintain the balance between nature and the impact of anthropogenic activities on urban forests in the city. The high quality of green areas, biodiversity, including forests, implicates possibilities of sustainable development in cities. The research results will be useful for local urban planners and ecologists during their work on strategies of city development, including shaping of green infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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17 pages, 2185 KiB  
Article
Forest Development over a Twenty-Year Chronosequence of Reforested Urban Sites
by Kenton L. Sena, Zachary J. Hackworth and John M. Lhotka
Forests 2021, 12(5), 614; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12050614 - 13 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2169
Abstract
Urbanization causes a variety of negative ecological impacts, impairing forests, streams, and other ecosystems. While urban forests are the subject of increasing research attention, planted urban forests are less well-understood than remnant forests; however, these systems may be distinct in terms of ecosystem [...] Read more.
Urbanization causes a variety of negative ecological impacts, impairing forests, streams, and other ecosystems. While urban forests are the subject of increasing research attention, planted urban forests are less well-understood than remnant forests; however, these systems may be distinct in terms of ecosystem structure and function. The current study investigates a chronosequence of reforested urban sites in Lexington, KY, USA, with a focus on overstory and understory woody plant community characteristics. Monitoring plots were established in each of the 20 sites; tree height, dbh, and species were surveyed for the overstory, and species and height were surveyed for the understory. Canopy height increased non-linearly with time since planting, rapidly increasing in years 6–10, but remaining relatively steady after year 15. While the overstory was dominated by planted native species, the understory was predominately non-native species, some of which are considered invasive. Overall, the nonlinear logistic relationship of canopy height to time since planting may be driven by species-specific effects—with trees such as ash (Fraxinus spp. L.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) important during the early years after planting, but declining over time due to pests and other pressures. Alternatively, this complex relationship of canopy height with time may be driven by uncontrolled factors such as site quality, landscape position, planted species, etc. The significance of invasive species in the understory suggests that the long-term health of these sites will be compromised without intentional ongoing maintenance to ensure continued forest development toward desired native community characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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22 pages, 6491 KiB  
Article
Planning to Practice: Impacts of Large-Scale and Rapid Urban Afforestation on Greenspace Patterns in the Beijing Plain Area
by Jiali Jin, Stephen R.J. Sheppard, Baoquan Jia and Cheng Wang
Forests 2021, 12(3), 316; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12030316 - 08 Mar 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3067
Abstract
(1) Research Highlights: Afforestation is one of the most effective urban greening practices for mitigating a variety of environmental issues. Globally, municipal governments have launched large-scale afforestation programs in metropolitan areas during the last decades. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban greenspace patterns [...] Read more.
(1) Research Highlights: Afforestation is one of the most effective urban greening practices for mitigating a variety of environmental issues. Globally, municipal governments have launched large-scale afforestation programs in metropolitan areas during the last decades. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban greenspace patterns are seldom studied during such afforestation programs. (2) Background and Objectives: In this study, the Beijing Plain Afforestation Project (BPAP), which planted 70,711 ha of trees in only four years, was examined by integrating spatial and landscape analysis. To evaluate the real-world outcomes of this massive program, we investigated the spatial-temporal dynamics of landscape patterns during the implementation process to identify potential impacts and challenges for future management of new afforestation. (3) Materials and Methods: We analyzed the transition of various patch types and sizes, applied landscape indicators to measure the temporal changes in urban greenspace patterns, and used the landscape expansion index to quantify the rate and extent of greenspace spatial expansion. (4) Results: Our results illustrated that the implementation of afforestation in the Beijing plain area had generally achieved its initial goal of increasing the proportion of land devoted to forest (increased 8.43%) and parks (increased 0.23%). Afforestation also accelerated the conversion of small-size greenspaces to large-size patches. However, the significant discrepancies found between planned and actual afforestation sites, as well as the large conversion of cropland to forest, may present major challenges for project optimization and future management. (5) Conclusions: This study demonstrated that spatial analysis is a useful and potentially replicable method that can rapidly provide new data to support further afforestation ecosystem assessments and provide spatial insights into the optimization of large inner-city afforestation projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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21 pages, 20365 KiB  
Article
Differences in Response of Butterfly Diversity and Species Composition in Urban Parks to Land Cover and Local Habitat Variables
by Dan Han, Chang Zhang, Cheng Wang, Junying She, Zhenkai Sun, Dexian Zhao, Qi Bian, Wenjing Han, Luqin Yin, Ruilin Sun, Xinyu Wang and He Cheng
Forests 2021, 12(2), 140; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12020140 - 26 Jan 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4197
Abstract
Background and Objectives: As urbanisation is a significant global trend, there is a profound need for biodiversity protection in urban ecosystems. Moreover, the potential of urban green space to support urban biodiversity should be appreciated. Butterflies are environmental indicators that are sensitive to [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: As urbanisation is a significant global trend, there is a profound need for biodiversity protection in urban ecosystems. Moreover, the potential of urban green space to support urban biodiversity should be appreciated. Butterflies are environmental indicators that are sensitive to urbanisation. Therefore, it is important to identify butterfly distribution patterns and the factors influencing butterfly diversity and species composition in urban parks within cities. Research Highlights: To our knowledge, ours is the first study evaluating the effects of both land cover and local habitat features on butterfly species composition in urban parks of Beijing, China. Materials and Methods: In this study, we surveyed butterfly richness and abundance in 28 urban parks in Beijing, China. The parks differed in age and location in the urban area. Meanwhile, we investigated the green space in the surroundings of the parks at multi-spatial scales at the landscape level. We also investigated local park characteristics including the age of the park (Age), perimeter/area ratio of the park (SQPRA), area of the park (ha) (Area), green space cover within the park (Greenp), nectar plant species richness (Necpl), abundance of flowering nectar plants (Necabu) and overall plant species richness (Pl). Generalised linear models (GLMs) and redundancy discriminant analysis (RDA) were applied to relate butterfly diversity and butterfly species composition to environmental variables, respectively. Results: We recorded 3617 individuals belonging to 26 species from July to September in 2019. Parks on the city fringe had significantly higher butterfly diversity. Butterfly species richness was mostly related to total plant richness. The abundance of flowering nectar plants was closely linked to butterfly abundance. Land cover had little impact on butterfly diversity and community structure in urban parks. Conclusions: Once a park has sufficient plants and nectar resources, it becomes a useful haven for urban butterflies, regardless of the surrounding land cover. Well-planned urban parks focused on local habitat quality support butterfly conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forestry and Ecological Restoration)
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