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Forests
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Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology
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Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2021) | Viewed by 19394

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zdeněk Vacek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
Interests: climate change; forest management; tree adaptation; forest ecology; forest resilience; ecological stability; sustainable silviculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is one of the major drivers of forest dynamics, with many adverse effects on forestry sector. Stressors induced by climate change, including heatwaves, severe droughts, increasing frequency and intensity of storms and fires, and pest outbreaks, present significant potential risks to forests and challenges for adaptation strategies. On the one hand, forests are exposed to and threatened by ongoing climate change; on the other hand, forests have the ability to influence the course of climate change by regulating the water regime, carbon sequestration, and reducing climate extremes. Climate change cause latitudinal and vertical shift of tree species into more suitable habitats, or it can drive local persistence and adaptability. Forest adaptation by natural selection, epigenetic phenomena, gene flow, and phenotypic plasticity, in addition to forest management strategies, plays an important role in reducing the vulnerability of forests to climate change. It is therefore important not to see climate change only as a threat causing forest decline and disturbances, but also as an opportunity for developing innovative approaches in forest ecology and management, sustainable silviculture, and nature protection. Research continues on this topic, and we anticipate that our understanding will also improve due to this Special Issue. For that reason, we are looking for new original research and review articles dealing with growth adaptation of forests to climate change. We also wish to present experimental and theoretical research in plant phenology based on different approaches, from long-term seasonal observations to the use of remote sensing data. We aim to collect in this Special Issue studies from the regions which are most sensitive to climate change, as well as research summarizing the most recent results from different groups and presenting integrated data on the dynamics of phenological changes and growth adaptation in plants considering large geographical or bioclimatic transects. In conclusion, we thank all potential authors for their contributions and professional approach in presenting their research.

Dr. Zdeněk Vacek
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

  • climate change
  • forest management
  • tree adaptation
  • forest ecology
  • forest resilience
  • ecological stability
  • sustainable silviculture

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4423 KiB  
Article
Species and Competition Interact to Influence Seasonal Stem Growth in Temperate Eucalypts
by Ella Plumanns-Pouton, Lauren T. Bennett, Julio C. Najera-Umaña, Anne Griebel and Nina Hinko-Najera
Forests 2022, 13(2), 224; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13020224 - 01 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2052
Abstract
Insights on tree species and competition effects on seasonal stem growth are critical to understanding the impacts of changing climates on tree productivity, particularly for eucalypts species that occur in narrow climatic niches and have unreliable tree rings. To improve our understanding of [...] Read more.
Insights on tree species and competition effects on seasonal stem growth are critical to understanding the impacts of changing climates on tree productivity, particularly for eucalypts species that occur in narrow climatic niches and have unreliable tree rings. To improve our understanding of climate effects on forest productivity, we examined the relative importance of species, competition and climate to the seasonal stem growth of co-occurring temperate eucalypts. We measured monthly stem growth of three eucalypts (Eucalyptus obliqua, E. radiata, and E. rubida) over four years in a natural mixed-species forest in south-eastern Australia, examining the relative influences of species, competition index (CI) and climate variables on the seasonal basal area increment (BAI). Seasonal BAI varied with species and CI, and was greatest in spring and/or autumn, and lowest in summer. Our study highlights the interactive effects of species and competition on the seasonal stem growth of temperate eucalypts, clearly indicating that competitive effects are strongest when conditions are favourable to growth (spring and autumn), and least pronounced in summer, when reduced BAI was associated with less rainfall. Thus, our study indicates that management to reduce inter-tree competition would have minimal influence on stem growth during less favourable (i.e., drier) periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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27 pages, 4251 KiB  
Article
Effect of Climate Change on the Growth of Endangered Scree Forests in Krkonoše National Park (Czech Republic)
by Vojtěch Hájek, Stanislav Vacek, Zdeněk Vacek, Jan Cukor, Václav Šimůnek, Michaela Šimková, Anna Prokůpková, Ivo Králíček and Daniel Bulušek
Forests 2021, 12(8), 1127; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12081127 - 22 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2613
Abstract
Scree forests with large numbers of protected plants and wildlife are seriously threatened by climate change due to more frequent drought episodes, which cause challenges for very stony, shallow soils. The effect of environmental factors on the radial growth of five tree species—European [...] Read more.
Scree forests with large numbers of protected plants and wildlife are seriously threatened by climate change due to more frequent drought episodes, which cause challenges for very stony, shallow soils. The effect of environmental factors on the radial growth of five tree species—European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), and mountain elm (Ulmus glabra Huds.)—was studied in the mixed stands (105–157 years) in the western Krkonoše Mountains (Czech Republic) concerning climate change. These are communities of maple to fir beechwoods (association Aceri-Fagetum sylvaticae and Luzulo-Abietetum albae) on ranker soils at the altitude 590–700 m a.s.l. Production, structure, and biodiversity were evaluated in seven permanent research plots and the relationships of the radial growth (150 cores) to climatic parameters (precipitation, temperature, and extreme conditions) and air pollution (SO2, NOX, ozone exposure). The stand volume reached 557–814 m3 ha−1 with high production potential of spruce and ash. The radial growth of beech and spruce growing in relatively favorable habitat conditions (deeper soil profile and less skeletal soils) has increased by 16.6%–46.1% in the last 20 years. By contrast, for sycamore and ash growing in more extreme soil conditions, the radial growth decreased by 12.5%–14.6%. However, growth variability increased (12.7%–29.5%) for all tree species, as did the occurrence of negative pointer years (extremely low radial growth) in the last two decades. The most sensitive tree species to climate and air pollution were spruce and beech compared to the resilience of sycamore and ash. Spectral analysis recorded the largest cyclical fluctuations (especially the 12-year solar cycle) in spruce, while ash did not show any significant cycle processes. The limiting factors of growth were droughts with high temperatures in the vegetation period for spruce and late frosts for beech. According to the degree of extreme habitat conditions, individual tree species thus respond appropriately to advancing climate change, especially to an increase in the mean temperature (by 2.1 °C), unevenness in precipitation, and occurrence of extreme climate events in the last 60 years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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14 pages, 29475 KiB  
Article
Tree-Ring Width Data of Tsuga longibracteata Reveal Growing Season Temperature Signals in the North-Central Pearl River Basin since 1824 AD
by Teng Li, Jinbao Li, Tsun Fung Au and David Dian Zhang
Forests 2021, 12(8), 1067; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12081067 - 10 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1877
Abstract
Concerning the ecological and economical importance of the Pearl River basin, short-term climate changes have been widely studied by using the instrumental records in the basin, but there is still a lack of long-term climatic reconstructions that can be used to evaluate the [...] Read more.
Concerning the ecological and economical importance of the Pearl River basin, short-term climate changes have been widely studied by using the instrumental records in the basin, but there is still a lack of long-term climatic reconstructions that can be used to evaluate the centennial scale climate anomalies. Here, we present a 237-year tree-ring width chronology from Tsuga longibracteata in the north-central Pearl River basin, with reliable coverage from 1824 to 2016. Based on the significant relationship between tree growth and mean temperature from the previous March to the previous October, we reconstructed the previous growing season (pMar-pOct) temperatures for the past 193 years, with an explained variance of 43.3% during 1958–2016. The reconstruction reveals three major warm (1857–1890, 1964–1976, and 1992–2016) and cold (1824–1856, 1891–1963, and 1977–1991) periods during 1824–2016. Comparison with other temperature sensitive proxy records from nearby regions suggests that our reconstruction is representative of large-scale temperature variations. Significant correlations of tree growth with the sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the western Pacific Ocean, northern Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean suggest that SST variability in these domains may have strongly influenced the growing season temperature change in the Pearl River basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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13 pages, 2131 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Photosynthesis and Carbon Assimilation of Dynamics in a Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino Plantation
by Chung-I Chen, Ya-Nan Wang, Heng-Hsun Lin, Ching-Wen Wang, Jui-Chu Yu and Yung-Chih Chen
Forests 2021, 12(4), 467; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12040467 - 11 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2315
Abstract
As anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions intensify global climate change, plantations have become an important tool to mitigate atmospheric CO2. Our aim in this study was to estimate carbon assimilation and clarify the impact of environmental factors on the photosynthesis of Zelkova [...] Read more.
As anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions intensify global climate change, plantations have become an important tool to mitigate atmospheric CO2. Our aim in this study was to estimate carbon assimilation and clarify the impact of environmental factors on the photosynthesis of Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino, an important plantation species that is extensively planted in low altitude regions of East Asia. We measured monthly gas exchange parameters and leaf area index to estimate carbon assimilation. The results showed that gas exchange was significantly affected by vapor pressure deficit and temperature, especially in the dry season, and both photosynthetic rate and carbon assimilation decreased. Lower daytime assimilation and higher nighttime respiration during the dry season, which caused a 43% decrease in carbon assimilation in Z. serrata plantations. Z. serrata exhibited lower photosynthetic rate and lower carbon assimilation following planting in a tropical monsoon climate area. Therefore, the effects of extreme weather such as high temperature and vapor pressure deficit on Z. serrata forest carbon budget could be stronger in the future. Leaf area showed seasonal variation, and severe defoliation was caused by a typhoon in the summer. The annual carbon assimilation was estimated at 3.50 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in the study area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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21 pages, 4360 KiB  
Article
Tree Rings of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Indicate the Relationship with Solar Cycles during Climate Change in Central and Southern Europe
by Václav Šimůnek, Zdeněk Vacek, Stanislav Vacek, Francesco Ripullone, Vojtěch Hájek and Giuseppe D’Andrea
Forests 2021, 12(3), 259; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12030259 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4243
Abstract
The impact of solar cycles on forest stands, while important in the development of the forest environment during climate change, has not yet been sufficiently researched. This work evaluates the radial growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the mountain areas [...] Read more.
The impact of solar cycles on forest stands, while important in the development of the forest environment during climate change, has not yet been sufficiently researched. This work evaluates the radial growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the mountain areas of southern Italy and central Europe (Czech Republic, Poland) in correlation to solar cycles (sunspot number), extreme climatic events, air temperatures and precipitation totals. This research is focused on the evaluation of the radial growth of beech (140 dendrochronological samples with 90–247 years of age) from 1900 to 2019. The time span was divided into the following three periods: (1) a period of regular harvesting (1900–1969), (2) a period of air pollution crisis (1970–1985) and (3) a period of forest protection (1986–2019). The results indicate that the solar cycle was significantly involved in radial growth on all research plots. With regard to the evaluated precipitation totals, seasonal temperatures and the sunspot number, the latter was the most significant. Temperatures had a positive effect and precipitation had a negative effect on the radial increment of beech in central Europe, while in southern Italy, the effect of temperature and precipitation on the increment is reversed. In general, the limiting factor for beech growth is the lack of precipitation during the vegetation season. The number of negative pointer years (NPY) with an extremely low increment rose in relation to the decreasing southward latitude and the increasing influence of climate change over time, while a higher number of NPY was found in nutrient-richer habitats compared to nutrient-poorer ones. Precipitation and temperature were also reflected in the cyclical radial growth of European beech. The relationship between solar cycles and the tree ring increment was reversed in southern Italy and central Europe in the second and third (1970–2019) time periods. In the first time period (1900–1969), there was a positive relationship of the increment to solar cycles on all research plots. In the tree rings of European beech from southern Italy and central Europe, a relationship to the 11-year solar cycle has been documented. This study will attempt to describe the differences in beech growth within Europe, and also to educate forest managers about the relevant influence of solar cycles. Solar activity can play an important role in the growth of European beech in central and southern Europe, especially during the recent years of global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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19 pages, 9154 KiB  
Article
Prospects of Using Tree-Ring Earlywood and Latewood Width for Reconstruction of Crops Yield on Example of South Siberia
by Elena A. Babushkina, Dina F. Zhirnova, Liliana V. Belokopytova, Nivedita Mehrotra, Santosh K. Shah, Viktoria V. Keler and Eugene A. Vaganov
Forests 2021, 12(2), 174; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12020174 - 02 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2616
Abstract
Improvement of dendrochronological crops yield reconstruction by separate application of earlywood and latewood width chronologies succeeded in rain-fed semiarid region. (1) Background: Tree-ring width chronologies have been successfully applied for crops yield reconstruction models. We propose application of separated earlywood and latewood width [...] Read more.
Improvement of dendrochronological crops yield reconstruction by separate application of earlywood and latewood width chronologies succeeded in rain-fed semiarid region. (1) Background: Tree-ring width chronologies have been successfully applied for crops yield reconstruction models. We propose application of separated earlywood and latewood width chronologies as possible predictors improving the fitness of reconstruction models. (2) Methods: The generalized yield series of main crops (spring wheat, spring barley, oats) were investigated in rain-fed and irrigated areas in semiarid steppes of South Siberia. Chronologies of earlywood, latewood, and total ring width of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) growing in forest-steppe in the middle of the study area were tested as predictors of yield reconstruction models. (3) Results: In the rain-fed territory, separation of earlywood and latewood allowed increasing variation of yield explained by reconstruction model from 17.4 to 20.5%, whereas total climatic-driven component of variation was 41.5%. However, both tree-ring based models explained only 7.7% of yield variation in the irrigated territory (climate inclusion increased it to 34.8%). Low temperature sensitivity of larch growth was the main limitation of the model. A 240-year (1780–2019) history of crop failures and yield variation dynamics were estimated from the actual data and the best reconstruction model. (4) Conclusions: Presently in the study region, breeding of the environment-resistant crops varieties compensates the increase of temperature in the yield dynamics, preventing severe harvest losses. Tree-ring based reconstructions may help to understand and forecast response of the crops to the climatic variability, and also the probability of crop failures, particularly in the rain-fed territories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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13 pages, 2847 KiB  
Article
Forest Phenology Shifts in Response to Climate Change over China–Mongolia–Russia International Economic Corridor
by Lingxue Yu, Zhuoran Yan and Shuwen Zhang
Forests 2020, 11(7), 757; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11070757 - 14 Jul 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2571
Abstract
Vegetation phenology is a sensitive indicator of climate change. With the intensification of global warming, the changes in growing seasons of various vegetation types have been widely documented across the world. However, as one of the most vulnerable regions in response to the [...] Read more.
Vegetation phenology is a sensitive indicator of climate change. With the intensification of global warming, the changes in growing seasons of various vegetation types have been widely documented across the world. However, as one of the most vulnerable regions in response to the global climate change, the phenological responses and associated mechanisms in mid–high latitude forests are still not fully understood. In this study, long-term changes in forest phenology and the associated relationship with the temperature and snow water equivalent in the China–Mongolia–Russia International Economic Corridor were examined by analyzing the satellite-measured normalized difference vegetation index and the meteorological observation data during 1982 to 2015. The average start date of the growing season (SOS) of the forest ecosystem in our study area advanced at a rate of 2.5 days/decade, while the end date of the growing season (EOS) was delayed at a rate of 2.3 days/decade, contributing to a growing season that was approximately 15 days longer in the 2010s compared to that in 1980s. A higher April temperature is beneficial to the advance in the SOS, and a higher summer temperature has the potential to extend the EOS in the forest ecosystem. However, our results also suggest that a single temperature cannot fully explain the advance of the SOS, as well as the delay in the EOS. The preseason Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is also an essential factor in influencing the growing season. A higher SWE in February and March and lower SWE in April tend to advance the SOS, while higher SWE in pre-year December and lower SWE in current year October are beneficial to the extension of the EOS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Forest Growth and Phenology)
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