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Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2023) | Viewed by 39976

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michele Colangelo

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Guest Editor

Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: forest dieback; environmental stress; climate change; quantitative wood anatomy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jesús Julio Camarero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: treeline ecotone; dendrochronology; wood anatomy; biodiversity & conservation; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Die-off episodes related to extreme climate phenomena such as droughts are revealing the high vulnerability of forests worldwide. In particular, a high susceptibility of some species, stands or individuals to show a progressive loss in tree vitality, growth decline and a reduction in productivity in response to drought and heat stress is observed. Understanding the triggers of such die-off events, characterizing their productivity and growth drops, and searching for early warning signals of dieback and growth decline have emerged as one of the greatest challenges for the forest community. Providing forecasting tools for dieback is another important issue to project forest dynamics under warmer and drier conditions.

We encourage researchers to contribute to this Special Issue of the journal Forests focusing on “Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes” in order to promote knowledge on the drivers, patterns, mechanisms and consequences of these events. Studies involving empirical, retrospective and prospective approaches and using multiple disciplines (ecophysiology, dendroecology, pathology, climatology, quantitative wood anatomy) and proxies of forest productivity and tree functioning (e.g., remote sensing, wood anatomy, stable isotopes, etc.) are welcome.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michele Colangelo
Dr. Jesús Julio Camarero
Guest Editors

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
extreme climatic events
disturbances
tree mortality
forest dieback
drought
tree growth
dendroecology
ecophysiology
remote sensing
wood anatomy

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 25536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensitivity of Eurasian Rear-Edge Birch Populations to Regional Climate and Local Hydrological Conditions

by Ester González de Andrés, Michele Colangelo, Reyes Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, José Antonio López-Sáez and Jesús Julio Camarero

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1360; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f14071360 - 02 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 821

Abstract

South rear-edge populations of widely distributed temperate and boreal tree species such as birches (Betula pubescens and Betula pendula) are considered particularly vulnerable to climate warming, and at the same time, they constitute genetic reservoirs of drought-adapted ecotypes. Here, we compared radial growth patterns and responses to climate, river, or reservoir flows and a drought index of rear-edge (southernmost) populations (Toledo Mountains, central-southern Spain) with populations located in northern Spain of B. pubescens and B. pendula. Then, we performed a comparative analysis across Europe of B. pendula populations. The main climatic constraint of birch growth was a high summer water deficit, although the effect of local hydrological conditions was particularly important in rear-edge populations. We found declining growth trends in rear-edge stands dating from the early 21st century, related to decreasing water availability and increasing aridity. Our results also suggested distinct growth patterns and climate-growth associations of B. pendula across Europe that show how populations further south and in warmer locations were more sensitive to drought stress. Drought-induced growth decline can be exacerbated by local human land uses, leading to reduced river inflow, thus endangering birch populations at their southern distribution limit. Protection of threatened rear-edge birch populations requires adequate management of local water resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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15 pages, 4305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth Response of Norway Spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) in Central Bohemia (Czech Republic) to Climate Change

by Giuseppe D’Andrea, Václav Šimůnek, Osvaldo Pericolo, Zdeněk Vacek, Stanislav Vacek, Roberto Corleto, Lukáš Olejár and Francesco Ripullone

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1215; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f14061215 - 12 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1324

Abstract

Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is a significant conifer tree species in Europe that holds significant economic and ecological value. However, it remains one of the most sensitive to climate change. This study describes the climate–growth relationship, focusing on dendroecology in hilly spruce forests (319–425 m a.s.l.) located in Bohemia, the Czech Republic, during 1950–2018. The results confirmed that the highest radial increment was obtained in locations with higher precipitation (Kostelec), while the lowest growth was observed in locations with lower precipitation (Karlstejn). Tree-ring growth shows very low increments for the years 1964 and 1976 for all plots, and the years with the least growth were confirmed by the negative pointer year analysis. This study confirmed precipitation as the main factor that affects the growth of spruce at lower altitudes. The radial growth for all study sites shows a statistically significant positive correlation with precipitation during the growing season, while no statistically significant values between radial growth and temperature were obtained. This study demonstrates that Norway spruce is affected more by precipitation than temperature, and the results indicate that this conifer is seriously affected by the lack of precipitation at lower altitudes in the Czech Republic, where the species is not native. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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13 pages, 7223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reversible Impacts of a Cold Spell on Forest Cover, Tree Growth and Carbohydrates in Mediterranean Pine and Oak Forests

by Jesús Julio Camarero, Michele Colangelo, Cristina Valeriano and Manuel Pizarro

Forests 2023, 14(4), 678; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f14040678 - 25 Mar 2023

Viewed by 916

Abstract

Climate extremes such as cold spells are becoming more frequent as climate variability increases. However, few studies have evaluated the impacts of winter cold spells on forest cover, tree growth and leaf and sapwood non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations. We analyzed changes in tree cover using remote sensing data and compared the radial growth of coexisting and defoliated Pinus halepensis trees and non-defoliated P. halepensis and Pinus pinaster trees. We also compared NSC concentrations in leaves and sapwood of defoliated and non-defoliated P. halepensis and Quercus ilex trees. In January 2021, a rapid drop in temperatures led to minimum values (−21.3 °C) in eastern Spain and triggered canopy defoliation in several planted (P. halepensis) and native (Q. ilex) tree species. The cold spell led to a decrease in forest cover in the most defoliated stands and reduced radial growth of defoliated P. halepensis and sapwood NSC concentrations in P. halepensis and Q. ilex, particularly starch. Prior to the cold spell, defoliated P. halepensis trees significantly (p < 0.05) grew more (2.73 ± 1.70 mm) in response to wetter winter conditions than non-defoliated P. halepensis (2.29 ± 1.08 mm) and P. pinaster (1.39 mm) trees. Those P. halepensis individuals which grew faster at a young age were less resilient to the winter cold spell in later years. The study stands showed a high recovery capacity after the cold spell, but the Mediterranean drought-avoiding P. halepensis was the most affected species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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16 pages, 2848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mismatch between Annual Tree-Ring Width Growth and NDVI Index in Norway Spruce Stands of Central Europe

by Giuseppe D’Andrea, Václav Šimůnek, Maria Castellaneta, Zdeněk Vacek, Stanislav Vacek, Osvaldo Pericolo, Rosa Giada Zito and Francesco Ripullone

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1417; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13091417 - 02 Sep 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 32135

Abstract

Presently, the forests of one of the most economically important tree species in Europe—Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.]—have been disrupted and are in rapid decline due to a combination of several natural factors: extreme drought, heatwaves, and secondary damage caused by bark beetle outbreaks. The vulnerability of these forests has increased considerably over the past decade, and remote sensing methods can theoretically improve the identification of endangered forest stands. The main objective was to determine the relationship between remotely sensed characteristics of vegetation (using the normalized difference vegetation index—NDVI) and annual tree-ring growth in 180 trees through precipitation and air temperature. The research was conducted at six research plots in lowland spruce forests (319–425 m a.s.l.) in the central Czech Republic. No significant correlation between NDVI and annual ring width was observed. The primary factor limiting radial growth was lack of precipitation in the growing season; subsequently, spruce trees reacted negatively to air temperatures. A higher correlation with NDVI was observed on sites susceptible to drought, but overall, NDVI and RWI did not show similarities. This result describes that NDVI is a poor indicator for identifying low radial growth in Norway spruce stands on non-native localities in the studied area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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17 pages, 2447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drought Drives Growth and Mortality Rates in Three Pine Species under Mediterranean Conditions

by Cristina Valeriano, Antonio Gazol, Michele Colangelo and Jesús Julio Camarero

Forests 2021, 12(12), 1700; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12121700 - 04 Dec 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1817

Abstract

Drought constrains tree growth in regions with seasonal water deficit where growth decline can lead to tree death. This has been observed in regions such as the western Mediterranean Basin, which is a climate-warming hotspot. However, we lack information on intra- and inter-specific comparisons of growth rates and responses to water shortage in these hotspots, considering tree species with different drought tolerance. We sampled several sites located in north-eastern Spain showing dieback and high mortality rates of three pine species (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus pinaster, Pinus halepensis). We dated death years and reconstructed the basal area increment of coexisting living and recently dead trees using tree ring data. Then, we calculated bootstrapped Pearson correlations between a drought index and growth. Finally, we used linear mixed-effects models to determine differences in growth trends and the response to drought of living and dead trees. Mortality in P. sylvestris and P. pinaster peaked in response to the 2012 and 2017 droughts, respectively, and in sites located near the species’ xeric distribution limits. In P. halepensis, tree deaths occurred most years. Dead trees showed lower growth rates than living trees in five out of six sites. There was a strong growth drop after the 1980s when climate shifted towards warmer and drier conditions. Tree growth responded positively to wet climate conditions, particularly in the case of living trees. Accordingly, growth divergence between living and dead trees during dry periods reflected cumulative drought impacts on trees. If aridification continues, tree drought mortality would increase, particularly in xeric distribution limits of tree species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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Review

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13 pages, 1183 KiB

Open AccessReview

Assessing Forest Vulnerability to Climate Change Combining Remote Sensing and Tree-Ring Data: Issues, Needs and Avenues

by Santain S. P. Italiano, Jesús Julio Camarero, Michele Colangelo, Marco Borghetti, Maria Castellaneta, Manuel Pizarro and Francesco Ripullone

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f14061138 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1742

Abstract

Forests around the world are facing climate change. Increased drought stress and severe heat waves in recent decades have negatively impacted on forest health, making them more vulnerable and prone to dieback and mortality phenomena. Although the term vulnerability is used to indicate an increased susceptibility of forests to climate change with a worsening of their vigour status that can compromise their ability to respond to further climate extreme events, there are still uncertainties on how to evaluate it. Indeed, evaluation of forest vulnerability is complex both because of some critical issues in the estimation methods used and because of the multiple factors influencing the response of forests to ongoing climate change. A way to assess the vulnerability to environmental stresses is by combining remote sensing and dendroecological data. However, these two approaches entail multiple uncertainties, including growth/photosynthetic relationships, carbon allocation dynamics, biases of tree-ring data and noisy remote sensing data, which require further clarification for proper monitoring of pre- and post-drought forest trajectories. Our review aims to create an overview of the current literature and knowledge to understand the critical issues, needs and possible solutions that forest vulnerability research is addressing. We focus on Mediterranean forests located in a climate warming hotspot and showing a high vulnerability to increased aridification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes)

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