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The construction and operation of waterworks has a significant impact on natural ecosystems. The evaluation of their negative impact and the proposal to minimize their impact, as well as the revitalization, especially of large rivers, have been given great importance in recent decades. The main goal of the study is to present impact of Gabčíkovo Waterwork on forest ecosystems after 30 years of damming. Specially evaluated are monitoring sites where changes are observed in the Slovak part of the so-called inland delta, i.e., between old and new riverbed of the Danube. The assessment of changes in terrestrial vegetation on selected monitoring sites was compared with the assessment of parallel measured soil moisture data. At the same time, data from the National Forestry Centre were also used to monitor changes in the state of forest ecosystems in the whole area of interest. When comparing the species composition from state to 2015 and from the period before GW was put into operation (in 1990) an increase was found in the area share of hardwood floodplain forest by 5.77% and the area shares of softwood floodplain forests decreased by 1.71%. Between 1990 and 2015, 68.43% of the territory remained unchanged at the level of forest type groups. A change in habitat conditions towards drier forest types was recorded on 23.61% of the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest soil acidification is a global environmental problem, and forest ecosystems play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems. To provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of areas, this study selected Daluoshan and Wuyanling National Nature Reserve, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China and determined the characteristics of soil acidification in the two forested areas and the relationship between forest soil acidification and soil physicochemical properties. The forest soil pH value of Daluoshan was 4.25–5.40, and that of Wuyanling was 4.14–5.71. There was a significant difference between the mean soil pH values of the two woodlands (p < 0.01). The two forest soils were dominated by strongly acidic soils, and the top layer of the soils was susceptible to disturbances by environmental factors. With the increase in altitude, different layers of soil in the forests in the two woodland areas showed deepening acidification. Regarding the different plant types and slope directions, the soils under trees in the forests showed the most serious acidification, followed by the soils under shrubs and herbs. Compared with the soils on the leeward slopes, the soils of the forest sites on the windward slopes showed a more severe situation of soil acidification. Redundancy analysis between forest soil acidity indicators and soil physicochemical properties in the two forest sites showed that the main environmental factor affecting soil acidity indicators was salt base saturation, and soil pH and active state Cr, Ni, and Pb showed negative correlations in both forest sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient resorption (NR) is a critical ecological process in forest ecosystems. However, there is a lack of knowledge about this process in the peatlands of Indonesia, and this may be seen as a research gap. In the present study, NR in young trees of three native species (Macaranga pruinosa, Cratoxylum arborescens, and Macaranga gigantea) and one exotic species (Acacia crassicarpa) in a drained tropical peatland was investigated. This study was conducted at an experimental plot in Pelalawan-Riau, Indonesia. Nutrient resorption efficiency (RE) and proficiency (RP) were calculated and correlated with soil properties, foliar nutrients, and growth variables. Our results revealed that M. pruinosa exhibited an RE value for phosphorus (PRE) that was 64% higher than that for the second-ranked native species but still significantly (84%) lower than that for A. crassicarpa. RE values for nitrogen (NRE) and potassium (KRE) did not differ significantly among species, ranging from 39 to 42% and 41 to 56%, respectively, for native species, with figures of 45% and 66%, respectively, for A. crassicarpa. Finally, PRE exhibited strong and significant correlations with PRP and tree growth, a finding that indicated that the uptake and conservation of P nutrients are essential for the fitness of the three native species. Overall, the results of the present study may be seen as beneficial for species selection and the management of nutrients by those engaged in restoration of tropical peatland forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil infiltration properties (SIPs) are important components of forest hydrological responses; however, few studies have investigated the mechanisms through which soil physical properties affect SIPs. In this study, two SIPs, the initial infiltration rate (IIR) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), were quantified at five soil depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, and 40–50 cm) in three forest stands (pine (Pinus taeda), oak (Quercus acutissima), and bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests). We constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the main physical properties affecting the SIPs and their influence pathways, and the results show that the IIR and Ks values for the whole soil profile decreased as follows: pine forest > oak forest > bamboo forest. Soil total porosity (STP), soil field capacity (SFC), capillary water holding capacity (CMC), saturated water capacity (SWC), and initial soil water content (ISWC) were positively correlated with the SIPs, while soil bulk density (SBD) was negatively correlated with the SIPs. The SEM indicated that the main positive driver of soil infiltration was STP, while the sand content and SBD reduced soil infiltration. Soil texture indirectly affected SBD by mediating STP, and SBD indirectly affected the SIPs through SWC. These results provide data that support the simulation of subsurface hydrological responses in forests and have significant implications for forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progressing worldwide increases in tick occurrence and tick-borne diseases calls for the development of new prevention strategies to reduce their impact on human and animal health. Defining the risk of exposure to tick bites is therefore essential. Forestry workers are at high risk of tick bites. We set up an explorative study among forestry workers in the Alsace region in eastern France to measure the different factors affecting the risk of Ixodes ricinus tick bites during their activities in forests. For one year, forestry workers recorded the presence of ticks on their clothes and tick bites every time they were working in teams in different forest ecosystems. Questions about the prevention measures they followed were also noted. Among the 32 participants, we were able to differentiate between groups having a high, neutral, or low risk of being bitten. The median tick bite number per year was 4 (0–8). We tried to identify individual as well as environmental factors affecting the risk of tick bites. Factors influencing the risk were the seasonal peak of tick activity in May and June, the time of exposure, and the forest ecosystems visited during the year. Additional factors potentially affecting the risk were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of forest-dominant tree species is crucial for ecosystem assessment. Remote sensing monitoring requires annual ground sample data, but consistent field surveys are challenging. This study addresses this by combining sample migration learning and machine learning for multi-year tree species classification in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China. Using the continuous change detection and classification (CCDC) algorithm, sample data from 2023 were successfully migrated to 2018–2022, achieving high migration accuracy ( R 2 = 0.8303, RMSE = 4.64). Based on migrated samples, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithms classified forest tree species with overall accuracies above 70% and Kappa coefficients above 0.6. XGB. They outperformed other algorithms, with classification accuracy of over 80% and Kappa above 0.75 in almost all years. The final map indicates stable distribution from 2018 to 2023, with eucalyptus covering over 40% of the forest area, followed by horsetail pine, fir, cypress, and wetland pine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising temperatures and higher atmospheric CO2 levels can potentially increase plant photosynthesis and boost forest productivity, thereby spurring litter inputs to soils on a global scale. Understanding the feedback loops between increased litter inputs and soil biota activity will allow for better prediction of organic matter and carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Nematodes represent the full spectrum of trophic groups within the soil biota. Accordingly, we studied the link between nematode metabolic activities and plant litter input. For this, different litter input levels were manipulated in a temperate forest, including control zones without litter, natural litter input zones and zones with double, triple and quadruple amounts of natural litter input. Soil top layers (0–10 cm) were then collected to study the responses of nematode communities. Increased litter input positively influenced the abundance and diversity of nematodes, except for plant‐parasitic species. Higher litter input levels led to an enhancement in the ratio of bacterivores to the total of bacterivores and fungivores. More litter increased the K/r strategist ratio among bacterivores and the corresponding nematode metabolic footprints. More litter also stimulated nematode production and respiration components and improved the carbon use efficiency of bacterivores. Moreover, structural equation modelling revealed the crucial role of bacterivores in influencing soil organic C under increased litter input. In conclusion, our study shows that increased plant above‐ground litter input modifies the taxonomic and functional communities of soil nematodes, ultimately regulating carbon cycling in forest soils. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals accumulate and bind strongly in soil, making them difficult to eliminate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus) and European hazelnut (Coryllus avellana) admixtures in pine monocultures on the accumulation and vertical distribution of heavy metals in soil surface horizons. Ten sites each of pine stands admixed with alder buckthorn, pine stands admixed with European hazelnut, and pine monocultures in the Rybnik Forest District in southern Poland were selected for each variant. For the study, soil samples were taken from each site from the organic and mineral horizons and analysed for N and C contents, C/N ratio, pHH2O, base cation contents, and heavy metal contents. For all three stand compositions, the organic horizons showed a significant accumulation of heavy metals compared to the mineral horizons. Heavy metal content was correlated with pH, N and C contents, C/N ratio, and base cation contents. The admixture of shrubs, especially European hazelnut, positively affected soil organic matter quality and, consequently, the accumulation of heavy metals. European hazelnut had the most beneficial soil effects on the tested soil, which confirms that this species can be used in planning species composition, particularly in regions prone to heavy pollutant deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating changes in the structure and function of plant communities along different elevation ranges will help researchers to analyze the strategies plant communities use in environments and processes influencing niche differentiation. The aims of this paper are to reveal the underlying mechanisms and ecological processes governing the development of subtropical forest ecosystem plant communities. This paper analyzes the forest vegetation of the Wuyi Mountains across the following three elevation ranges: low elevation, mid elevation, and high elevation, spanning from 560 to 2150 m. Twenty and twenty-three dominant tree and shrub layer species, respectively, were identified based on their importance values, and their niches and species associations were further analyzed based on the elevation range. The results showed interspecific associations between tree and shrub species, with the strongest associations observed at mid-elevations. The analysis of niche width and overlap showed that the number of pairs of species with a higher degree of niche overlap decreased with increasing elevation, suggesting that resource use varied at different elevations for both tree and shrub layer species, which may be related to the adaptive capacity of plants at different elevations to the environment and resource use strategies. These findings should contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecological functioning and structural framework of plant communities on Wuyi Mountain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest soils are considered the largest carbon and nitrogen pools in soil organic matter among terrestrial ecosystems, and soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are normally affected by climate change and human activity. The collection of recent research on this scientific theme would provide a basis for understanding the responses of soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems to climate change and human activity. A Special Issue was, thus, organized to discuss recent research achievements, including a total of nine research articles and one review. This Special Issue includes the effects of climate changes such as changes in throughfall, snow cover, and permafrost degradation; human activities such as nitrogen and/or phosphorus addition and the use of biochar; and soil–plant interactions on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems. Although this collection of papers reflects only a small part of this scientific theme, it can, to some extent, provide a basis for understanding some important research aspects related to the future of forest soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in a changing world, thereby enabling sustainable development and the mitigation of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanical areas under international protection are important for preserving plant and animal ecosystems. Forest ecosystems within Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are essential for preserving biological and species diversity. In AP Vojvodina (Northern Serbia), there are 27 IPAs, totaling 328,208 ha. Fruška Gora National Park (FGNP) territory is under international protection as an IPA. A large part of this park is covered by a forest ecosystem comprising various deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, and grasses. The forest ecosystem in FGNP is rich with natural attractions that are important for hiking, mountaineering, trekking, scientific tourism, wildlife, bird and animal watching, and community tourism. In this article, the authors used a quantitative method of collecting and processing data obtained through survey research. For this research, 610 respondents (325 residents and 285 visitors) were surveyed. Using questionnaires, the respondents expressed their opinions about the tourism potential of FGNP, as well as the satisfaction of tourists with current tourism development. The research results indicate that the forest ecosystem within the FGNP and IPA area has an important potential for the development of nature-based tourism (NbT) and that this tourism form significantly affects not only the satisfaction of the respondents but also increased awareness of the preservation and protection of these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accurate estimation of cryptogam biomass, encompassing bryophytes and lichens, is crucial for understanding their ecological significance. This estimation is conducted based on the strong correlations between mass and volume of cryptogams. However, mass–volume correlations vary among cryptogams because of their morphological differences. This problem can be solved using models that consider life forms that classify cryptogams based on morphological similarities. In this study, we investigated whether life form models improve cryptogam biomass estimation accuracy. The cryptogam mass–volume correlation of each life form was estimated using Bayesian linear models. The coefficients and intercepts of linear models differed between life forms, which was attributed to the morphological characteristics of each life form. Therefore, life form models can improve the accuracy of estimation models by incorporating morphological differences. However, taxonomic models that consider only the taxonomic difference (bryophytes vs lichens) demonstrated better overall estimation than the life form models, probably because of the ability of taxonomic models to capture systematic differences between bryophytes and lichens. Furthermore, these models may mitigate estimation errors related to morphological variations that cannot be adequately represented by life form types. Based on these results, we propose the appropriate use of estimation models.

Understanding how forest ecosystems respond to environmental factors, particularly in the context of global climate change, is essential for devising effective mitigation strategies. This study focuses on quantifying the interaction between forest ecosystems and atmospheric gases. To achieve our objectives, we are using the eddy covariance (EC) flux method to measure air turbulence and gas concentrations above the forest canopy at the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) in southern Estonia. We apply a flux footprint (FFP) model to describe the spatial extent and position of the surface area contributing to the turbulent flux measurements. The FFP analysis provides valuable insights into the long-term changes in SMEAR Estonia, the FFP and its relationship with forest management and land use changes. Our findings reveal that the FFP area varies from year to year due to changes in wind speed and direction, affecting the contribution of different land cover elements to the overall FFP. The average changes in the FFP area at a height of 30 meters were approximately 4.9%, while those at a height of 70 meters were only 1.6%. Moreover, human activities, such as thinning and clear-cutting, influence the growing stock and increment of forest stands.

This study aims to evaluate the carbon and environmental service potential in the Natural Tourism Zone of Special Purpose Forest Areas Mount Bromo. The study focuses on understanding how this area, with its specific tree compositions and sizes, contributes to carbon absorption and environmental benefits, which can also translate into carbon credits, a form of state revenue. The methodology involves Purposive Sampling to create Observational Sample Plots (OSP) of varying sizes based on tree diameter. These plots are designed to measure the biomass, carbon potential, and environmental service potential of the area's trees. The collected data includes the composition of tree species, the number of each type of tree, their diameters, and heights. The study applies specific formulas to determine the potential of biomass, carbon, and environmental services in the area. Key findings reveal a dominance of Mahogany trees (83 trees per hectare) among ten identified plant species, indicating a specific but lower biodiversity in this zone. The study's significant results include the quantification of biomass potential, which was found to be 787.84 tons/ha above-ground and 228.47 tons/ha below-ground, totaling 1016.31 tons/hectare. The study also evaluated the environmental service potential, including CO2 absorption and O2 production. The CO2 absorption capacity of the area was estimated at 1753.04 tons/ha, with a corresponding high O2 production of 1279.72 tons/ha. Additionally, the potential for carbon credits in the area was calculated at approximately 70.12 US$/ha. This research is crucial in understanding how specific forest areas, like Special Purpose Forest Areas Mount Bromo, can play a significant role in global environmental sustainability efforts.

Larix gmelinii is an important ecological construction tree species in northern China, and its carbon storage and distribution characteristics are of great significance for evaluating the carbon balance and climate effect of forest ecosystems. However, at present, there is a lack of systematic research on the carbon storage of L. gmelinii forests and its change with forest age. In this paper, the biomass and carbon density of L. gmelinii forests at different ages and the distribution of carbon storage in vegetation and soil were analyzed by means of sample plot investigation and model simulation in the northern forest area of Daxing'anling, Inner Mongolia. The influence of forest age on the carbon storage and carbon pool distribution characteristics of L. gmelinii forests and the mechanism of influencing factors were also discussed. Results show that: (1) As forest age increased, the total amount of carbon pools initially increased and then decreased, and the distribution structure of carbon pools showed a trend of transferring from soil to trees. The proportion of soil carbon pools gradually decreased (72.72-51.87%), while the proportion of tree carbon pools gradually increased (23.98-39.33%). The proportion of shrub and grass carbon pools was also relatively stable (0.51-0.53%). (2) Soil carbon pool was affected by the input and output of soil organic matter, soil depth, soil carbon content, and soil bulk density, shrub-grass carbon pool was affected by undergrowth light conditions and soil moisture, litter carbon pool was affected by litter input and output, and the carbon pool of trees was affected by the growth rate and carbon balance of trees. This study provides scientific basis and management suggestions for the carbon storage capacity of L. gmelinii forests and the mitigation of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of agricultural production and urbanization has led to the depletion of the global forest ecosystem, resulting in land cover changes (LCCs) that pose threats to the land environment. Therefore, it is imperative to identify these LCCs as an essential step toward resolution and mitigation. This study aims to evaluate temporal LCCs in Thai Nguyen province by utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques (RST) to analyze high-resolution satellite imagery spanning from 2001 to 2023. LCCs were identified using semi-automatic classification plugin (SCP) techniques with Landsat-8 and Sentinel2 images in ERVI software. The accuracy of the LCC maps was validated through postclassification comparisons, yielding high precision rates ranging from 87% to 96%. The results indicate a significant reduction in forest cover area, declining by 1018 ha from 226,18 ha in 2001 to 207,22 ha in 2023. This decline primarily occurred in urban areas, highlighting the intensification of urbanization processes. Cultivated and bare land experienced a minor decrease and a substantial decrease from 18,631 ha and 105,000 ha to 16,578 ha and 86,82 ha between 2001 and 2010, followed by a slight increase and a significant increase to 5,069 ha and 24,487 ha (1.4% and 6.9%) during the 2010-2023 period. These findings underscore the escalating risk of diminishing forest cover in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term carbon dioxide (CO2) flux measurements between the atmosphere and the ecosystem have been made since 1993 at a cool‐temperate deciduous forest site (Takayama) in Japan influenced by the Asian Monsoon, constituting the longest data set among all the AsiaFlux sites. Interannual variations (IAVs) and trends in the annual carbon budget components and related environmental factors were examined. Annual net ecosystem production (NEP) (mean ± 1σ) during the period of eddy covariance measurements in 1999–2021 was 265 ± 86 gC m−2 yr−1, and its IAV was dependent more on gross primary production (GPP) than on ecosystem respiration. The annual NEP and GPP were correlated with the monthly mean NEP, GPP and leaf area index from June to September, as well as with the length of the net carbon uptake period. Significantly increasing and decreasing trends in the annual NEP and GPP were detected during 2004–2013 and 2013–2021, respectively. The increasing trends were mainly caused by the vegetation recovery from typhoon disturbances. On the other hand, although the cause of the decreasing trends was not clearly identified, recent extreme weather events and/or forest succession might be related to the trends. Significant positive correlations between the start and the end of the net carbon uptake period, and between the leaf expansion and leaf fall were found. These may be attributed to phenological characteristics and negative correlation between air temperature in spring and solar radiation in early fall associated with ENSO events that can also influence IAVs in annual NEP and GPP. Plain Language Summary: Forest ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle. However, time variations in the ecosystem carbon budget and responses of the ecosystems to climate change are not well understood. Although long‐term observational data are useful for a better understanding, >20‐year observations are limited, especially in the Asian monsoon region. In this study, long‐term measurements of carbon budget made at a cool‐temperate deciduous forest in Japan were analyzed for interannual variation (IAV), long‐term trends, and offered plausible causes for these changes. The IAV in annual net carbon uptake (NEP) was associated with the variation in summertime NEP, as well as with the variation in the length of the net carbon uptake period (NGP). The IAV in summertime NEP was associated with the variations in solar radiation (SR) and leaf density during the season, while the IAV in NGP depended on the variations in spring temperature and early‐fall SR. A decadal increasing trend in the annual NEP (2004–2013) was caused mainly by the recovery from typhoons, while a decreasing trend (2013–2021) may be related to recent extreme weather events and/or forest succession. Longer‐term ecosystem observations are certainly needed for more accurate predictions of forest ecosystems response to climate change. Key Points: Interannual variations and significant trends of carbon budget components at a forest site were detected from a long‐term observationThe annual carbon budget was governed by the summertime carbon uptake and the length of the growing seasonThe decadal‐scale trends of the carbon budget components obtained in this study could not have been found without the long‐term observation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the socio-environmental benefits of one of the most widely planted forest species, i.e., Pinus roxburghii (Sarg., hereafter 'Pine' or 'Pinus') with naturally regenerated mixed forests in two community forests of Nepal. By analyzing tree rings, we estimate biomass production, carbon accumulation, and growth enhancement in both forest types using regression models, offering insights into sustainable forest management. Pinus forests exhibit instant social benefits through direct economic conversion and a higher rate of carbon sequestration. However, the lack of perpetuated production, due to unimodal stand structures, necessitates anthropogenic interventions for long-term sustainability. Challenges such as the absence of natural regeneration, frequent fires, limited undergrowth, limited species diversity, and likely soil erosion hinder long-term sustainability in Pinus forests. In contrast, natural regenerated mixed forests offer slow carbon sequestration with less opportunity for immediate economic conversion, yet they maintain a proportional age-class distribution and experience minimal fire incidence, abundant regeneration, higher biodiversity, and lower regeneration costs. Although no abrupt environmental disasters were observed through the dendrochronological assessment, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was found between age and girth at breast height, biomass, and volume of the forests. This study underscores the crucial role of human intervention beyond conventional management focusing on the protection motive to production-oriented forests in optimizing the socio-economic and environmental benefits of both forest types in the changing socio-environmental challenges through informed management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Poverty Alleviation Relocation (PAR) policy is widely regarded as an effective approach for breaking the cycle of ecological vulnerability and poverty. However, quantitative research on the ecological restoration effectiveness of PAR lacks sufficient experimental data support. This study focuses on the karst region and employs analysis methods such as volume-derived biomass and correlation analysis to evaluate the impact of PAR on carbon storage in forest ecosystems using on-site experimental data. The objective is to enhance and broaden the research framework for assessing PAR's ecological restoration effectiveness. The findings reveal that, compared to the pre-PAR implementation period in 2015, the study area experienced an 8.16% increase in forest land area and a 6.57% increase in carbon storage after six years of PAR implementation in 2021. Following PAR implementation, carbon storage in the stone desertification area surged by 14.31%, indicating a significant correlation between PAR households and carbon storage variables. In the karst area, carbon storage increased by 4.34%, exhibiting a significant correlation between the two variables. Conversely, in the non-karst area, carbon storage rose by 5.01%, but no significant correlation was observed between the variables. Furthermore, post-PAR implementation, there is a discernible trend of stronger carbon storage enhancement with increasing distance from the relocated PAR households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil bacteria are an important part of the forest ecosystem, and they play a crucial role in driving energy flow and material circulation. Currently, many uncertainties remain about how the composition and distribution patterns of bacterial communities change along altitude gradients, especially in forest ecosystems with strong altitude gradients in climate, vegetation, and soil properties. Based on dynamic site monitoring of the Baiyun Mountain Forest National Park (33°38′–33°42′ N, 111°47′–111°51′ E), this study used Illumina technology to sequence 120 soil samples at the site and explored the spatial distribution mechanisms and ecological processes of soil bacteria under different altitude gradients. Our results showed that the composition of soil bacterial communities varied significantly between different altitude gradients, affecting soil bacterial community building by influencing the balance between deterministic and stochastic processes; in addition, bacterial communities exhibited broader ecological niche widths and a greater degree of stochasticity under low-altitude conditions, implying that, at lower altitudes, community assembly is predominantly influenced by stochastic processes. Light was the dominant environmental factor that influenced variation in the entire bacterial community as well as other taxa across different altitude gradients. Moreover, changes in the altitude gradient could cause significant differences in the diversity and community composition of bacterial taxa. Our study revealed significant differences in bacterial community composition in the soil under different altitude gradients. The bacterial communities at low elevation gradients were mainly controlled by stochasticity processes, and bacterial community assembly was strongly influenced by deterministic processes at middle altitudes. Furthermore, light was an important environmental factor that affects differences. This study revealed that the change of altitude gradient had an important effect on the development of the soil bacterial community and provided a theoretical basis for the sustainable development and management of soil bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decomposition of forest litter is essential for maintaining forest ecosystem productivity and improving soil fertility. Interdisciplinary collaboration plays a pivotal role in the study of litter decomposition. Nevertheless, existing literature reviews often concentrate on specific hot topics, lacking a more comprehensive and systematic overview of this field. This study was based on the Web of Science core collection of literature. CiteSpace and VOSviewer bibliometric tools were employed to systematically analyze the literature associated with forest litter decomposition from multiple perspectives, published from 1996 to 2023. Publishing trends, literature exchanges, development trends, influential countries, institutions, authors, and journals were identified and discussed. We arrived at the following conclusions that research in this field exhibited a clear trend of rapid growth, particularly after 2016. On one hand, this phenomenon may have been due to the United Nations climate agreement signed in late 2015, while in contrast it was also related to technological and theoretical advances. The United States, China, and Germany are prominent in this field and collaborative research is steadily increasing. Frequently cited articles reveal that advances in theory and technology are of great significance toward the development of the field. The keywords and investigative hotspots in this research domain show a staged development; however, nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, soil, and root systems are stable hot topics. Future research should strengthen international cooperation, broaden the scope of research, consider a wider range of ecological processes, and delve into fundamental topics such as nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, soil biology, and litter quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the severe anthropogenic pressure on tropical forests and the high demand for field observations of ecosystem characteristics, it is crucial to collect such data both in pristine tropical forests and in the converted deforested land cover classes. To gain insight into the ecosystem characteristics of pristine tropical forests, regrowth forests, and cashew plantations, we established an ecosystem monitoring site in Phnom Kulen National Park, Cambodia. Here, we present observed datasets of forest inventories, leaf area index, leaf traits of woody species, a fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation, and edaphic and meteorological conditions. We examined how land-use and land-cover change affect species and functional diversity, stand structure, and edaphic conditions among the three land-cover classes. We further investigated relationships between diameters at breast height and tree height, estimated aboveground biomass (AGB), and explored relationships between ecosystem characteristics and AGB. We uncovered some key differences in ecosystem characteristics among the land-cover classes. We also demonstrated the feasibility of locally updating AGB estimates using power law functions. These datasets and findings can contribute to filling data gaps in tropical forest research, addressing global environmental challenges, and supporting sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain streamwater chemistry is an effective indicator of forest condition. In 2022, we conducted a nationwide investigation of mountain streamwater chemistry in Japan, leveraging citizen‐participatory sampling. This approach involved 629 individuals with regular exposure to mountain and natural environments. Although our primary aim was to sample at locations from a 2003 study, we also welcomed samples from new sites. In total, 1414 streamwater samples were collected one time from each forested watershed at the baseflow condition. Our study focused on stream nitrate (NO3−) concentration as a key indicator of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading impacts on forests. We compared NO3− concentrations in 2022 with those from 2003 at identical sampling points. After excluding 179 points with evident human‐created features upstream, the mean NO3− concentration in 2022 was 0.328 mg N L−1 (n = 1236). Comparing data from 1088 points sampled in both years, the mean value in 2022 (0.324 mg N L−1) was significantly lower than that in 2003 (0.359 mg N L−1, p < 0.05). Notably, 88.5% of sampling points showed differences within ±0.25 mg N L−1. The spatial distribution pattern of mountain stream NO3− concentrations in 2022 did not consistently align with large cities, industrial areas, or N deposition sources. This unique approach marked the first nationwide participatory survey for collecting mountain streamwater in Japan. Our success in ensuring sample quality through accessible explanations, manuals, and videos demonstrates the potential of citizen science. However, the quantitative evaluation of scientific accuracy remains a forthcoming challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the carbon and environmental service potential in the natural tourism zone of special purpose forest areas Mount Bromo. The study focused on understanding how this area, with its specific tree compositions and sizes, contributes to carbon absorption and environmental benefits, which can also translate into carbon credits, a form of state revenue. The methodology involved purposive sampling to create observational sample plots (OSP) of varying sizes based on tree diameter. These plots were designed to measure the biomass, carbon potential, and environmental service potential of the trees in a given area. The collected data included the composition of tree species, the number of each type of tree, their diameters, and heights. The study applied specific formulas to determine the potential of biomass, carbon, and environmental services in the area. Key findings revealed a dominance of mahogany trees (83 trees per hectare) among ten identified plant species, indicating a specific but lower biodiversity in this zone. The significant results of the study include the quantification of biomass potential, which was found to be 787.84 tons/ha above-ground and 228.47 tons/ha below-ground, totaling 1016.31 tons/hectare. The study also evaluated the environmental service potential, including CO2 absorption and O2 production. The CO2 absorption capacity of the area was estimated at 1753.04 tons/ha, with a corresponding high O2 production of 1279.72 tons/ha. Additionally, the potential for carbon credits in the area was calculated at approximately 70.12 US$/ha. This research is crucial in understanding how specific forest areas, like special purpose forest areas Mount Bromo, can play a significant role in global environmental sustainability efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) live simultaneously inside and outside of host plant roots for a functional mycorrhizal symbiosis. Still, the year-round dynamics and relationships between soil properties and AMF communities of trees in forest ecosystems remain unclear. We collected paired root and soil samples of the same Cryptomeria japonica trees at two forest sites (five trees at each site) every 2 months over a year. Total DNA was extracted from roots and soil separately and soil physicochemical properties were measured. With Illumina's next-generation amplicon sequencing targeting the small subunit of fungal ribosomal DNA, we clarified seasonal dynamics of soil properties and AMF communities. Soil pH and total phosphorus showed significant seasonality while total carbon, nitrogen, and C/N did not. Only pH was a good predictor of the composition and dynamics of the AMF community. The total AMF community (roots + soil) showed significant seasonality because of variation from May to September. Root and soil AMF communities were steady year-round, however, with similar species richness but contained significantly different AMF assemblages in any sampling month. Despite the weak seasonality in the communities, the top two dominant OTUs showed significant but different shifts between roots and soils across seasons with strong antagonistic relationships. In conclusion, few dominant AMF taxa are dynamically shifting between the roots and soils of C. japonica to respond to seasonal and phenological variations in their microhabitats. AMF inhabiting forest ecosystems may have high environmental plasticity to sustain a functional symbiosis regardless of seasonal variations that occur in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtropical forests have strong carbon sequestration potential; however, the spatiotemporal patterns of their carbon sink are unclear. The BIOME-BGC model is a powerful tool for forest carbon sink estimation while the numerous parameters, as well as the localization, limit their application. This study takes three typical subtropical forests (evergreen broadleaf forest, EBF; evergreen needleleaf forest, ENF; and bamboo forest, BF) in China as examples, assesses the sensitivity of 43 ecophysiological parameters in the BIOME-BGC model both by the Morris method and the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (EFAST), and then evaluates the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) estimation accuracy based on the dataset of the fiveFi long-term carbon flux sites of those three typical forests from 2000 to 2015. The results showed that (1) both sensitivity analysis methods can effectively screen out important parameters affecting NEP simulation while the Morris method is more computationally efficient and the EFAST is better in the quantitative evaluation of sensitivity. (2) The highly sensitive parameters obtained using the two methods are basically the same; however, their importance varies across sites and vegetation types, e.g., the most sensitive parameters are k for the EBF and ENF and Ract25 for the BF, respectively. (3) The optimized parameters successfully improved the NEP simulation accuracy in subtropical forests, with average correlation coefficients increased by 25.19% and normalized root mean square error reduced by 21.74% compared with those simulated by original parameters. This study provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of process model parameters and important technical support for accurate NEP simulations of subtropical forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, PM2.5 pollution has become a most important source of air pollution. Prolonged exposure to high PM25 concentrations can give rise to severe health issues. Negative air ion (NAI) is an important indicator for measuring air quality, which is collectively known as the 'air vitamin'. However, the intricate and fluctuating meteorological conditions and vegetation types result in numerous uncertainties in the correlation between PM2.5through positioning observation during the period of June to September in 2019 and 2020 under the condition of relatively constant leaf area in Quercus variabilis forest, a typical forest in warm temperate zones. We investigated the spatiotemporal variation of PM2.5 and NAI under consistent meteorological conditions, established the correlation between PM2.5 and NAI, and explicated the impact mechanism of PM2.5 on NAI in natural conditions. The results showed that NAI decreased exponentially with the increases in natural PM2.5, with a significant negative correlation (y = 1148.79 x-0.123). The decrease rates of NAI in PM2.5 20-40, 40-80, 80-100 and 100-120 µg • m-3 were 40 .1%, 36.2%, 9.4%, 2 .4%, 5.1% and 6.8%, respectively. Results of the sensitivity analysis showed that the PM2.5 concentration range of 0-40 µg • m-3 was the sensitive range that affected NAI. Our findings could provide a scientific basis for better understanding the response mechanisms of NAI to environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As an important part of terrestrial ecosystems, the forest soil nutrient content is easily affected by thinning. However, the effects of thinning on soil phosphorus (P) stocks and dynamics have not yet been systematically analyzed. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of thinning on the soil P stock and rate of soil P stock change in the 0–30, 30–60, and 0–60 cm soil layers by integrating 237 data points on a global scale. In addition, we aimed to determine whether these factors are regulated by forest type, recovery time, and thinning intensity. The results indicated that thinning increased the soil P stock in the 0–30, 30–60, and 0–60 cm soil layers by 9.0, 13.2, and 10.2%, respectively, and the soil P stock change rates were 0.017, 0.013, and 0.025 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Furthermore, the promoting effect of thinning on soil P stocks was greater in coniferous forests than in broadleaf and mixed forests. In addition, the stocks and change rates of soil P increased with recovery time and decreased with thinning intensity and mean annual precipitation. This study highlights the effects of thinning on forest soil P accumulation on a global scale. The results are of great significance for understanding soil nutrient cycling and sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current communication presents the application of a consolidated model combination strategy to analyze the medium-term carbon fluxes in two Mediterranean pine wood ecosystems. This strategy is based on the use of a NDVI-driven parametric model, Modified C-Fix, and of a biogeochemical model, BIOME-BGC, the outputs of which are combined taking into account the actual development phase of each ecosystem. The two pine ecosystems examined correspond to an old-growth forest and to a secondary succession after clearcuts, which differently respond to the same climatic condition during a ten-year period (2013–2022). Increasing dryness, in fact, exerts a fundamental role in controlling the gross primary and net ecosystem production of the mature stand, while the effect of forest regeneration is prevalent for the uprising of the same variables in the other stand. In particular, the simulated net carbon exchange fluctuates around 200 g C m−2 year−1 in the first stand and rises to over 600 g C m−2 year−1 in the second stand; correspondingly, the accumulation of new biomass is nearly undetectable in the former case while becomes notable in the latter. The study, therefore, supports the potential of the applied strategy for predicting the forest carbon balances consequent on diversified natural and human-induced factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Windthrow is a phenomenon that causes major changes to tree stand evolution by blowing down or breaking either isolated trees or entire tree stands, with a strong ecological, social and economic impact. Both scattered and large-scale windthrow occurred in spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) tree stands of Romania. They affected surfaces of various dimensions from harvestable forests. Such a phenomenon took place in the Curvature Carpathians in February 2020. Large-scale windthrow occurred in this area in 1995 as well, in the upper watershed of Bâsca river. Using the climate data from February 2020, this paper aims to identify the manner in which factors such as climate and site conditions together with tree stand characteristic and the anthropogenic factor impacted and influenced the occurrence of windthrow. The results showed that the intensity of this phenomenon had maximum effects when the wind coming from north/northeast reached the maximum speed of 32 m·s−1. Pure spruce tree stands situated on slopes with an inclination between 16 and 30° were mainly affected. Their position was counter to the wind direction, at an altitude between 1300 and 1500 m, on cambisols and spodosols. The analysis and statistical interpretation of data in the case of scattered and large-scale windthrow from the two management units showed that the same factors studied influence the variation of windthrow intensity in a different manner, or sometimes they do not influence it at all or they can only account for a small part of this variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of the ecological needs of forest tree species is a necessity for effective and tenable forest management, conservation and restoration. Our study used the modified Whittaker sampling method to assess the diversity and distribution of forest tree species at twenty-two forest sites across northern, central, and southern Cross River State, Nigeria, and to analyse climatic and soil integrant that drive the diversity and distribution of tree species in forests. Only tree species with dbh ≥ 30 cm were identified and recorded. Tree species occurrence points were also marked using Global Positioning System (GPS) software. Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution model and principal component analysis (PCA) for each zone were used to study climate and soil integrant that drive forest tree species diversity and distribution, respectively. The results of the survey revealed a great diversity of tree species in the forests, as 398 species belonging to 64 families were recorded. The maxEnt model established six climatic integrants that drive forest tree species diversity and distribution across Cross River State. These are ‘BIO 3 – isothermality’, ‘BIO 4 - temperature seasonality’, ‘BIO 7 - annual temperature range’, ‘BIO 12 - annual precipitation’, ‘BIO 16 - precipitation of wettest quarter’, and BIO 17 - precipitation of driest quarter. PCA revealed that the soil in the northern zone had seven main integrants (iron, Available Phosphorus, manganese, exchangeable cations, silicon, Hydrogen ion and organic matter); ten in the central zone (zinc, organic matter, iron, Total Nitrogen, Sodium, boron, clay, soil pH, exchangeable acids and silicon); and nine in the southern zone (sand, silt, Organic Carbon, Manganese, Hydrogen ion, Calcium, cation exchangeable capacity, Potassium and clay) that drive species diversity and distribution. Our findings can be used as rudimentary details for managing forest and ecosystem preservation at all levels and, characteristically, for forest conservation across Cross River State, Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human disturbance stands as a prominent factor influencing the ecological environment within natural protected areas. Presently, the issue of balancing human activities and ecological preservation has emerged as a critical concern in the construction of China's natural protected area system. Functional zoning serves as the cornerstone of natural protected area management and represents a pivotal tool in achieving this equilibrium. This study endeavors to introduce a set of functional zoning methods for natural protected areas based on human disturbance assessments. Utilizing Dalingshan Forest Park in Dongguan city which is known for its significant human disturbances as a case study, field surveys were conducted to identify various types of small-scale and understory-hidden human disturbances, such as residential areas, roads, tourist areas, forestry areas, and energy facilities. Subsequently, a microcosmic human disturbance model tailored to forested areas was developed using the analytic hierarchy process. By integrating the findings of macrocosmic human disturbance assessments conducted concurrently by the research group, a functional zoning plan for Dalingshan Forest Park was proposed. The results show that ecological conservation zones within the park should be established in three specific areas, primarily in regions with low-level microcosmic human disturbance (levels 1 and 2) and terrain fluctuations ≥110 m. In contrast, the rational use zone is notably influenced by tourist infrastructure and road networks, predominantly located in regions with high human activity, such as popular tourist destinations and areas with road classifications and vehicular traffic. The microcosmic human disturbance assessment method proposed in this study enhances the rationality and accuracy of natural protected area functional zoning. It provides a more scientifically grounded research approach for similar studies concerning natural protected area functional zoning and contributes valuable insights for the further advancement of China's efforts in the integration and optimization of natural protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) is essential for quantifying the carbon exchange between the atmosphere and biosphere. Light use efficiency (LUE) models are widely used to estimate GPP at different spatial scales. However, difficulties in properly determining the maximum LUE (LUEmax) and downregulation of LUEmax into actual LUE result in uncertainties in the LUE-estimated GPP. The recently developed P model, a new LUE model, captures the adaptability of vegetation to the environment and simplifies parameterization. Site-level studies have proven the superior performance of the P model over LUE models. As a representative karst region with significant changes in forest cover in Southwest China, Qiannan is useful for exploring the spatiotemporal variation in forest GPP and its response to climate change for formulating forest management policies to address climate changes, e.g., global warming. Based on remote sensing and meteorological data, this study estimated the forest ecosystem GPP in Qiannan from 2000–2020 via the P model. This study explored the spatiotemporal changes in GPP in the study region over the past 20 years, used the Hurst index to predict future development trends from a time series perspective, and used partial correlation analysis to analyse the spatiotemporal GPP changes over the past 20 years in response to three factors: temperature, precipitation, and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Our results showed that (1) the total amount of GPP and average GPP in Qiannan over the past 21 years (2000–2020) were 1.9 × 104 ± 2.0 × 103 MgC ha−1 year−1 and 1238.9 ± 107.9 gC m−2 year−1, respectively. The forest GPP generally increased at a rate of 6.1 gC m−2 year−1 from 2000 to 2020 in Qiannan, and this increase mainly occurred in the nongrowing season. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the forest GPP in Qiannan was higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest, indicating significant spatial heterogeneity. In the future, more than 70% of regional forest GPP will experience a weak increase in nonsustainability. (3) In Qiannan, forest GPP was positively correlated with both temperature and precipitation, with partial correlation coefficients of 0.10 and 0.11, respectively. However, the positive response of GPP to precipitation was approximately 70.47%, while that to temperature was 64.05%. Precipitation had a stronger restrictive effect on GPP than did temperature in this region, and GPP exhibited a negative correlation with VPD. The results showed that an increase in VPD inhibits GPP to some extent. Under rapid global change, the P model GPP provides new GPP data for global ecology studies, and the comparison of various stress factors allows for improvement of the GPP model in the future. The results of this study will aid in understanding the dynamic processes of terrestrial carbon. These findings are helpful for estimating and predicting the carbon budget of forest ecosystems in karst regions, clarifying the regional carbon absorption capacity, clarifying the main factors limiting vegetation growth in these regions, promoting sustainable regional forestry development and serving the “dual carbon goal.” This work has important guiding significance for policy formulation to mitigate climate change.

Establishing a sound mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products is a key measure to implement the New Development Concept and to promote the transformation of "Green Waters and Green Mountains" into "Gold Mountains and Silver Mountains", and is also an important path to promote the modernization of harmonious co-existence between humans and nature. Accelerating the realization of the value of ecological products in "Millennium Xiulin" is an inherent requirement for Xiong' an to build a model of green development cities and of green and high-quality development, and also a practical need to implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speech of investiga- ting Xiong' an. This paper proposes four implementation mechanisms based on the actual situation in Xiong'an, including forest carbon sink, forest park development, forest ecological banking, and comprehensive ecological compensation, which have extensive demonstration and ref- erence significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Plants interact locally in many ways and the processes involved (e.g. competition for resources, natural regeneration, mortality or subsequent succession) are complex. These processes give rise to characteristic spatial patterns that vary over time. The corresponding spatial data, that is the locations of individuals and their specific characteristics (e.g. trees of a certain species and their diameters), are known as point patterns, and their statistical analysis can be used to study the underlying processes and their changes due to environmental scenarios. A special application of point pattern analysis is their numerical reconstruction, which is classically used (a) to generate null models that can be contrasted with observed patterns and (b) to evaluate the information contained in observed data using various summary statistics. Sometimes, the reconstructed datasets are also used to initialise individual‐based or agent‐based plant models with realistic but artificially generated data in order to analyse or forecast the development of plant systems. Previous reconstruction methods of point patterns consider only one mark, or they consider several marks but neglect their correlations. We introduce a method that considers individual locations and two marks simultaneously (in our example information on tree species, and diameter at breast height). The method uses different summary statistics of the second‐order point pattern analysis, such as the pair correlation function and the mark correlation function. By successively modifying the reconstructed spatial pattern, the distance (also called energy), measured in terms of differences in the summary statistics between the generated pattern and the observed pattern, is minimised and a high statistical similarity is achieved. After testing the method on different datasets, the suitability of our method for reconstructing complex spatial forest stands, including the spatial relationships of all considered marks, is shown. The presented method is a powerful tool for generating point pattern data. With minor changes, it even enables the reconstruction of forest stands and plant systems larger than those used to collect the inventory data, and although we used two marks only to demonstrate the power of the method, it is easy to include more marks.

Soil infiltration properties (SIPs) are important components of forest hydrological responses; however, few studies have investigated the mechanisms through which soil physical properties affect SIPs. In this study, two SIPs, the initial infiltration rate (IIR) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), were quantified at five soil depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, and 40–50 cm) in three forest stands (pine (Pinus taeda), oak (Quercus acutissima), and bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests). We constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the main physical properties affecting the SIPs and their influence pathways, and the results show that the IIR and Ks values for the whole soil profile decreased as follows: pine forest > oak forest > bamboo forest. Soil total porosity (STP), soil field capacity (SFC), capillary water holding capacity (CMC), saturated water capacity (SWC), and initial soil water content (ISWC) were positively correlated with the SIPs, while soil bulk density (SBD) was negatively correlated with the SIPs. The SEM indicated that the main positive driver of soil infiltration was STP, while the sand content and SBD reduced soil infiltration. Soil texture indirectly affected SBD by mediating STP, and SBD indirectly affected the SIPs through SWC. These results provide data that support the simulation of subsurface hydrological responses in forests and have significant implications for forest management.

The progressing worldwide increases in tick occurrence and tick-borne diseases calls for the development of new prevention strategies to reduce their impact on human and animal health. Defining the risk of exposure to tick bites is therefore essential. Forestry workers are at high risk of tick bites. We set up an explorative study among forestry workers in the Alsace region in eastern France to measure the different factors affecting the risk of Ixodes ricinus tick bites during their activities in forests. For one year, forestry workers recorded the presence of ticks on their clothes and tick bites every time they were working in teams in different forest ecosystems. Questions about the prevention measures they followed were also noted. Among the 32 participants, we were able to differentiate between groups having a high, neutral, or low risk of being bitten. The median tick bite number per year was 4 (0–8). We tried to identify individual as well as environmental factors affecting the risk of tick bites. Factors influencing the risk were the seasonal peak of tick activity in May and June, the time of exposure, and the forest ecosystems visited during the year. Additional factors potentially affecting the risk were also identified.

Nutrient resorption (NR) is a critical ecological process in forest ecosystems. However, there is a lack of knowledge about this process in the peatlands of Indonesia, and this may be seen as a research gap. In the present study, NR in young trees of three native species (Macaranga pruinosa, Cratoxylum arborescens, and Macaranga gigantea) and one exotic species (Acacia crassicarpa) in a drained tropical peatland was investigated. This study was conducted at an experimental plot in Pelalawan-Riau, Indonesia. Nutrient resorption efficiency (RE) and proficiency (RP) were calculated and correlated with soil properties, foliar nutrients, and growth variables. Our results revealed that M. pruinosa exhibited an RE value for phosphorus (PRE) that was 64% higher than that for the second-ranked native species but still significantly (84%) lower than that for A. crassicarpa. RE values for nitrogen (NRE) and potassium (KRE) did not differ significantly among species, ranging from 39 to 42% and 41 to 56%, respectively, for native species, with figures of 45% and 66%, respectively, for A. crassicarpa. Finally, PRE exhibited strong and significant correlations with PRP and tree growth, a finding that indicated that the uptake and conservation of P nutrients are essential for the fitness of the three native species. Overall, the results of the present study may be seen as beneficial for species selection and the management of nutrients by those engaged in restoration of tropical peatland forests.

The distribution of forest-dominant tree species is crucial for ecosystem assessment. Remote sensing monitoring requires annual ground sample data, but consistent field surveys are challenging. This study addresses this by combining sample migration learning and machine learning for multi-year tree species classification in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China. Using the continuous change detection and classification (CCDC) algorithm, sample data from 2023 were successfully migrated to 2018–2022, achieving high migration accuracy (R2 = 0.8303, RMSE = 4.64). Based on migrated samples, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithms classified forest tree species with overall accuracies above 70% and Kappa coefficients above 0.6. XGB. They outperformed other algorithms, with classification accuracy of over 80% and Kappa above 0.75 in almost all years. The final map indicates stable distribution from 2018 to 2023, with eucalyptus covering over 40% of the forest area, followed by horsetail pine, fir, cypress, and wetland pine.

Botanical areas under international protection are important for preserving plant and animal ecosystems. Forest ecosystems within Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are essential for preserving biological and species diversity. In AP Vojvodina (Northern Serbia), there are 27 IPAs, totaling 328,208 ha. Fruška Gora National Park (FGNP) territory is under international protection as an IPA. A large part of this park is covered by a forest ecosystem comprising various deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, and grasses. The forest ecosystem in FGNP is rich with natural attractions that are important for hiking, mountaineering, trekking, scientific tourism, wildlife, bird and animal watching, and community tourism. In this article, the authors used a quantitative method of collecting and processing data obtained through survey research. For this research, 610 respondents (325 residents and 285 visitors) were surveyed. Using questionnaires, the respondents expressed their opinions about the tourism potential of FGNP, as well as the satisfaction of tourists with current tourism development. The research results indicate that the forest ecosystem within the FGNP and IPA area has an important potential for the development of nature-based tourism (NbT) and that this tourism form significantly affects not only the satisfaction of the respondents but also increased awareness of the preservation and protection of these areas.

Forest soils are considered the largest carbon and nitrogen pools in soil organic matter among terrestrial ecosystems, and soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are normally affected by climate change and human activity. The collection of recent research on this scientific theme would provide a basis for understanding the responses of soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems to climate change and human activity. A Special Issue was, thus, organized to discuss recent research achievements, including a total of nine research articles and one review. This Special Issue includes the effects of climate changes such as changes in throughfall, snow cover, and permafrost degradation; human activities such as nitrogen and/or phosphorus addition and the use of biochar; and soil–plant interactions on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in forest ecosystems. Although this collection of papers reflects only a small part of this scientific theme, it can, to some extent, provide a basis for understanding some important research aspects related to the future of forest soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHG fluxes in a changing world, thereby enabling sustainable development and the mitigation of climate change.

Elucidating changes in the structure and function of plant communities along different elevation ranges will help researchers to analyze the strategies plant communities use in environments and processes influencing niche differentiation. The aims of this paper are to reveal the underlying mechanisms and ecological processes governing the development of subtropical forest ecosystem plant communities. This paper analyzes the forest vegetation of the Wuyi Mountains across the following three elevation ranges: low elevation, mid elevation, and high elevation, spanning from 560 to 2150 m. Twenty and twenty-three dominant tree and shrub layer species, respectively, were identified based on their importance values, and their niches and species associations were further analyzed based on the elevation range. The results showed interspecific associations between tree and shrub species, with the strongest associations observed at mid-elevations. The analysis of niche width and overlap showed that the number of pairs of species with a higher degree of niche overlap decreased with increasing elevation, suggesting that resource use varied at different elevations for both tree and shrub layer species, which may be related to the adaptive capacity of plants at different elevations to the environment and resource use strategies. These findings should contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecological functioning and structural framework of plant communities on Wuyi Mountain.

[Objective] To provide a reference basis for future forest ecosystem restoration and management. [Method] A visual literature analysis tool CiteSpace was used to analyzed the liferatures on natural regeneration of forest ecosystem vegetation from 2000 to 2021 based on the two databases of Web of Science and CNKI. [Result] The number of publications in this field fluctuated upward over the years, with the United States, Brazil and Canada ranking among the top in the world and maintaining close cooperation with the international community. The number of domestic publications was much lower than those of foreign countries, with a slow growth trend, a late start of related research and a weak international influence, thus there was an obvious gap compared with countries rich in forest resources. Foreign research teams were leading the development of the field formed by core authors, such as ZHU J J, KAREN D H, DANIEL C D and so on. Domestic research institutes were mainly engaged in internal team cooperation. Ecological journals were an important platform for displaying academic achievements in this research field. The journal of Forest Ecology and Management contained the most relevant literature, and the domestic core journal Chinese Journal of Ecology had the largest number of articles. At present, global researches on the influencing factors of natural regeneration of forest vegetation were mostly distributed in light or gap dynamics, seed bank or seed rain, fire, water, human disturbance and so on. Exploring the influencing mechanisms of forest gaps, soils, fire and seed germination had been a hot research topic in recent decades. [Conclusion] The problems of extreme summer droughts caused by climate warming and barriers to vegetation regeneration caused by unreasonable land use were emerging research frontiers worldwide in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, leaf nutrient contents, resorption efficiency (RE) and resorption proficiency (RP) values were examined in three sympatric woody species—P. tremula, Q. maranthera subsp. syspirensis and L. caucasica subsp. orientalis during two years in Northern Black Sea Region (Turkiye). According to the data obtained the highest N, P, K, Mg, Ca, Fe and Cu concentrations in green leaves were found in L. caucasica in both two years. However, the highest Zn concentrations in green leaves were found in P. tremula whereas the highest Mn concentrations were found in Q. macranthera. PRE was found to be higher than NRE and for all other elements in the study area. On the other hand, all studied species demonstrated similar RE values for macronutrients in general. Negative RE values were found with respect to Cu, Fe, Ca and MnRE in P. tremula, and with respect to CaRE in L. caucasica. However, all elements were resorbed in Q. macranthera. Our data indicate that species specificity plays an important role in resorption of microelements in the studied species. P. tremula and Q. macranthera were N and P-proficient only in first year whereas L. caucasica was not N and P-proficient in the present study. Nitrogen and phosphorus limitations varied due to plant species and leaf growth stages with respect to N/P ratios in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Forest ecosystems provide a large area inhabited by functional microbial communities and thus have an important influence on nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about how tree species alter the functional microorganisms involved in the leaf phyllosphere and soil N cycling. Methods: The impacts of seven common subtropical tree species across different mycorrhizal types and leaf phenology on the abundance of N cycling-related functional genes were evaluated in phyllosphere and soil. Results: We found that deciduous trees harbored significantly higher functional gene abundance of nifH, narK, and nrfA by 26.2–46.4% compared to evergreen trees in soils. Ectomycorrhizal trees harbored significantly higher gene abundance of nifH, AOA amoA, AOB amoA, nxrA, nxrB, comammox amoA, narG, narK, nirS, and nrfA by 22.1–131% in comparison to arbuscular mycorrhizal trees in soils. Leaf dry matter content, leaf C and N contents, and litter C and N contents were important drivers of soil N cycling-related functional genes. Nonetheless, there was no significant association between the N cycling-related functional genes in the phyllosphere and soil. Leaf phenology and mycorrhizal type had little effect on N cycling-related functional genes in the phyllosphere. Root density was the best predictor for leaf phyllosphere N cycling-related functional genes. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that tree functional traits have a crucial role in driving leaf phyllosphere and soil functional microorganisms, and emphasized the potential of manipulating tree mycorrhizal type and taxonomic identity to increase ecosystem N retention in subtropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how forest ecosystems respond to environmental factors, particularly in the context of global climate change, is essential for devising effective mitigation strategies. This study focuses on quantifying the interaction between forest ecosystems and atmospheric gases. To achieve our objectives, we are using the eddy covariance (EC) flux method to measure air turbulence and gas concentrations above the forest canopy at the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) in southern Estonia. We apply a flux footprint (FFP) model to describe the spatial extent and position of the surface area contributing to the turbulent flux measurements. The FFP analysis provides valuable insights into the long-term changes in SMEAR Estonia, the FFP and its relationship with forest management and land use changes. Our findings reveal that the FFP area varies from year to year due to changes in wind speed and direction, affecting the contribution of different land cover elements to the overall FFP. The average changes in the FFP area at a height of 30 meters were approximately 4.9%, while those at a height of 70 meters were only 1.6%. Moreover, human activities, such as thinning and clear-cutting, influence the growing stock and increment of forest stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]