Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics

Plant cover on earth is changing continuously on different temporal and spatial scales. The processes of directional change in species composition and vegetation structure with time are referred to as succession: a fundamental but controversially discussed concept in plant community ecology and vegetation geography. In addition to succession, there exists a broad variety of additional processes and patterns of vegetation change in both space and time, such as mosaic cycles, gap dynamics, or cohort dynamics, following diebacks. A better understanding of successional pathways, the processes involved, and vegetation dynamics in general is crucial in times of rapid environmental change and the increasing frequency and intensity of natural and man-made disturbances, as it has important implications for ecosystem restoration and overall vegetation management. This Reprint of the MDPI Diversity Special Issue “Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics” collects recent findings and advances in this important field of ecology and vegetation geography from different parts of the earth, from a variety of ecosystems, employing a diverse range of methods.