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Forests
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Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to...
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Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to Environmental Challenges

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 833

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lazar Kesić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: plant physiology; plant anatomy; urban forestry; population genetics; tree breeding
Prof. Dr. Janusz Zwiazek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Bldg., Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
Interests: tree physiology; mycorrhizal ecology; ecological restoration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest ecosystems are dynamic environments where plants constantly face a multitude of abiotic and biotic stressors, including drought, extreme temperatures, nutrient limitations, pests, and diseases. These challenges are further exacerbated by the increasing impacts of climate change, leading to shifts in forest composition and function. To survive and thrive under such conditions, forest plants exhibit a remarkable range in adaptive physiological mechanisms and strategies.

This Special Issue, titled "Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to Environmental Challenges", aims to explore the diverse physiological and molecular pathways that enable plants to cope with environmental constraints. By addressing key questions on stress tolerance, resource acquisition, and ecosystem resilience, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to our understanding of plant adaptation and its implications for forest conservation and management in the face of global change.

Dr. Lazar Kesić
Prof. Dr. Janusz Zwiazek
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

  • plant adaptation
  • environmental stress
  • forest ecosystems
  • physiological responses
  • abiotic stress
  • biotic interactions
  • climate change impact
  • stress tolerance mechanisms
  • ecosystem resilience
  • biodiversity and adaptation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4170 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Inoculation with Rhizosphere Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria on the Growth and Physiology of Reaumuria soongorica Seedlings Under NaCl Stress
by Xueying Wang, Peifang Chong, Xinguang Bao and Feng Zhang
Forests 2025, 16(4), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040591 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 200
Abstract
Soil salinization significantly exacerbates the deficiency in plant-available phosphorus in the soil, thereby adversely affecting plant growth and development. Through various processes, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria in the rhizosphere significantly increase soil-soluble phosphorus content, boosting plant development and stress resistance. This study focused on annual [...] Read more.
Soil salinization significantly exacerbates the deficiency in plant-available phosphorus in the soil, thereby adversely affecting plant growth and development. Through various processes, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria in the rhizosphere significantly increase soil-soluble phosphorus content, boosting plant development and stress resistance. This study focused on annual R. soongorica seedlings to examine how rhizosphere phosphate-solubilizing bacteria enhance growth under NaCl-induced stress conditions. This study isolated and characterized rhizosphere phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, evaluating their phosphate solubilization capacity and effects on R. soongorica seedling growth and physiology under NaCl stress through pot experiments, with potential applications in saline soil improvement and desert ecosystem restoration. This study used four treatment groups (control group, NaCl treatment group, bacterial inoculation treatment group, and bacterial and NaCl mixed-treatment group) with twelve treatments and four replicates per treatment. The experimental results demonstrated that five phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strains exhibited a significant phosphate solubilization capacity, accompanied by a notable reduction in pH within the inorganic phosphorus medium. Compared to the NaCl treatment, the net growth of the plant height of R. soongorica seedlings inoculated with strains J23, J24, and M1 under NaCl stress increased significantly (p < 0.05), and all of them more than doubled, and the net growth of the stem diameter of R. soongorica seedlings inoculated with strain J24 increased significantly by 144.17%. The physiological characteristics of R. soongorica seedlings demonstrated significant alterations following inoculation with the five phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strains. The inoculation of R. soongorica seedlings with the five phosphate-solubilizing bacterial resulted in a statistically significant increase in both foliar total phosphorus content and available phosphorus levels within the rhizosphere soil (p < 0.05). Additionally, under NaCl stress conditions, R. soongorica seedlings inoculated with the five phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strains exhibited varying degrees of salt tolerance, with the following descending order of effectiveness: J24 > P2 > J23 > P3 > M1. In conclusion, the rhizosphere phosphate-solubilizing bacteria J24 represents a potentially valuable microbial resource for saline soil amelioration, demonstrating the most pronounced enhancement in both the growth parameters and salt tolerance of R. soongorica seedlings under 300 mmol·L−1 NaCl stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to Environmental Challenges)
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19 pages, 4421 KiB  
Article
Variations in Leaf Photosynthesis and Its Limitations at Different Canopy Positions in Mature Camphor Trees
by Hanbing Leng, Lingyan Zhou and Wei Yan
Forests 2025, 16(4), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040581 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 153
Abstract
Urban forests play important roles in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. However, their adaptive mechanisms and limitations on photosynthesis throughout the canopy are poorly understood. This study takes the most widely distributed 50-year-old camphor plantations (Cinnamomum camphora) in Shanghai as [...] Read more.
Urban forests play important roles in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. However, their adaptive mechanisms and limitations on photosynthesis throughout the canopy are poorly understood. This study takes the most widely distributed 50-year-old camphor plantations (Cinnamomum camphora) in Shanghai as the research objects. We investigated the variations in leaf morphology and photosynthetic physiology and biochemistry at six different canopy positions during a summer and an autumn period. We discovered that on account of leaf nitrogen loss and water deficit, light-saturated photosynthesis (Amax) declined in upper sunlit leaves despite being exposed to high sunlight in the same fashion as stomatal and mesophyll conductance (gsw, gm), photochemical quenching coefficient and actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (ΦPSII, qP), and maximum rate of electron transport and carboxylation (Jmax, Vcmax) during the growing season. Although seasonal change had little effect on Amax, the relative importance of limitations varied temporally. Mesophyll and biochemical limitation were the major contributors to the decline in the Amax in upper sunlit leaves between summer and autumn, respectively. Our study highlights the constraints of carbon fixation capacity in dense stands of mature camphor trees and offers technical support for the accurate prediction of canopy photosynthesis and the enhancement of carbon sequestration management in urban forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to Environmental Challenges)
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23 pages, 14226 KiB  
Article
Mycorrhization of Quercus dentata Seedlings with Laccaria bicolor Enhances Salt Tolerance of Plants Only Under Relatively Moderate Soil Salinity Level
by Wenlong Sun, Luyu Qi, Haonan Chen, Yixin Song, Jiaqi Jiang, Puyi Zhang, Bojian Wang, Qiang Wang, Gaode Meng, Tianyu Ji, Xinke Sun, Weihua Guo, Ning Du and Janusz J. Zwiazek
Forests 2025, 16(3), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030413 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 292
Abstract
Soil salinization is a growing global concern in many ecosystems. Although ectomycorrhizal fungi have been shown to alleviate the effects of salinity in some tree species, uncertainties persist concerning their effectiveness when plants are exposed to different salinity levels that are commonly present [...] Read more.
Soil salinization is a growing global concern in many ecosystems. Although ectomycorrhizal fungi have been shown to alleviate the effects of salinity in some tree species, uncertainties persist concerning their effectiveness when plants are exposed to different salinity levels that are commonly present in salt-affected soils. Quercus dentata seedlings either non-inoculated (mycorrhizal control) or inoculated with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor were then treated with three NaCl concentrations (0, 0.4%, and 0.8%). The physiological, stoichiometric, and growth characteristics of the plants were examined. NaCl significantly affected seedling growth and physiology. However, the impact of L. bicolor on Q. dentata seedlings could shift in response to varying salt concentrations. Under moderate salinity, inoculation of L. bicolor increased root biomass by 4.55% and leaf chlorophyll concentrations by 46.8%, and decreased leaf Na+ concentrations and the Na+/K+ ratios. Under high salinity, L. bicolor decreased leaf water content and fluorescence parameters, and increased leaf Na+ concentrations. The effect of ectomycorrhizal fungus L. bicolor on Q. dentata seedlings was dependent on NaCl concentration, and our results indicate that the use of L. bicolor in afforestation efforts with Q. dentata would only be effective under relatively low soil salinity levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptive Physiology of Forest Plants: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Responses to Environmental Challenges)
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