Growth and Photosynthetic Responses of Seedlings Under Climate Change in Forests

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 560

Special Issue Editor

Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: plant physiology; plant phenotype; remote sensing; environmental stress; forest seedlings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests play a vital role in regulating the global climate, sequestering carbon, and preserving biodiversity; however, the rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels resulting from climate change have come to present significant challenges to forest regeneration and resilience. Seedlings, as the most vulnerable stage in a tree’s life cycle, are especially sensitive to these environmental changes—their growth and photosynthetic performance under changing conditions will shape the future composition and stability of forest ecosystems. This Special Issue brings together recent research advances in our understanding of the physiological and ecological responses of forest seedlings to climate change. By focusing on photosynthesis, resource allocation, and adaptive mechanisms, the contributions in this volume aim to clarify the key processes that influence seedling survival and development. The insights gained will inform reforestation efforts, forest management practices, and climate adaptation strategies. We are confident that this Special Issue will foster interdisciplinary dialogue and support the development of climate-resilient forest ecosystems.

Dr. Jimei Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • climate change
  • forest seedlings
  • photosynthesis
  • growth response
  • forest regeneration
  • physiological adaptation
  • environmental stress

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 4124 KB  
Article
Compensatory Regulation and Temporal Dynamics of Photosynthetic Limitations in Ginkgo Biloba Under Combined Drought–Salt Stress
by Yuxuan Meng, Yang Wu, Shengjie Liang, Lehao Li, Ying Zhu, Peng Ding, Chenhang Liu, Sunjie Tang and Jimei Han
Forests 2025, 16(8), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081334 - 16 Aug 2025
Viewed by 431
Abstract
Photosynthesis in higher plants is highly sensitive to drought and salinity. While studies have examined the individual effects of drought or salt stress on photosynthesis, their combined impact remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the diurnal dynamics and primary limiting factors [...] Read more.
Photosynthesis in higher plants is highly sensitive to drought and salinity. While studies have examined the individual effects of drought or salt stress on photosynthesis, their combined impact remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the diurnal dynamics and primary limiting factors (stomatal, mesophyll, and biochemical) affecting the net photosynthetic rate (An) in Ginkgo (G.) biloba under drought, salt, and combined drought–salt stress. The results revealed that G. biloba exhibited a bimodal pattern of An under control conditions, primarily driven by mesophyll conductance (gm). Under drought, this pattern shifted, with stomatal limitations dominant in the late afternoon. In contrast, salt and combined stress induced a unimodal An pattern due to a flattened gm curve and reduced correlation between gm and An. Interestingly, combined stress caused significantly lower mesophyll limitations than salt stress alone, compensating for increased stomatal limitations and leading to a higher An. Our findings reveal a dynamic shift in the limiting factors over time and stress types, suggesting that G. biloba has mechanisms to mitigate combined drought–salt stress. These insights deepen our understanding of plant resilience under complex environmental conditions. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop