Biodiversity Patterns and Ecosystem Functions in Forests
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 82
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biodiversity and ecosystem functions; forest multifunctionality; plants and microbes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, titled "Biodiversity Patterns and Ecosystem Functions in Forests", explores the intricate relationships between forest biodiversity and the processes that sustain ecological services. Forests, as globally vital ecosystems, host immense biological diversity and underpin critical functions such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, and habitat provision. The Issue seeks research that uncovers spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity (e.g., species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversity) across forest types (tropical, temperate, boreal, and fragmented landscapes) and links these patterns to ecosystem processes like productivity, nutrient cycling, resilience to disturbances, and climate change adaptation. Contributions may address how biodiversity loss or compositional changes affect forest functioning, including mechanisms driving tree community dynamics, the role of keystone species, and interactions between aboveground and belowground biodiversity. Studies employing observational, experimental, or modeling approaches—at scales ranging from plot-level experiments to landscape or global analyses—are welcome. The goal is to advance our understanding of how forest biodiversity supports ecosystem stability and services, informing sustainable management, conservation, and restoration strategies amidst accelerating environmental changes.
Prof. Dr. Zuoqiang Yuan
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
- forest biodiversity
- ecosystem function
- functional diversity
- carbon sequestration
- forest dynamics
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