Effects of Different Forestry Treatments on Forest Biodiversity and Regeneration

Dear Colleagues,

Forestry measures must meet a multitude of new requirements in the face of changing and more dynamic environmental conditions and modern societal demands. The search is on for creative solutions for different starting conditions. For example, it may be possible to establish a form of plantation specifically for small-scale farming systems in developing countries that considers both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The objective is to find forms of management which on the one hand open up opportunities to make a plantation or forest profitable, and on the other promote forest biological diversity. This is in the spirit of Nature-based solutions (NbSs), which are defined by IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. Here we particularly ask for manuscripts focusing on the following questions:

(1) Comparing different intensities of utilization, from mono-dominated plantations of non-native tree species or cultivated hybrids to multifunctional, integrative forest management and unmanaged forests. Which systems can and cannot achieve what in terms of forest biodiversity and regeneration? How could biodiversity be significantly improved?

(2) How can the biodiversity of sparse woodland derived from past use be maintained with appropriate new measures? How should multifunctional uses (forest farming, mycoforestry) or agroforests be integrated and optimized with regard to forest biodiversity and regeneration?

(3) Succession patterns after disturbance: When and where should succession be allowed to run subspontaneously? How should one interact with early-, medium- or late-successional species or species with special plant functional properties?

Prof. Dr. Helge Walentowski
Prof. Dr. Torsten Vor
Guest Editors

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