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Forests
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Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest
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Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 August 2026 | Viewed by 4914

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marek Sławski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Protection, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: forest pests; forest ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesco Parisi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
Interests: ecology; taxonomy; biodiversity; entomology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodiversity has been at the center of interest in forest ecology for several decades. Dynamic environmental changes, such as droughts, high winds, pest outbreaks, invasions of alien species, and human pressure on ecosystems, have led to unprecedented destabilization. Forests in many countries have suffered significant economic and environmental damage. Many species are declining, and unique habitats are disappearing. The conservation of rich and complex forest ecosystems best guarantees their survival. Forests rich in species with high genetic variability, characterized by a complex structure spatially differentiated at the landscape scale, ensure the maintenance of their regeneration, productivity, and social functions. Progress in understanding the importance of natural diversity for the functioning of nature has been enormous. New approaches to biodiversity conservation are being introduced into forestry practice. The most valuable habitats are removed from production, but forest management is also integrated with biodiversity conservation. Forestry practices are being changed so that the forest provides wood and non-wood products while preserving habitats for all species. Increasingly, solutions to these issues often mimic the natural processes of forest growth and development. There is an urgent need to share information on methods for assessing, monitoring, and conserving biodiversity, including examples of best practices for protecting the full complexity of forest ecosystems and efforts to protect specific species and habitats.

Dr. Marek Sławski
Dr. Francesco Parisi
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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
  • forest management
  • species conservation
  • species diversity
  • habitat conservation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2964 KB  
Article
Factors Supporting a High Level of Understorey Plant Diversity in Ravine Forests (EU Priority Habitat Type)
by Lado Kutnar, Anže Martin Pintar, Aleksander Marinšek and Janez Kermavnar
Forests 2026, 17(3), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17030370 - 16 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 451
Abstract
In addition to being influenced by global drivers, forest herb-layer communities are also shaped by various local factors, such as topography, stand characteristics and soil properties. The responses of ground vegetation were studied in the ravine forests of a Natura 2000 site in [...] Read more.
In addition to being influenced by global drivers, forest herb-layer communities are also shaped by various local factors, such as topography, stand characteristics and soil properties. The responses of ground vegetation were studied in the ravine forests of a Natura 2000 site in eastern Slovenia. A high species richness of 218 plant species was observed in the herb layer, including some woody species. On average, 52.8 different plant species were recorded per plot. Species richness was significantly associated with topographic and forest stand factors, rather than soil characteristics. It was positively associated with altitude and the amount of deadwood and negatively associated with tree height. However, the main predictors for the species composition of the ground vegetation were tree layer cover and soil pH. Among the studied ravine forests, Tilia-dominated stands are characterised by the highest species diversity and the lowest herb-layer cover, indicating a composition of less competitive, site-specific species inhabiting sites with high resource heterogeneity and diverse microhabitats. To preserve the high level of biodiversity of heterogeneous ravine forests and to maintain their favourable conservation status, it is crucial to sustain the natural state of forest soils and stands by implementing appropriate management measures. Such measures may include close-to-nature forest management, which is already being implemented in the studied ravine forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest)
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30 pages, 1203 KB  
Article
Effects of Forestry Transformation on the Genetic Level of Biodiversity in Poland’s Forests
by Ewa Referowska
Forests 2026, 17(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17020210 - 4 Feb 2026
Viewed by 433
Abstract
In this paper, the effects of Poland’s forest management evolution after 1945 on forest biodiversity at the genetic level were analysed. Forest biodiversity changes across the two politically and economically different eras (socialism, 1945–1989, and democracy, from 1990) are interpreted using three indirect [...] Read more.
In this paper, the effects of Poland’s forest management evolution after 1945 on forest biodiversity at the genetic level were analysed. Forest biodiversity changes across the two politically and economically different eras (socialism, 1945–1989, and democracy, from 1990) are interpreted using three indirect indicators: forest regeneration and expansion, tree genetic resources, and threatened forest species. In the era of socialism, the total area of regeneration and reforestation gradually decreased, with these activities relying almost exclusively on cultivated reproductive material. After 1990, there was a relative stabilisation in the total area, with a noticeable increase in the use of natural processes to diversify the tree gene pool. Work on verifying and protecting the forest tree seed base, as well as on assessing the conservation status of an increasingly wide range of organisms, began in the era of socialism; however, it was intensified only in the era of democracy. In the latter case, the increase in the number of endangered species suggests a potentially negative trend. However, the actual assessment of the changes is not entirely clear due to subsequent changes in threat classification and increased knowledge of the occurrence of individual species. Dilemmas and problems related to the following issues require further discussion and resolution or implementation of further measures: the consequences of past choices regarding planted trees; the use of natural regeneration; the reduction in the forest tree gene pool as a result of artificial selection; incomplete knowledge about threats to the forest gene pool; the continued impact of threats and the possibilities for counteracting them; and securing funding for measures to protect biodiversity at the genetic level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest)
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18 pages, 3901 KB  
Article
Abundance and Diversity of Deadwood and Tree-Related Microhabitats in a Caledonian Pine Forest, Scotland
by Alessandro Paletto, Christopher Andrews, Sofia Baldessari, Jan Dick, Roberta Pastorelli and Isabella De Meo
Forests 2026, 17(2), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17020168 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 649
Abstract
Old-growth forests provide a key biodiversity reservoir due to their high amount of deadwood and abundance of tree-related microhabitats (TreMs). This research investigates the abundance and diversity of deadwood and TreMs in old-growth Caledonian pine forests located in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. [...] Read more.
Old-growth forests provide a key biodiversity reservoir due to their high amount of deadwood and abundance of tree-related microhabitats (TreMs). This research investigates the abundance and diversity of deadwood and TreMs in old-growth Caledonian pine forests located in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. The study area is a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)-dominated forest. A field survey campaign was conducted in 15 sample plots to collect data on stand and deadwood characteristics, and TreMs by category. Within circular plots of 531 m2, the diameter at breast height, height, and insertion height of the canopy of all the living trees were measured, and the three deadwood components (snags, fallen deadwood, and stumps) and TreMs were recorded. The results showed a total deadwood volume of 37.53 ± 32.39 m3 ha−1, mostly in the form of snags (68.9% of total volume) and in the lowest degree of decay (first decay class equals 36.8%). The average number of deadwood elements is 217 ha−1, distributed to 127 snags ha−1, 64 fallen deadwood ha−1, and 26 stumps ha−1. The results showed an average of 89.1 TreMs ha−1 on snags and 26.4 ha−1 on living trees. The abundance and diversity of TreMs are significantly related to the volume of snags (R2 = 0.712), the deadwood diversity (R2 = 0.664), and the degree of decomposition (R2 = 0.416). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest)
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33 pages, 2070 KB  
Article
Trees, Deadwood and Tree-Related Microhabitats Explain Patterns of Alpha and Beta Saproxylic Beetle Diversity in Silver Fir-Beech Forests in Central Italy
by Francesco Parisi, Adriano Mazziotta and Davide Travaglini
Forests 2025, 16(11), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16111715 - 11 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1452
Abstract
Forest structure, including trees, deadwood and tree-related microhabitats, is a key determinant of forest biodiversity. Their relative contribution in shaping local (alpha) biodiversity and its variation (beta) between sites remains unclear. We assessed how forest characteristics shape alpha and beta diversity of beetle [...] Read more.
Forest structure, including trees, deadwood and tree-related microhabitats, is a key determinant of forest biodiversity. Their relative contribution in shaping local (alpha) biodiversity and its variation (beta) between sites remains unclear. We assessed how forest characteristics shape alpha and beta diversity of beetle communities in mixed silver fir–beech forests within the Vallombrosa Nature Reserve (Tuscany, Italy). We sampled 47 circular plots recording single-tree attributes, deadwood volume and decay stage, and the occurrence of tree-related microhabitats. Beetle assemblages were surveyed using window flight traps, yielding over 11,000 individuals belonging to 187 species, 20% of those known from central-southern Italian forests, 58% of which were listed in the Italian Red List of Saproxylic Beetles and 10% of which were threatened. Statistical models (GLMs and GDMs) revealed that alpha diversity was driven by fine-scale features, including tree species composition, microhabitats (cavities, bark, epiphytes) and deadwood diversity. In contrast, beta diversity was shaped by stand structure and inter-stand heterogeneity. Our results highlight the need for conservation strategies that simultaneously maintain tree-level heterogeneity and secure variation across the landscape. Management should therefore combine retention of microhabitats and diverse deadwood substrates with promotion of structurally diverse, mixed stands to sustain beetle diversity at multiple spatial scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest)
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15 pages, 2140 KB  
Article
Plant-Dwelling Spider Assemblages in Managed and Protected Primeval Deciduous Stands of Białowieża Forest, Poland
by Marzena Stańska, Tomasz Stański and Barbara Patoleta
Forests 2025, 16(7), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16071093 - 1 Jul 2025
Viewed by 898
Abstract
The Białowieża Forest is home to both primary forests under strict protection and commercial forests, which provides an opportunity to compare them in terms of the number of individuals, number of species, and composition of different animal assemblages. The main goal of our [...] Read more.
The Białowieża Forest is home to both primary forests under strict protection and commercial forests, which provides an opportunity to compare them in terms of the number of individuals, number of species, and composition of different animal assemblages. The main goal of our study was to compare spider assemblages inhabiting herbaceous vegetation in these two types of forest stands. Spiders were sampled using a sweep net in an oak–lime–hornbeam forest, an ash–alder forest, and an alder carr. More spiders were found in unmanaged stands compared to managed stands, but a significant difference was found only in the alder carr. Total species richness did not significantly vary between managed and unmanaged stands in all forest types. In the oak–lime–hornbeam forest, more species per sample were found in commercial stands compared to primeval stands, while the result was the opposite for the alder carr. Our research did not show a clear negative impact of forest management on plant-dwelling spiders. The impact of forest management was evident in the case of the riparian forest, where the managed stand was characterized by low canopy cover as a result of logging carried out years ago, which is likely to have resulted in differences in family composition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation in Forest)
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