Invasive Ecology and Forest Ecosystems: Process, Mechanisms and Aftereffects

Dear Colleagues,

Biological invasions represent a critical aspect of global change. They threaten local biodiversity, transform the structure and function of ecosystems, lead to significant economic losses, and potentially compromise human health. In recent decades, research on biological invasions has made significant progress, providing humanity with a more profound understanding of the mechanisms underlying these invasions. Consequently, various methods and strategies for the management and control of alien invasive species have been proposed. Despite these advancements, accurately predicting the occurrence of biological invasions and completely eliminating these invasive species remain challenging. Currently, research on biological invasions predominantly centers on wetlands, agricultural and urban ecosystems, with comparatively less focus placed on forest ecosystems. This Special Issue aims to promote research into biological invasions within forest ecosystems. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics: patterns, mechanisms, processes, and impacts of biological invasions in forest ecosystems; population dynamics of invasive species in forest ecosystems; control strategies for invasive species within forest ecosystems; the effects of environmental changes (including disturbances) on biological invasions in forest ecosystems; the resilience of forest ecosystems and native biota to invasive species; the roles of microbial diversity and plant–soil feedback in the process of biological invasion into forest ecosystems; the influence of forest successional stages on biological invasion into forest ecosystems; reasons why certain alien species are unable to invade forest ecosystems; biological invasions occurring around forests, such as those in forest–grassland ecotones, and their mechanisms; and biological invasions occurring in urban forests and their mechanisms. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of research articles and review articles.

Dr. Xiao Guo
Prof. Dr. Congyan Wang
Dr. Yi Wang
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.