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Forests
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Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies
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Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1589

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jakub Černý

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Research Station at Opočno, Na Olivě 550, 517 73 Opočno, Czech Republic
Interests: silviculture; forest ecology; forest management; climate change; tree adaptation; resource use
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zdeněk Vacek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic
Interests: climate change; forest management; tree adaptation; forest ecology; forest resilience; ecological stability; sustainable silviculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests are undergoing rapid environmental, ecological, and socio-economic changes that challenge traditional management concepts. Climate change, altered disturbance regimes, and increasing demand for ecosystem services call for innovative silvicultural practices and management strategies that enhance forest resilience, productivity, and multifunctionality. This Special Issue aims to provide an integrative overview of current advances in silviculture, forest ecology, and forest management with a particular focus on tree adaptation, efficient resource use, and sustainable provision of ecosystem services under changing conditions.

We invite contributions that link empirical research, modelling approaches, and practical management experiences across different forest types and regions. Both original research articles and reviews addressing the design, implementation, and evaluation of silvicultural systems and management strategies are welcome. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to support evidence-based decision-making and promote adaptive forest management in the context of global change.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative silvicultural systems and stand treatments;
  • Forest management for resilience, stability, and multifunctionality;
  • Tree adaptation, assisted migration, and genetic resources;
  • Resource use efficiency (water, nutrients, light) and productivity;
  • Impacts of climate change and disturbances on forest dynamics;
  • Decision-support tools and modelling for adaptive forest management.

Dr. Jakub Černý
Dr. Zdeněk Vacek
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 resilience
  • adaptive forest management
  • thinning
  • forest regeneration
  • forest structure
  • mixed stands
  • forest productivity
  • carbon sequestration
  • drought stress
  • forest biodiversity

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 11356 KB  
Article
Structural Dynamics and Disturbance Regime in an Old-Growth Oak–Beech Forest: Integrating Long-Term Observations, Dendroecology and Canopy Gap Analysis
by Stjepan Mikac, Domagoj Trlin, Marko Orešković, Laura Miketin, Karla Agičić and Igor Anić
Forests 2026, 17(5), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17050522 (registering DOI) - 24 Apr 2026
Viewed by 77
Abstract
The Muški bunar old-growth forest on Mount Psunj represents one of the rare preserved mixed ecosystems of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Southeastern Europe, providing an important reference for understanding natural forest dynamics. [...] Read more.
The Muški bunar old-growth forest on Mount Psunj represents one of the rare preserved mixed ecosystems of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Southeastern Europe, providing an important reference for understanding natural forest dynamics. This study aimed to analyse stand structure, age distribution, growth dynamics, and disturbance regime based on repeated field surveys conducted in 1979 and 2021. The results revealed pronounced structural heterogeneity and clear interspecific differences. European beech dominates smaller- and medium-diameter classes, as well as a wider range of age classes, whereas sessile oak is primarily present in older and larger diameter classes. A very high growing stock (1155.81 m3 ha−1) indicates exceptional stand productivity, with maximum cambial ages of 295 years for oak and 253 years for beech. Basal area increment analysis showed that both species maintain substantial growth at advanced ages. However, recent decades show divergence, with increasing growth in beech and stagnation or decline in oak. Importantly, growth releases in sessile oak were not accompanied by successful regeneration, indicating a decoupling between growth response and recruitment. Stand dynamics are mainly driven by low-intensity disturbances. These findings highlight the importance of old-growth forests as reference systems and improve understanding of species-specific responses to disturbance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies)
22 pages, 2090 KB  
Article
Variability of Structure, Volume, Carbon Sequestration, and Growth–Climate Responses of Fir, Yew, Spruce, Pine and Larch Under Global Climate Change
by Michal Bledý, Stanislav Vacek, Zdeněk Vacek, Jakub Černý, Jan Cukor, Karol Tomczak, Václav Trojan, Jan Budínský, Anna Plačková and Vojtěch Hájek
Forests 2026, 17(4), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17040422 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 544
Abstract
Global climate change is reshaping Central European conifer forests, affecting growth and ecosystem dynamics. At the same time, tree species differ in their productivity and responses to climatic conditions. Across mid-elevation monocultures of European yew (Taxus baccata L.), Norway spruce (Picea [...] Read more.
Global climate change is reshaping Central European conifer forests, affecting growth and ecosystem dynamics. At the same time, tree species differ in their productivity and responses to climatic conditions. Across mid-elevation monocultures of European yew (Taxus baccata L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), we quantified stand structure, volume, biomass carbon sequestration, and growth–climate responses (1971–2023). Silver fir reached the highest stand volume (711 m3 ha−1), with lower productivity in pine (−17.0%), larch (−22.9%), spruce (−26.0%), and yew (−70.6%). In contrast, larch maximised biomass carbon sequestration (267.7 t ha−1), whereas yew had the lowest value (87.7 t ha−1), but the greatest stand diversity (except high differentiation), while pine showed the lowest diversity. Radial growth was most constrained by warm Junes and dry Julys; an early-season multi-month drought compounded by heat further suppressed radial increments, and severe winter frosts added stress. Among the studied species, spruce was the most climate-sensitive, whereas fir and pine showed comparatively more resilience. From a practical forestry perspective, promoting structurally diverse stands with high production potential and prioritising climate-resilient tree species, especially fir, can help sustain production and stability at mid elevations under climate warming. Our results provide species-specific benchmarks for adaptive silviculture and identify the seasonal windows when growth is most vulnerable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies)
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21 pages, 4617 KB  
Article
Study on the Correlation Between FTIR Spectral Characteristics and Leaf Contents in Male and Female Plants of Idesia polycarpa
by Yigeng Zhu, Wenwen Zhong, Chen Chen, Zuwei Hu, Shasha Wang, Hanjian Hu, Yanhan Zhou, Tailin Zhong and Zhi Li
Forests 2026, 17(3), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17030387 - 20 Mar 2026
Viewed by 241
Abstract
Idesia polycarpa Maxim. is an important woody oilseed species and is dioecious; however, systematic evidence for sex-specific differences in leaf physico-chemical traits and their spectral responses remains limited. In this study, mature female and male trees were investigated. Leaves were sampled throughout the [...] Read more.
Idesia polycarpa Maxim. is an important woody oilseed species and is dioecious; however, systematic evidence for sex-specific differences in leaf physico-chemical traits and their spectral responses remains limited. In this study, mature female and male trees were investigated. Leaves were sampled throughout the growing season (May–October), and FTIR-ATR spectra were acquired to derive peak height and peak area metrics for diagnostic bands. In parallel, leaf antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX), biomass-related traits, leaf nutrient concentrations, and rhizosphere soil nutrient indices were measured. Differences between sexes, seasonal dynamics, and spectrum–trait coupling were evaluated using repeated-measures analysis and correlation analyses. The results showed that the positions of major absorption bands were largely consistent between sexes, indicating broadly similar chemical composition, whereas the male plants lacked an obvious band near 1671 cm−1 in May. Several spectral peak parameters were significantly correlated with leaf pH, leaf dry matter content, total phosphorus, and APX activity. Female and male plants exhibited month-dependent differences in enzyme activities, dry matter content, and leaf N and K, and leaf–soil nutrient linkages were also detected, suggesting sex-specific resource allocation patterns. Overall, FTIR-ATR peak metrics provide a rapid means to characterize seasonal variation in leaf physico-chemical properties of I. polycarpa and offer supporting evidence for studies of sexual dimorphism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies)
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19 pages, 2752 KB  
Article
Ecological, Economic, and Social Sustainability of the Puspa and Cardamom Agroforestry System in Gunung Walat Educational Forest (HPGW), Indonesia
by Omo Rusdiana, Rayhan Sulthan Nainawa, Nina Mindawati and Yayat Hidayat
Forests 2026, 17(2), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17020220 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 414
Abstract
This study aims to assess the sustainability of an agroforestry system integrating Schima wallichii (puspa) and Amomum cardamomum (cardamom) within the Gunung Walat Educational Forest—IPB University Educational Forest (HPGW), Indonesia, by applying the RAP-AFS (Rapid Appraisal Technique for Evaluating Agroforestry Sustainability) approach. The [...] Read more.
This study aims to assess the sustainability of an agroforestry system integrating Schima wallichii (puspa) and Amomum cardamomum (cardamom) within the Gunung Walat Educational Forest—IPB University Educational Forest (HPGW), Indonesia, by applying the RAP-AFS (Rapid Appraisal Technique for Evaluating Agroforestry Sustainability) approach. The assessment was conducted across four key dimensions: ecological, economic, social, and institutional. The findings suggest that the overall sustainability of the agroforestry system in HPGW is moderately good, with a sustainability index value of 55.94. The social and ecological dimensions performed particularly well, scoring 67.51 and 61.43, respectively. The economic dimension achieved an index score of 55.45, although price fluctuations and reliance on middlemen continue to pose challenges. Meanwhile, the institutional dimension showed the lowest performance, with an index value of 39.37, underscoring the need to enhance institutional support, capacity building, and extension services to strengthen sustainability. In light of these findings, it is recommended to prioritize strengthening institutional frameworks, stabilizing market prices, and expanding soil conservation practices, alongside promoting greater social participation, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agroforestry system in this region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies)
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