Forest Food Resources
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 251
Special Issue Editor
Interests: effect of forestry practices on biotic communities; fire ecology; disturbance ecology; forest food resources for wildlife (fruit and hard mast production); wetland ecology; restoration ecology; plant and animal ecology; exotic plant species invasions
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forests are the source of plant foods for a wide diversity of invertebrates and invertebrates, providing the foundation for complex food chains and biological diversity across much of the globe. In many regions, forest foods are also important to humans, and contribute to local economies. Foliage, flower nectar, pollen, and decomposing wood and leaf litter are consumed by invertebrates that are in turn eaten by reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Woody browse, nuts, and fleshy fruits are consumed by many species of birds and mammals that in turn become prey for raptors and other carnivores. Spatial and temporal variation in the availability of different forest foods can influence animal distribution and important life history traits, such as hibernation, migration, or the timing of recruitment. For example, fruit can be a critical resource for migratory birds in the fall, and for overwintering short-distance migrants or resident birds in winter when arthropods and other forest food sources are scarce. Similarly, acorn crop size can affect the survival and recruitment of rodents and other wildlife species. Forest disturbances that reduce canopy cover often promote the production of abundant young foliage, flowers, and fruits that attract pollinating and foliar arthropods and support many vertebrate species. Vertebrates are important seed dispersal agents for plants that produce fleshy fruits or nuts, thereby helping to sustain the forests they depend upon. Articles in this Special Issue will address the importance of forests in sustaining biological diversity by providing multiple food resources for vertebrates and invertebrates.
Dr. Cathryn Greenberg
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
- acorns
- arthropods
- browse
- fleshy fruit
- foliage
- hard mast
- non-timber forest products
- nuts
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