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Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition
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Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 2611

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xuhua Du

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Guest Editor
China National Bamboo Research Center, Hangzhou 310012, China
Interests: physiological ecology of bamboo forest; ecological restoration of bamboo forest; structure and function of bamboo forest; bamboo-based agroforestry; forest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ziwu Guo

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Guest Editor
Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 31400, China
Interests: bamboo ecology and cultivation; bamboo clonality and its ecological effect; bamboo-based agroforestry; stand degradation and ecological restoration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaoping Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
China National Bamboo Research Center, Hangzhou 310012, China
Interests: soil organic carbon; microbial community; bamboo; metagenomics; endophyte
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bamboo is widely considered to be one of the most useful species in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world; this plant has a unique underground rooting system and rapid regeneration and reproduction rate, and its biological characteristics are clearly different from crops and trees. Bamboo plays an important role in rural societies and their economies, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and other aspects. Against the backdrop of increasing attention to the global environment and sharp decline in forest resources, bamboo plays an increasingly important role in ecological environment construction and the sustainable development of forestry due to its integrated ecological, social, and economic benefits. Studies have shown that climate change, environmental pollution, and biological or abiotic stress can affect plant ecology, but this has not yet been well documented in bamboos.

This Special Issue aims to address how bamboo responds to climate change, environmental pollution, and biological or abiotic stress, and will also include articles that address strategies to enhance the ecological function of bamboo plants.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • The effects of environmental changes on bamboo ecology;
  • The physiological ecology of mixed-management bamboo and non-bamboo forests;
  • Bamboo resources and water and fertilizer use for the high-quality cultivation of bamboo forests;
  • Nutrient cycling and biogeochemistry in bamboo ecosystems;
  • Bamboo–soil interactions;
  • How to increase soil carbon storage in bamboo plantation ecosystems;
  • Bamboo microbiome.

Dr. Xuhua Du
Prof. Dr. Ziwu Guo
Dr. Xiaoping Zhang
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 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

  • bamboo
  • biogeochemical cycling
  • physiological ecology
  • plant microbiome
  • bamboo-based agroforestry
  • omics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 6886 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen Peroxide Bleaching Induces a Dual Enhancement of Liquid Permeability and Fungal Resistance in Bamboo Through Microstructural Engineering
by Dandan Xu, Sheng He, Weiqi Leng, Yuhe Chen and Haiyang Quan
Forests 2025, 16(6), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16060964 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 289
Abstract
Bamboo, as a sustainable and renewable biomass resource, possesses significant application prospects along with underutilized potential. However, challenges such as mildew infestation, insect damage, and discoloration during processing and utilization negatively impact its service life and economic value. This study proposes a simplified [...] Read more.
Bamboo, as a sustainable and renewable biomass resource, possesses significant application prospects along with underutilized potential. However, challenges such as mildew infestation, insect damage, and discoloration during processing and utilization negatively impact its service life and economic value. This study proposes a simplified hydrogen peroxide bleaching method for bamboo processing, resulting in bleached materials with uniform coloration and improved mildew resistance. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of bleached bamboo showed significantly reduced starch and protein inclusions, expanded intercellular spacing, partial fiber detachment, and localized structural deformation in treated bamboo. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed substantial lignin degradation in hydrogen peroxide-treated samples. The color difference (ΔE) was measured at 13.65 between treated and untreated samples, confirming effective bleaching efficacy. The mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) analysis revealed enhanced porosity accompanied by diameter enlargement in treated bamboo. Antifungal assessments indicated that hydrogen peroxide bleaching delayed the onset of mold colonization and significantly enhanced the mildew resistance of bamboo substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 3219 KiB  
Article
Effects of Bamboo-Sourced Organic Fertilizer on the Soil Microbial Necromass Carbon and Its Contribution to Soil Organic Carbon in Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) Forest
by Zhiyuan Huang, Qiaoling Li, Fangyuan Bian, Zheke Zhong and Xiaoping Zhang
Forests 2025, 16(3), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030553 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) is crucial for soil carbon sequestration in bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests. However, the response of MNC to bamboo-sourced organic fertilizers (BSOF) prepared by composting bamboo plant growth-promoting microorganisms and bamboo residues remains unclear. This study [...] Read more.
Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) is crucial for soil carbon sequestration in bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests. However, the response of MNC to bamboo-sourced organic fertilizers (BSOF) prepared by composting bamboo plant growth-promoting microorganisms and bamboo residues remains unclear. This study examined MNC and its contribution to soil organic carbon (SOC) in Moso bamboo plantations under four BSOF treatments: control (CK, 0 t·hm−2), low fertilizer application (LF, 7.5 t·hm−2), medium fertilizer application (MF, 15 t·hm−2), and high fertilizer application (HF, 30 t·hm−2) across 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers. In these two layers, HF and MF significantly (p < 0.05) increased the total MNC, fungal necromass carbon (FNC), and their contributions to SOC compared to CK, and HF led to higher (p < 0.05) bacterial necromass carbon (BNC) levels and SOC contributions than LF and CK. Soil depth and BSOF treatment were found to interact significantly. A random forest model showed that in the 0–20 cm layer, SOC was the best predictor of total MNC and FNC, whereas available potassium was optimal for BNC. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N) was the top predictor for total MNC, BNC, and FNC in the 20–40 cm layer. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that available soil nutrients directly influenced BNC and FNC, affecting SOC accumulation. These findings suggest a new method for enhancing soil carbon sequestration in bamboo forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 2105 KiB  
Article
Combining Stand Diameter Distribution Quantified by the Weibull Function to Develop a Carbon Yield Model for Makino Bamboo (Phyllostachys makinoi Hayata)
by Yi-Hung Liu and Tian-Ming Yen
Forests 2025, 16(3), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030436 - 27 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 470
Abstract
Bamboo forests with high potential carbon storage have been found worldwide. Makino bamboo is critical, with a broad area of plantations distributed around Taiwan. This study established a thinning trial to monitor aboveground carbon storage (AGCS) and aimed to develop a carbon yield [...] Read more.
Bamboo forests with high potential carbon storage have been found worldwide. Makino bamboo is critical, with a broad area of plantations distributed around Taiwan. This study established a thinning trial to monitor aboveground carbon storage (AGCS) and aimed to develop a carbon yield model for this bamboo species based on the Weibull function. Four thinning treatments, each replicated four times, were applied in this study. We collected data in 2019 after thinning and in 2021. We used the allometric function to predict the AGCS and the Weibull function to quantify the diameter distribution for each record. The culm number (N) and the parameters of the Weibull function were employed as independent variables to develop the AGCS model. The results showed that using N as a variable had an 83.6% predictive capability (Radj2 = 0.836). When adding the parameters b and c of the Weibull function to the model, the predictive capability can improve to 93.9% (Radj2 = 0.939). This confirmed that adding the parameters of the Weibull function helped promote AGCS prediction for Makino bamboo. Moreover, the advantages of this model are that it not only shows AGCS but also displays the diameter distribution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 18372 KiB  
Article
New Landscape-Perspective Exploration of the Effects of Moso Bamboo On-Year and Off-Year Phenomena on Soil Moisture
by Wei Zhang, Jinglin Zhang, Tao Sun, Longwei Li, Nan Li and Lang Jiang
Forests 2025, 16(2), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020333 - 13 Feb 2025
Viewed by 602
Abstract
On-year and off-year phenomena are common in Moso bamboo forests and significantly affect economic value and ecological functions. However, observational evidence regarding the impact of these cycles on surface soil moisture (SSM) remains scarce, and little is known about the implications of their [...] Read more.
On-year and off-year phenomena are common in Moso bamboo forests and significantly affect economic value and ecological functions. However, observational evidence regarding the impact of these cycles on surface soil moisture (SSM) remains scarce, and little is known about the implications of their landscape patterns for regional water conservation. Here, we first quantified the spatial distribution and temperature vegetation drought index (TVDI) of on-year and off-year Moso bamboo forests based on remote sensing images and landscape metrics. We then analyzed the role of on-year and off-year phenomena and their landscape patterns on SSM. Results showed that: (1) the proposed index derived from remote sensing imagery extracted on-year and off-year Moso bamboo forests with satisfactory accuracy, and the areas were 161.4 km2 and 173.5 km2, respectively; (2) a significant disparity was observed in the TVDI between on-year and off-year Moso bamboo forests, and mismatched growth stages and phenological characteristics were identified as primary influencing factors; and the (3) landscape metrics of the perimeter–area ratio (PAR), proximity index (PROX), perimeter–area fractal dimension index (PAFRAC), connectance index (CONNECT), and aggregation index (AI) exhibited negative correlations with the TDVI, indicating that the high spatial connectivity of Moso bamboo forests enhances soil water conservation. Our findings suggested that on-year and off-year phenomena and their spatial distribution intensified the heterogeneity in SSM. Therefore, considerations regarding the connectivity and edge complexity within Moso bamboo forests should be prioritized in future management strategies to achieve a balance between economic benefits and ecological functions in water-deficient mountainous areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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17 pages, 628 KiB  
Review
Impacts of Intensive Management Practices on the Long-Term Sustainability of Soil and Water Conservation Functions in Bamboo Forests: A Mechanistic Review from Silvicultural Perspectives
by Jingxin Shen, Xianli Zeng, Shaohui Fan and Guanglu Liu
Forests 2025, 16(5), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16050787 - 8 May 2025
Viewed by 339
Abstract
Bamboo forest ecosystems are an important component of the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems and play an important role in addressing the global timber crisis as well as climate change. Bamboo is a typical shallow-rooted, fast-growing clonal plant species whose developed rhizome system and high [...] Read more.
Bamboo forest ecosystems are an important component of the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems and play an important role in addressing the global timber crisis as well as climate change. Bamboo is a typical shallow-rooted, fast-growing clonal plant species whose developed rhizome system and high canopy closure play an important role in soil and water conservation. The function of soil and water conservation services of bamboo forests can intuitively reflect the regional regulation of precipitation, the redistribution function of precipitation, and the function of soil fixation, which is one of the crucial ecological service functions in regional ecosystems. Bamboo forests are divided into monopodial bamboo forests, sympodial bamboo forests, and mixed bamboo forests, which are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical mountainous areas. The region’s variable climate, abundant precipitation, and high potential risk of soil erosion, in conjunction with the frequent operation of bamboo forests and frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, have the potential to adversely affect the ecosystem function of bamboo forests. Presently, bamboo forests are primarily managed through the cultivation of bamboo, with the objective of enhancing productivity. Extensive research has been conducted on the long-term maintenance of bamboo forest productivity. However, there is a paucity of research on the mechanisms of management measures for ecosystem stability and the development of adaptive management technology systems suitable for soil and water conservation, carbon sequestration and sink enhancement, and biodiversity conservation. This paper is predicated on the biological characteristics of bamboo and, thus, aims to compile the extant research progress on the following subjects: the role of rainfall redistribution in bamboo forest canopies, the role of deadfall interception, and the mechanism of soil fixation mechanics of the root system. It also synthesizes the current status of research on the impact of traditional management measures on the soil and water conservation function of bamboo forests. Finally, it discusses the problems of current research and the direction of future development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Research in Bamboo Forests: 2nd Edition)
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