The Effects of Species Invasions and Dispersal on Forest Communities

Dear Colleagues,

Non-native plants invade boreal, tropical, and temperate forests and severely impact native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Exotics may modify soil fungal and bacterial communities, decrease species richness, affect soil properties and nutrient cycling, change socio-cultural and economic activities, and harm human health.

Many of the invasive species have exceeded the period of early detection for an effective eradication. Efficient and sustainable management is necessary to preserve biodiversity and, in the worst cases, to coexist with the exotic species. Management decisions based on environmental, economic, and social impacts need to distinguish between invasive species and their effects. These effects may have lasting legacies on the forest community composition and forest ecosystem function.

To contribute to this Special Issue of Forests, we encourage studies from all fields related to forest invasions, but especially those which attempt to report the ecophysiology of invasive species, soil or structural legacies, and possible controls in order to promote knowledge and improve effective control and restoration strategies. Invasive species will be considered in plants, animals, and micro-organisms and their relationships. Original works and reviews are both welcome.

Prof. Dr. Luís González
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 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.