Responses and Adaptation of Trees to Environmental Stress

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 626

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
MED–Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE–Global Change and Sustainability Institute, IIFA–Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
Interests: ecology and conservation; forest science; tree ecophysiology; close-to-nature silviculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Forest Research Center (CEF), University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: climate change; plant ecophysiology; tree physiology; cork oak woodlands; shrub encroachment; drought; extreme events; water relations

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MED, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE–Global Change and Sustainability Institute, IIFA–Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
Interests: plant ecology; plant physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Trees are subject to a variety of environmental stresses, including drought, extreme temperatures, pollution, wildfires, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, and so on. To survive these challenges, they employ a range of structural, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. However, with the intensifying effects of climate change, trees may reach the limits of their resilience, becoming more vulnerable to additional stressors like pests, diseases, and a heightened risk of wildfires. Indeed, widespread forest die-off events have been documented across the globe for decades, compromising these ecosystems and the services they provide. In this context, understanding how trees respond and adapt to environmental stress is crucial. Beyond advancing fundamental knowledge, this understanding can lead to the development of tools for proactive management, helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change. For instance, it could guide the elaboration of new species distribution maps, enhance strategies for carbon sequestration, and improve the management of both natural and production forests. Thus, this Special Issue aims to present selected contributions on the latest advances in understanding the responses and adaptations of trees to environmental stress.

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

  • Natural and production forests;
  • Field and controlled conditions;
  • Laboratory experiments (molecular, cell or organ level);
  • Field approach (plant to ecosystem level).

Dr. Constança Camilo Alves
Dr. Raquel Lobo-do-Vale
Dr. Margarida Vaz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • tree ecosystem
  • climate change
  • abiotic stress
  • molecular and genetic mechanisms
  • tree structure and function
  • functional ecology
  • remote sensing and models

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

33 pages, 42480 KiB  
Article
Wood Anatomy Properties and Global Climate Change Constraints of Forest Species from the Natural Forest of Mozambique
by Eugénia Joaquim-Meque, José Louzada, Francisco Tarcísio Moraes Mady, Valquíria Clara Freire de Souza, Margarida L. R. Liberato and Teresa Fidalgo Fonseca
Forests 2025, 16(6), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16061018 - 17 Jun 2025
Viewed by 306
Abstract
Mozambique’s natural forests are increasingly affected by climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable exploitation, threatening both biodiversity and rural livelihoods. This study examines the wood anatomical characteristics of five commercially important tree species—Spirostachys africana Sond., Afzelia quanzensis Welw., Millettia stuhlmannii Taub., Pterocarpus angolensis [...] Read more.
Mozambique’s natural forests are increasingly affected by climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable exploitation, threatening both biodiversity and rural livelihoods. This study examines the wood anatomical characteristics of five commercially important tree species—Spirostachys africana Sond., Afzelia quanzensis Welw., Millettia stuhlmannii Taub., Pterocarpus angolensis DC., and Colophospermum mopane (J. Kirk ex Benth.) J. Léonard—to assess their vulnerability to drought, cyclones, and floods. The aim is to enhance current knowledge regarding their wood anatomy and to clarify how these anatomical traits could help to identify species most vulnerable to climate extremes. Wood samples were collected from native forests and analyzed in laboratories in Brazil and Portugal using standardized anatomical methods according to IAWA guidelines. The results show that Afzelia quanzensis, Millettia stuhlmannii, Pterocarpus angolensis, and Colophospermum mopane have solitary vessels with vestured pits and thick-walled fibers, which improve hydraulic conductivity and drought resistance. Colophospermum mopane shows the greatest anatomical adaptation to climatic stressors. By contrast, Spirostachys africana has narrow, grouped vessels and thin walls, indicating higher susceptibility to embolism and limited resilience. Cyclone resistance is associated with higher wood density and parenchyma abundance, which enhance mechanical stability and recovery. Flood resilience, however, appears to depend more on leaf and root adaptations than on wood anatomy alone. These findings highlight the role of wood structure in climate adaptability and underline the urgency of integrating anatomical data into forest management strategies to support the conservation and sustainable use of Mozambique’s forest resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptation of Trees to Environmental Stress)
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