Physiological Responses and Functional Traits of Woody Plants Under Drought and Heat Stresses
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 February 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Rosemary: New Insights into Phenolics, Terpenes, and Antioxidants of Mediterranean Cultivars
Interests: arboriculture and urban forestry; tree physiology; urban agriculture; fruit quality; artificial lightining disturbances
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Characterized by increased water scarcity, drought frequency, and rising temperatures, climate change alters the physiological performance of trees, with profound impacts on both natural and urban ecosystems. Drought and heat stress can impair tree growth, trigger crown defoliation, and eventually result in tree mortality. Crucial factors that enable the survival of woody plants in a challenging environment include soil-to-root conductance, the resistance of water transport to xylem embolism formation, dehydration tolerance, cuticular water losses, and the availability of carbon pools. While some tree species are weakened by environmental stress, others with greater adaptive capacity can thrive, leading to a shift in species composition over time.
This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that explore the physiological, biochemical and morphological characteristics that confer tolerance or, by contrast, vulnerability to heat and drought stress conditions in woody species. Its scope encompasses both pot experiments conducted in controlled and semi-controlled environments and field studies carried out in natural and urban forests.
This Special Issue accepts the following article types: Research articles; Review articles; Mini-review articles; Perspective articles; Opinion articles.
Dr. Alderotti Alderotti
Dr. Ermes Lo Piccolo
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
- heat stress
- drought
- woody species
- tree mortality
- forests
- urban environment
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