Functional and Phylogenetic Signals of Forest Tree Communities

Dear Colleagues,

In the last 20 years, an increased amount of studies have demonstrated how reduced numbers of genes, species and functional groups of organisms in forest ecosystems, may inexorably lead to a reduction in the efficiency of species consortiums to capture and manage biologically-essential resources (nutrients, water, light, etc.). From this point of view, the phylogenetic approach is attracting growing interest in forest ecology and conservation because it can be related to processes such as extinction, resistance, resilience, and even ecosystem functioning. However, despite the large number of studies, scientific proof of the added value of phylogenetic diversity for nature conservation remains weak. In particular, only limited information has been provided regarding the relationship between phylogenetic diversity of communities and species–species interactions. This Special Issue represents a summary of high-quality scientific papers focused on the relationships among phylogenetic and functional signals, and plant interactions useful to increase the knowledge of forest systems; their functioning, management, and conservation.

Dr. Andrea Coppi
Dr. Ilaria Colzi
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.