Woody Plant Ecophysiology, Morphology, and Functional Diversity Across Tropical Forest Ecosystems
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 343
Special Issue Editor
Interests: wood anatomy; tree physiology; tree growth; xylogenesis; mistletoe control; tropical biology; angiosperms; hydraulic architecture
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Tropical forests are centers for biodiversity, harboring a rich variety of woody plant species. Over the years, researchers have investigated the ecophysiology, morphology, and functional diversity of these plants to understand their roles in maintaining the health and stability of the ecosystem. Early studies focused on individual species, exploring their physiological adaptations to environmental conditions and their contributions to ecosystem processes. As research progressed, a more holistic approach emerged, emphasizing the functional diversity of plant communities and their interactions within tropical forest ecosystems.
The Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the ecophysiology, morphology, and functional diversity of woody plants in tropical forest ecosystems. It seeks to integrate findings from various disciplines, including ecology, botany, and physiology, to offer a deeper understanding of these complex systems. The scope of the Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- The ecophysiological adaptations of woody plants to tropical environments.
- The morphological variations among different species and their ecological implications.
- The functional diversity of plant communities and its influence on ecosystem processes.
- Climate change and human activities impact woody plant populations and ecosystems.
The Special Issue welcomes submitting high-quality papers presenting cutting-edge research on the ecophysiology, morphology, and functional diversity of woody plants in tropical forests. The scope of this Special Issue includes the following topics:
- Innovative Methodologies: Papers that describe new or improved methodologies for studying ecophysiology, morphology, and functional diversity of woody plants. These could include advances in remote sensing, genomics, or ecological modeling.
- Comparative Studies: Comparative analyses of woody plant species across different tropical forest ecosystems, highlighting variations in ecophysiological traits, morphological features, and functional roles.
- Ecosystem Processes: Studies that investigate how woody plant functional diversity influences ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and water balance.
- Climate Change Impacts: Research on the impacts of climate change on woody plant populations, including shifts in species distributions, changes in phenology, and alterations in ecophysiological traits.
- Conservation and Management: Papers that discuss strategies for conserving and managing tropical forest ecosystems, with a focus on maintaining woody plant diversity and ecosystem functions.
In summary, this Special Issue, entitled "Woody Plant Ecophysiology, Morphology, and Functional Diversity Across Tropical Forest Ecosystems", aims to showcase the latest research in this field, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing our understanding of tropical forest ecosystems. By soliciting a diverse range of papers, the Special Issue seeks to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and identify future research directions.
Dr. Guillermo Angeles
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 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
- wood anatomy
- ecophysiology
- functional diversity
- tropical forests
- climate change
- ecosystem processes
- conservation and management
- hydraulic architecture
- liana and shrub ecology
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