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Forest Management for High-Quality Timber: Linking Silviculture, Wood Quality, and...
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Forest Management for High-Quality Timber: Linking Silviculture, Wood Quality, and End-Use Value

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1040

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tomasz Jelonek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego Str. 71 A, 60-625 Poznan, Poland
Interests: forest science; wood science; wood biology; tree biomechanics; forest utilisation; wood quality; wood structure; ergonomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bartłomiej Naskrent

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: forest machines; timber harvesting; timber extraction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wood is one of the most important renewable raw materials in the bioeconomy. However, despite its renewable character, high-quality timber is increasingly becoming a scarce resource due to rising global demand, changing environmental conditions, and inconsistent or suboptimal forest management practices. The value of wood is determined not only by its volume but—critically—by its quality and suitability for specific end uses. In this context, optimizing both the production and end-use potential of timber has become a central challenge for modern forestry and wood-based industries.

This Special Issue of Forests aims to explore how forest management and climate change interact to influence wood formation, anatomical and technological properties, and the overall value of timber. We welcome research that examines the effects of silvicultural practices, site conditions, species selection, and stand dynamics on wood quality, as well as studies that link these factors to downstream utilization in construction, engineered wood products, and other applications.

We especially encourage submissions that address the following topics:

  • The influence of climate change on timber production potential and changes in wood quality, including adaptive management strategies;
  • The role of environmental stressors and climate variability in xylem development and wood property formation;
  • Technological and anatomical analyses of wood from disturbed, drought-affected, or rapidly changing forest systems;
  • The development of forest management systems that enhance timber value while ensuring ecological sustainability.

This Special Issue aims to advance an integrated scientific understanding of how forest management practices and climate change jointly affect wood formation, quality traits, and end-use potential. By emphasizing evidence-based approaches, it seeks to support the development of sustainable, value-oriented forest production systems that are resilient to environmental change.

Prof. Dr. Tomasz Jelonek
Guest Editor

Dr. Bartłomiej Naskrent
Guest Editor Assistant

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.

Keywords

  • wood quality
  • forest management
  • climate change
  • silvicultural practices
  • wood value
  • end-use performance
  • xylem development
  • timber utilization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1975 KB  
Article
Omorika Spruce as a Potential Substitute for Norway Spruce and Blue Spruce in Post-Pollution Reforestation for Industrial Use
by Aleš Zeidler, Václav Trojan, Stanislav Vacek, Zdeněk Vacek, Karol Tomczak, Jan Cukor, Urszula Strugarek, Vlastimil Borůvka, Arkadiusz Tomczak, Josef Gallo and Pavel Brabec
Forests 2026, 17(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010109 - 13 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) plays a key role in European forestry as well as in the wood-processing industry. Identifying suitable alternative species has become increasingly important. In this study, we compared several spruce species originating from two sites in the [...] Read more.
Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) plays a key role in European forestry as well as in the wood-processing industry. Identifying suitable alternative species has become increasingly important. In this study, we compared several spruce species originating from two sites in the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory, 483–883 m a.s.l.), an area severely affected by an extensive air-pollution disaster (high SO2 concentrations) during the 1970s and 1980s. Norway spruce, Serbian spruce (Picea omorika [Panč.] Purk.) and blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) were evaluated in terms of production potential, carbon sequestration relevant to climate-change mitigation, and selected physical wood properties (wood density and shrinkage). The greatest stem volume and corresponding carbon sequestration were recorded for P. omorika (0.191 m3; 75.5 kg), followed by P. abies (0.142 m3; 49.0 kg), while P. pungens showed significantly (p < 0,05) lower values (0.069 m3; 30.6 kg). In terms of wood properties, the highest wood-density values were obtained for P. omorika, together with P. abies, at both sites. P. pungens exhibited lower wood densities. In terms of shrinkage, the species displayed similar values. Overall, our results indicate that P. omorika is comparable to P. abies, and its wood could therefore serve as a suitable substitute for certain applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management for High-Quality Timber: Linking Silviculture, Wood Quality, and End-Use Value)
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20 pages, 7919 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Compression Wood Incidence Under Different Thinning Regimes in Late Rotation of Pinus taeda
by Carla Padilla, Fernando Resquin, Cecilia Rachid-Casnati and Andrés Hirigoyen
Forests 2025, 16(12), 1766; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16121766 - 24 Nov 2025
Viewed by 553
Abstract
Compression wood (CW) negatively affects the industrial quality of Pinus taeda by causing distortion in sawn boards and is visually characterized by a darker reddish colour. Thinning is considered a key factor influencing its formation, but the reported effects have been [...] Read more.
Compression wood (CW) negatively affects the industrial quality of Pinus taeda by causing distortion in sawn boards and is visually characterized by a darker reddish colour. Thinning is considered a key factor influencing its formation, but the reported effects have been inconsistent. This study evaluated CW incidence at final rotation under five thinning regimes: 500-200, 500-325, 800-600-400, 700-450, and 1000-650 trees.ha−1. The defect was assessed on log ends, basal discs, and sawn boards. Although overall CW severity was low, regimes differed significantly. The 500-325 trees.ha−1 regime showed the highest stain and board defects, while the 500-200 trees.ha−1 regime of similar intensity had lower values, indicating that intensity alone does not explain the occurrence of defects. After thinning, CW in growth rings increased and was positively associated with ring width and negatively with stand density index, indicating that reduced competition and accelerated radial growth are linked to higher formation levels. Visible CW staining on log ends was moderately correlated with board defects, indicating its potential as a practical, low-cost indicator of log quality. Thinning affects compression wood through its impact on growth and stand structure. In addition to intensity, timing and the effect of the wind must also be considered. Moderately intensive regimes help minimize defects, although their practical adoption may be limited by commercial priorities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management for High-Quality Timber: Linking Silviculture, Wood Quality, and End-Use Value)
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