The Impact of Disturbances on Forest Restoration and Regeneration
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 1079
Special Issue Editors
Interests: forest ecology; industrial disturbances; wildfire; succession; restoration; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Natural disturbances (such as wildfires, storms, and pests) and human-induced disturbances (such as logging, oil and gas extraction, agriculture and other land-use conversions, and pollution) are generally seen as destructive to forest ecosystems, but they can also reset ecological succession, triggering processes that promote recovery and biodiversity. Effective forest restoration must therefore account for the type, frequency, and intensity of disturbances. Restoration spans a continuum from passive approaches—such as removing ongoing stressors and allowing natural regeneration—to active interventions, including planting, enrichment, invasive species control, and soil or hydrological rehabilitation. Managed disturbances, such as controlled burns or selective thinning, can mimic natural processes and guide successional trajectories. In many contexts, hybrid strategies that combine protection with targeted active measures are used to support natural regeneration, improve restoration outcomes, and reduce uncertainty. In practice, a hybrid approach is often used to improve the success rate of forest restoration. In addition, functional restoration promotes recovery of ecosystem processes and dynamics, often benefitting targeted species of interest (e.g., threatened or endangered), as opposed to ecological restoration, which prioritizes the recovery of an ecosystem to its original state.
This Special Issue aims to synthesize recent advances in research on forest disturbance, management, and restoration worldwide, and to provide practical guidance for future restoration efforts, including those that support natural regeneration. We welcome studies based on field observations and experimental designs, as well as review articles. Research articles can focus on post-disturbance forest regeneration dynamics and management interventions, exploring stand-scale forest management practices and their impacts on restoration parameters such as vegetation composition, stand structure, tree growth, or wildlife populations or uses. Articles can also address fundamental questions, such as effects on water uptake or regeneration physiology. We also welcome applied research, such as how restoration or regeneration measures affect economic benefits and timber quality.
Dr. Anna Dabros
Dr. Zdenka Křenová
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 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
- anthropogenic and natural disturbances
- climate change
- cumulative effects
- deforestation
- disturbance management
- forest ecosystems
- land conservation
- natural regeneration
- restoration
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