Interplay of Human and Natural Disturbances on Pattern and Process in Forest Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Forests are a dominant global biome, providing vital ecosystem services, habitat, and economic value to people. However, they face threats from many agents of global change, like agricultural expansion, harvest and climate shifts. To manage forests effectively, it is imperative to understand the dynamics of their response to human and natural disturbances, over space and time. Features such as size and spatial distribution of living plants, dead woody biomass, and species composition and diversity, are among the key characteristics that define forest type. However, there remains many unsolved questions regarding species interactions, land clearance, competition, fire, climate and other processes that are known to influence the spatio-temporal patterning in forest systems worldwide. In this Special Issue, we seek to highlight and synthesize innovative new research on the interplay between pattern, process and disturbance on forest structure, stability and regeneration. Such advances will lay the foundation for improved forecasts and management of the effects of landscape disturbance and other drivers of global change on forest ecosystems. This knowledge is also crucial for informing debates on human use of global forests and its long-term ecological and social repercussions.

Prof. Dr. Barry W. Brook
Dr. Jessie Buettel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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