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Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive...
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Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive Mechanisms Under Climate Change

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 2592

Editors

Dr. Yang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Jiyang, Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji 311800, China
2. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Interests: tree physiological ecology; nitrogen deposition; salt stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jinling Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry (School of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Rural Revitalization), Hainan University, Danzhou 571737, China
Interests: plant ecology; plant physiology; photosynthesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural tree species with economic value, especially economically valuable horticultural and woody species (e.g., fruit, ornamental, nursery trees), are not only important for horticultural industry development but also pivotal ecosystem engineers mitigating climate change impacts. With the intensification of climate change, under various abiotic stresses—drought, heatwaves, nitrogen deposition, soil acidification/salinization—these trees activate integrated adaptive responses, including the following: maintaining elemental stoichiometry, reshaping soil microbiomes, altering morphology, modulating photochemistry, accumulating osmolytes/secondary metabolites, and deploying signaling molecules (e.g., nitric oxide). This Special Issue synthesizes mechanistic insights through the following multidisciplinary approaches: controlled molecular studies (short-term signaling dynamics) and field experiments (long-term ecological monitoring) across diverse species. We welcome original research, reviews, and methodological advances exploring physiological, omics, or smart forestry innovations to advance climate-resilient cultivation, sustainable production, and ecosystem conservation.

Dr. Yang Liu
Guest Editor

Dr. Jinling Zhang
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae 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 2400 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

  • abiotic stress responses
  • signaling molecules
  • integrated experimental approaches
  • horticultural and woody species
  • climate resilience

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3743 KB  
Article
Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea
by Hui An, Hongshun Wu, Lin Yu, Zichen Lu, Wenzhi Zhu, Youchao Xin and Xiaodong Li
Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844 - 10 Jul 2026
Viewed by 573
Abstract
Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are transcription factors specific to plants that serve critical functions in various aspects of plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stressors. Despite the significance of these factors, the specific mechanisms by which mulberry ERFs interact with and respond [...] Read more.
Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are transcription factors specific to plants that serve critical functions in various aspects of plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stressors. Despite the significance of these factors, the specific mechanisms by which mulberry ERFs interact with and respond to the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea have not yet been fully elucidated. This study focuses on the isolation of a particular ERF transcription factor, known as MnERF/ABR1, which is localized in the cell nucleus and is derived from mulberry. Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 in Arabidopsis or transient overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 in mulberry leaves can significantly enhance its resistance to B. cinerea. Our results suggest that empty vector control (CK) has higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, compared to overexpression lines. In contrast, the catalase (CAT) activity of overexpression lines was higher than that of CK plants. Furthermore, staining with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) indicated that the resistance to B. cinerea was more pronounced in plants with overexpression than in those of the CK plants. These findings uncovered the molecular regulatory pathway involving MnERF/ABR1 in response to B. cinerea and established a basis for the development of disease-resistant mulberry varieties through genome editing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive Mechanisms Under Climate Change)
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23 pages, 25043 KB  
Article
Interactive Effects of Light Intensity and Temperature on Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Leaf Ultrastructure in the Precious Water Lily Nymphaea hybrid
by Qi Zhou, Peng Tang, Tao Huang, Huihui Zhang, Xiaodong Yang, Yuxi Wang and Haiyue Ye
Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070815 - 2 Jul 2026
Viewed by 636
Abstract
The precious aquatic plant Nymphaea hybrid, is valued for its ornamental and economic importance but is highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations. However, the interactive effects of light and temperature, two critical abiotic factors, on its photosynthetic performance and underlying structural basis remain [...] Read more.
The precious aquatic plant Nymphaea hybrid, is valued for its ornamental and economic importance but is highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations. However, the interactive effects of light and temperature, two critical abiotic factors, on its photosynthetic performance and underlying structural basis remain poorly understood. In this paper, we conducted a two-factorial experiment in which N. hybrid plants were exposed to five light–temperature regimes for 9 days: control (T0, 800 μmol·m−2·s−1 + 25/20 °C); low light–low temperature—LLLT (T1, 200 μmol·m−2·s−1 + 15/10 °C); low light–high temperature—LLHT (T2, 200 μmol·m−2·s−1 + 35/30 °C); high light–low temperature—HLLT (T3, 1400 μmol·m−2·s−1 + 15/10 °C); and high light–high temperature—HLHT (T4, 1400 μmol·m−2·s−1 + 35/30 °C). We systematically investigated changes in photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf ultrastructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that: The HLLT treatment (T3) inflicted the most severe damage, triggering a rapid decline in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), maximal photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and chlorophyll content, coupled with a significant increase in intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Ultrastructurally, T3 caused stomatal closure, disintegration of thylakoid membranes, and accumulation of large osmophilic granules, indicating severe photo-oxidative stress. In contrast, the LLHT treatment (T2) demonstrated remarkable resilience, with physiological and structural parameters closely resembling the control. The HLHT treatment (T4) caused intermediate damage, primarily through non-stomatal limitations over time. Our findings demonstrate a significant light–temperature interaction in N. hybrid. The thermophilic nature of N. hybrid was evident: high temperature mitigated the negative effects of low light, whereas low temperature, especially in combination with high light, acted synergistically to cause catastrophic damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of N. hybrid’s environmental adaptability, offering critical insights for its cultivation management under changing climate conditions, especially in high altitude and high latitude areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive Mechanisms Under Climate Change)
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14 pages, 755 KB  
Article
Soil Chemistry and Stoichiometric Responses of Male and Female Torreya grandis to Nitrogen Deposition Under Salt Stress
by Mengdie Zhang, Haochen Zhang, Mengting Yuan, Songheng Jin and Yang Liu
Horticulturae 2026, 12(6), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12060723 - 12 Jun 2026
Viewed by 838
Abstract
Increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and soil salinization commonly co-occur in subtropical economic forests, and responses to these stressors differ between sexes in dioecious plants. In this study, we explored soil chemical and stoichiometric responses of male and female Torreya grandis to N [...] Read more.
Increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and soil salinization commonly co-occur in subtropical economic forests, and responses to these stressors differ between sexes in dioecious plants. In this study, we explored soil chemical and stoichiometric responses of male and female Torreya grandis to N deposition under salt stress by adopting a two-factor completely randomized design. The two factors were (1) plant sex (2-year-old grafted male and female seedlings of T. grandis) and (2) environmental treatment (four nitrogen deposition levels: low, moderate, and high N combined with salt stress, as well as a control without salt addition). We then determined the rhizosphere C, N, P, Ca, K, and Mg concentrations and their stoichiometric ratios. The results showed that all indicators were significantly affected by sex, nitrogen treatment and their interaction (p < 0.0001). Males maintained significantly higher soil C and N levels than females across all treatments, with female soil N and C contents being 5.74–25.72% and 10.78–23.64% lower than those of males, respectively, and exhibiting far more stable stoichiometry. Moderate nitrogen deposition (SMN) increased male C:N, C:P and N:P ratios by 38.76%, 59.75% and 13.84%, distinctly lower than the 85.89%, 98.20% and 16.04% increments in females. In contrast, females had higher Mg content under all salt–nitrogen-combined treatments and greater stoichiometric plasticity, showing a 37.55% higher C:N ratio than males under low nitrogen addition (SLN). Moderate N relieved salt-induced nutrient limitation and alleviated salt-induced P immobilization, while excessive N (SHN) exacerbated stoichiometric imbalance: SHN elevated the N:P ratio by 109.73% in males and only 69.59% in females, narrowing the sexual difference in C:N ratio to 10.92% and triggering severe phosphorus limitation in male rhizosphere soil. Soil–leaf nutrient relationships and correlations differed greatly between sexes, indicating divergent nutrient adaptation strategies. Males adopted a Ca-dominated stress tolerance strategy, and females depended on Mg homeostasis for reproduction. This work provides a scientific basis for sex-specific nutrient regulation and sustainable cultivation of T. grandis under global change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive Mechanisms Under Climate Change)
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