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The Effects of Stresses and Disturbances on Forest Trees: Ecosystem and Physiological Responses

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A Special Issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) belonging to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 5365

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Editors

Dr. Nenad Potočić

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Guest Editor

Division of Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
Interests: tree mineral nutrition; crown condition and foliar injury; biochemical stress indicators
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Dr. Mia Marušić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Division of Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
Interests: forest ecology; climate variability; tree ecophysiology; forest monitoring; soil nutrients; physiological responses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The physiological responses of forest trees, as well as the response of forest ecosystems to environmental changes, are complex and multifaceted. Understanding the impact of environmental change on forests through the individual and combined effects of environmental drivers is crucial for predicting forest vitality and resilience. We are looking for research dealing with various stress factors and disturbances impacting tree physiology and forest health, preferably as a part of complex interactions such as the following: combined heat and drought stress; hail, storms, and windbreaks; atmospheric deposition and climate change; and forest fires and erosion. Tree and forest ecosystem responses differ across environmental gradients. For instance, differing water availability and/or temperature conditions impact water transport, chemical defences, and the dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates to different degrees, accordingly affecting the overall tree vitality. Interactions with pests and pathogens further complicate the ecological dynamics within forest stands and ecosystems. We welcome submissions investigating forest tree responses and physiological response mechanisms based on data from controlled environments, field studies, and monitoring that use novel experimental and modelling approaches.

Dr. Nenad Potočić
Guest Editor

Dr. Mia Marušić
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

photosynthetic response
water use
nutritional balance
tree vitality and productivity

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4349 KB

Open AccessArticle

Atmospheric and Geogenic Controls of Rainwater and Stream-Water Chemistry in an Aleppo-Pine-Dominated Mediterranean Karst Catchment

by Lukrecija Butorac, Ivan Limić, Lucija Lovreškov, Maja Veršić Bratinčević, Goran Jelić and Tamara Jakovljević

Plants 2026, 15(17), 2611; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15172611 - 27 Aug 2026

Viewed by 336

Abstract

This study investigated the hydrochemical linkage between rainwater and stream water in an Aleppo pine-dominated Mediterranean karst catchment in Croatia during 2020–2022, focusing on ion sources, seasonal patterns, and processes governing the transformation of atmospheric inputs into stream-water chemistry. Rainwater reflected mixed atmospheric inputs, with sea-salt fractions accounting for 94.8% of Cl⁻ and 97.9% of Mg²⁺, whereas 97.5% of Ca²⁺ and 79.2% of K⁺ originated from non-sea-salt sources. Stream water was substantially more alkaline and mineralised, with a higher pH (8.23 vs. 6.53), electrical conductivity (327 vs. 19.63 µS cm⁻¹) and Ca²⁺ concentrations (65.08 vs. 6.22 mg L⁻¹). These differences reflect carbonate weathering during subsurface flow, whereby the dissolution of calcite and dolomite releases Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, increases alkalinity and buffering capacity, and results in approximately tenfold-higher stream-water Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ concentrations. Seasonal variability was evident, with ion enrichment during low-flow conditions and dilution during wetter periods. Limited synchronous hydrochemical correspondence between rainwater and stream water indicates that atmospheric inputs are modified during catchment transport. Overall, atmospheric deposition provides the initial hydrochemical signal, whereas carbonate weathering, hydrological flow paths, and seasonal biogeochemical processes are the predominant controls on stream-water chemistry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Stresses and Disturbances on Forest Trees: Ecosystem and Physiological Responses)

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21 pages, 3932 KB

Open AccessArticle

Projected Climate Vulnerability of Salix babylonica in China: Implications for Climate-Adaptive Urban Forestry

by Chunlei Yue, Xiaodeng Shi and Shiming Cheng

Plants 2026, 15(15), 2269; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15152269 - 24 Jul 2026

Viewed by 337

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly reshaping the distribution and long-term persistence of urban greening tree species, yet national-scale assessments of widely planted species in China remain limited. Salix babylonica is one of the most representative and extensively planted urban greening trees in China, but its future climate vulnerability and redistribution patterns are still poorly understood. In this study, we integrated 425 occurrence records and 16 environmental variables to project the potential distribution of S. babylonica under current and future (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) climate scenarios across three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126, SSP370, and SSP585) using an optimized MaxEnt model. The optimized model demonstrated strong predictive performance and identified annual precipitation (≥309.64 mm), precipitation of the wettest month (≥82.01 mm), elevation (≤2251.24 m), mean temperature of the coldest quarter (≥−10.77 °C), annual mean temperature (≥3.94 °C), and minimum temperature of the coldest month (≥−19.11 °C) as the dominant environmental factors (threshold) constraining species distribution. Under the current climate, suitable habitats of S. babylonica are primarily distributed in East, Central, Southwest, and South China, with highly suitable habitats concentrated in the eastern and central plains. Under future climate scenarios, high suitability areas are projected to contract significantly and become progressively fragmented, with reductions ranging from 2.81% (2070s-SSP126) to 40.01% (2090s-SSP585), whereas medium and low suitability areas are projected to expand substantially, with increases ranging from 6.76% to 48.10%. The overall centroid of suitable habitats exhibits a consistent northward shift across scenarios. These results indicate that climate change will not simply expand the potential distribution of S. babylonica, but will reorganize habitat quality and increase long-term risks for its continued use in urban greening. Our findings provide a spatially explicit basis for climate-adaptive urban forestry planning and support risk-differentiated management, including the conservation of stable core areas, monitoring of declining risk zones, and cautious introduction trials in newly emerging suitable areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Stresses and Disturbances on Forest Trees: Ecosystem and Physiological Responses)

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17 pages, 1455 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Simulated Nitrogen Deposition on the Physiological and Growth Characteristics of Seedlings of Two Typical Subtropical Tree Species

by Zhenya Yang and Benzhi Zhou

Plants 2025, 14(14), 2153; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14142153 - 11 Jul 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1505

Abstract

Amid global environmental change, the intensification of nitrogen (N) deposition exerts critical impacts on the growth of forest vegetation and the structure and function of ecosystems in subtropical China. However, the physiological and growth response mechanisms of subtropical tree species remain poorly understood. This study explored adaptive mechanisms of typical subtropical tree species to N deposition, analyzing biomass accumulation, root plasticity, and nutrient/photosynthate allocation strategies. One-year-old potted seedlings of Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo) and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese fir) were subjected to four N-addition treatments (N0: 0, N1: 6 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹, N2: 12 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹, N3: 18 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹) for one year. In July and December, measurements were conducted on seedling organ biomass, root morphological and architectural traits, as well as nutrient elements (N and phosphorus(P)) and non-structural carbohydrate (soluble sugars and starch) contents in roots, stems, and leaves. Our results demonstrate that the Chinese fir exhibits stronger tolerance to N deposition and greater root morphological plasticity than moso bamboo. It adapts to N deposition by developing root systems with a higher finer root (diameter ≤ 0.2 mm) ratio, lower construction cost, greater branching intensity and angle, and architecture approaching dichotomous branching. Although N deposition promotes short-term biomass and N accumulation in both species, it reduces P and soluble sugars contents, leading to N/P imbalance and adverse effects on long-term growth. Under conditions of P and photosynthate scarcity, the Chinese fir preferentially allocates soluble sugars to leaves, while moso bamboo prioritizes P and soluble sugars to roots. In the first half of the growing season, moso bamboo allocates more biomass and N to aboveground parts, whereas in the second half, it allocates more biomass and P to roots to adapt to N deposition. This study reveals that Chinese fir enhances its tolerance to N deposition through the plasticity of root morphology and architecture, while moso bamboo exhibits dynamic resource allocation strategies. The research identifies highly adaptive root morphological and architectural patterns, demonstrating that optimizing the allocation of elements and photosynthates and avoiding elemental balance risks represent critical survival mechanisms for subtropical tree species under intensified N deposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Stresses and Disturbances on Forest Trees: Ecosystem and Physiological Responses)

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19 pages, 4035 KB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Short-Term and Prolonged (Multi-Year) Droughts on Tree Mortality at the Individual Tree and Stand Levels

by Goran Češljar, Zvonimir Baković, Ilija Đorđević, Saša Eremija, Aleksandar Lučić, Ivana Živanović and Bojan Konatar

Plants 2025, 14(13), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131904 - 20 Jun 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2179

Abstract

Droughts accompanied by high temperatures are becoming increasingly frequent across Europe and globally. Both individual trees and entire forest ecosystems are exposed to drought stress, with prolonged drought periods leading to increased tree mortality. Therefore, continuous monitoring, data collection, and analysis of tree mortality are essential prerequisites for understanding the complex interactions between climate and trees. This study examined the effects of short-term and prolonged (multi-year) droughts on the mortality of individual trees and forests in Serbia. The analysis was based on datasets from our previous research on the influence of drought and drought duration on individual tree mortality in Serbian forest ecosystems, supplemented with new data collected through the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). Additionally, we incorporated data from the public enterprise (PE) “Srbijašume”, which manages forests in Central Serbia, focusing on random yields resulting from natural disasters (droughts). These data enabled a comparative assessment of the findings on increased mortality and drought impact at both the individual tree level and the stand level. This study identifies key similarities and differences in tree mortality trends based on drought duration and examines their correlations within the same time frame (2004–2023). By analysing climatic conditions across Serbia, we provide evidence of the interaction between drought periods and increased forest mortality, which we further confirmed by calculating the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We also address the tree species that were most sensitive to the effects of drought. Our findings indicate that prolonged (multi-year) droughts, accompanied by high temperatures, have significantly contributed to increased tree mortality over the past decade. Successive multi-year droughts pose a substantial threat to both individual trees and entire forests, producing more severe and persistent responses compared to those caused by single-year droughts, which forests and individual trees are generally more capable of tolerating. Moreover, due to prolonged drought stress, trees weaken, leading to delayed mortality that may manifest several years after the initial drought event. The observed increase in tree mortality has been found to correlate with rising temperatures and the growing frequency of prolonged droughts over the past decade. Especially, intense droughts in the growing season (April–September) have a very negative impact on forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Stresses and Disturbances on Forest Trees: Ecosystem and Physiological Responses)

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