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Plants
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Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems
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Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 4742

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ravi Chaturvedi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: forest ecology; plant functional traits; carbon sequestration; water stress; climate change
Prof. Dr. Surendra Singh Bargali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263002, Uttarakhand, India
Interests: forest and grassland ecology; invasive biology; agroforestry; carbon sequestration; microbial biomass; fine root dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Arun Jyoti Nath

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar 788011, Assam, India
Interests: plant ecology; phytolith carbon sequestration; sustainability; mitigation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global climate change, fragmentation, and other anthropogenic disturbances are transforming natural vegetation, leading to a loss of biological diversity and ecosystem services. Compared to natural ecosystems, transformed ecosystems exhibit lower species diversity, simplified food webs, landscape homogenization, and higher inputs of nutrients and energy. The asymmetrical selective pressure in transformed ecosystems also alters community structure and functional diversity. Transformations of natural vegetation can have a major influence on ecosystem function, such as biomass accumulation, organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycles. Therefore, critical assessment and sustainable management of natural vegetation, as well as transformed ecosystems, are essential for maintaining functional diversity and ecosystem services. This Special Issue addresses the complex interactions of the land-use changes, disturbance regimes, life history strategies, functional diversity and ecosystem processes in different terrestrial biomes. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a research platform, which is fully within the scope of the Journal.

The major themes covered in this topic are as follows:

  • Levels of human modifications of vegetation diversity, and assessment of their impact on plant community functional diversity and productivity.
  • A typology of anthropogenic disturbance regimes in natural and transformed ecosystems.
  • Assessing the impact of mitigating human modifications, such as cultivation, fire suppression, and grazing, on plant community functional diversity and productivity.
  • Analyzing sustainable land management strategies including agroforestry, ecosystem restoration, and conservation practices promoting plant productivity.
  • Role of species richness, functional diversity, and genetic diversity in enhancing ecosystem services.
  • Role of plant community functional diversity in predicting the resilience of natural and transformed ecosystems.
  • Interactions amongst plant functional diversity, productivity and nutrient cycling in natural and transformed ecosystems including intensive land-use biome following the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology.
  • Plant functional diversity as an effective indicator of ecosystem change.

Dr. Ravi Chaturvedi
Prof. Dr. Surendra Singh Bargali
Dr. Arun Jyoti Nath
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • functional dynamics
  • soil carbon sequestration
  • nutrient cycling
  • agroforestry
  • plant productivity

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2713 KiB  
Article
Change in C, N, and P Characteristics of Hypericum kouytchense Organs in Response to Altitude Gradients in Karst Regions of SW China
by Yage Li, Chunyan Zhao, Jiajun Wu, Suyan Ba, Shuo Liu and Panfeng Dai
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2307; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152307 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 186
Abstract
The environmental heterogeneity caused by altitude can lead to trade-offs in nutrient utilization and allocation strategies among plant organs; however, there is still a lack of research on the nutrient variation in the “flower–leaf–branch–fine root–soil” systems of native shrubs along altitude gradients in [...] Read more.
The environmental heterogeneity caused by altitude can lead to trade-offs in nutrient utilization and allocation strategies among plant organs; however, there is still a lack of research on the nutrient variation in the “flower–leaf–branch–fine root–soil” systems of native shrubs along altitude gradients in China’s unique karst regions. Therefore, we analyzed the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and their ratios in flowers, leaves, branches, fine roots, and surface soil of Hypericum kouytchense shrubs across 2200–2700 m altitudinal range in southwestern China’s karst areas, where this species is widely distributed and grows well. The results show that H. kouytchense organs had higher N content than both global and Chinese plant averages. The order of C:N:P value across plant organs was branches > fine roots > flowers > leaves. Altitude significantly affected the nutrient dynamics in plant organs and soil. With increasing altitude, P content in plant organs exhibited a significant concave pattern, leading to unimodal trends in the C:P of plant organs, as well as the N:P of leaves and fine roots. Meanwhile, plant organs except branches displayed significant homeostasis coefficients in C:P and fine root P, indicating a shift in H. kouytchense’s P utilization strategy from acquisitive-type to conservative-type. Strong positive relationships between plant organs and soil P and available P revealed that P was the key driver of nutrient cycling in H. kouytchense shrubs, enhancing plant organ–soil coupling relationships. In conclusion, H. kouytchense demonstrates flexible adaptability, suggesting that future vegetation restoration and conservation management projects in karst ecosystems should consider the nutrient adaptation strategies of different species, paying particular attention to P utilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 2253 KiB  
Article
Plant Diversity and Microbial Community Drive Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Castanopsis hystrix Plantations
by Han Sheng, Babar Shahzad, Fengling Long, Fasih Ullah Haider, Xu Li, Lihua Xian, Cheng Huang, Yuhua Ma and Hui Li
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1973; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131973 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 407
Abstract
Monoculture plantation systems face increasing challenges in sustaining ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) under intensive management and climate change, with long-term functional trajectories remaining poorly understood. Although biodiversity–EMF relationships are well-documented in natural forests, the drivers of multifunctionality in managed plantations, particularly age-dependent dynamics, require [...] Read more.
Monoculture plantation systems face increasing challenges in sustaining ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) under intensive management and climate change, with long-term functional trajectories remaining poorly understood. Although biodiversity–EMF relationships are well-documented in natural forests, the drivers of multifunctionality in managed plantations, particularly age-dependent dynamics, require further investigation. This study examines how stand development influences EMF in Castanopsis hystrix L. plantations, a dominant subtropical timber species in China, by assessing six ecosystem functions (carbon stocks, wood production, nutrient cycling, decomposition, symbiosis, and water regulation) of six forest ages (6, 10, 15, 25, 30, and 34 years). The results demonstrate substantial age-dependent functional enhancement, with carbon stocks and wood production increasing by 467% and 2016% in mature stand (34 year) relative to younger stand (6 year). Nutrient cycling and water regulation showed intermediate gains (6% and 23%). Structural equation modeling identified plant diversity and microbial community composition as direct primary drivers. Tree biomass profiles emerged as the strongest biological predictors of EMF (p < 0.01), exceeding abiotic factors. These findings highlight that C. hystrix plantations can achieve high multifunctionality through stand maturation facilitated by synergistic interactions between plants and microbes. Conservation of understory vegetation and soil biodiversity represents a critical strategy for sustaining EMF, providing a science-based framework for climate-resilient plantation management in subtropical regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
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26 pages, 10996 KiB  
Article
Altitudinal Variations in Coniferous Vegetation and Soil Carbon Storage in Kalam Temperate Forest, Pakistan
by Bilal Muhammad, Umer Hayat, Lakshmi Gopakumar, Shuangjiang Xiong, Jamshid Ali, Muhammad Tariq Badshah, Saif Ullah, Arif UR Rehman, Qun Yin and Zhongkui Jia
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101534 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 778
Abstract
Understanding the complex interplay among altitudinal gradients, tree species diversity, structural attributes, and soil carbon (C) is critical for effective coniferous forest management and climate change mitigation. This study addresses a knowledge gap by investigating the effects of altitudinal gradient on coniferous tree [...] Read more.
Understanding the complex interplay among altitudinal gradients, tree species diversity, structural attributes, and soil carbon (C) is critical for effective coniferous forest management and climate change mitigation. This study addresses a knowledge gap by investigating the effects of altitudinal gradient on coniferous tree diversity, biomass, carbon stock, regeneration, and soil organic carbon storage (SOCs) in the understudied temperate forests of the Hindu-Kush Kalam Valley. Using 120 sample plots 20 × 20 m (400 m2) each via a field inventory approach across five altitudinal gradients [E1 (2000–2200 m)–E5 (2801–3000 m)], we comprehensively analyzed tree structure, composition, and SOCs. A total of four coniferous tree species and 2172 individuals were investigated for this study. Our findings reveal that elevation indirectly influences species diversity, SOCs, and forest regeneration. Notably, tree height has a positive relationship with altitudinal gradients, while tree carbon stock exhibits an inverse relationship. Forest disturbance was high in the middle elevation gradients E2–E4, with high deforestation rate at E1 and E2. Cedrus deodara, the dominant species, showed the highest deforestation rate at lower elevations (R2 = 0.72; p < 0.05) and regeneration ability (R2 = 0.77; p < 0.05), which declined with increasing elevation. Middle elevations had the highest litter carbon stock and SOCs values emphasizing the critical role of elevation gradients in carbon sink and species distribution. The regeneration status and number of trees per ha in Kalam Valley forests showed a significant decline with increasing elevation (p < 0.05), with Cedrus deodara recording the highest regeneration rate at E1 and Abies pindrow the lowest at E5. The PCA revealed that altitudinal gradients factor dominate variability via PCA1, while the Shannon and Simpson Indices drives PCA2, highlighting ecological diversity’s independent role in shaping distinct yet complementary vegetative and ecological perspectives. This study reveals how altitudinal gradients shape forest structure and carbon sequestration, offering critical insights for biodiversity conservation and climate-resilient forest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
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19 pages, 2455 KiB  
Article
Species Diversity, Biomass Production and Carbon Sequestration Potential in the Protected Area of Uttarakhand, India
by Geetanjali Upadhyay, Lalit M. Tewari, Ashish Tewari, Naveen Chandra Pandey, Sheetal Koranga, Zishan Ahmad Wani, Geeta Tewari and Ravi K. Chaturvedi
Plants 2025, 14(2), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020291 - 20 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1730
Abstract
Ecosystem functioning and management are primarily concerned with addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, which are closely linked to carbon stock and species diversity. This research aimed to quantify forest understory (shrub and herb) diversity, tree biomass and carbon sequestration in the Binsar [...] Read more.
Ecosystem functioning and management are primarily concerned with addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, which are closely linked to carbon stock and species diversity. This research aimed to quantify forest understory (shrub and herb) diversity, tree biomass and carbon sequestration in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Using random sampling methods, data were gathered from six distinct forest communities. The study identified 271 vascular plants from 208 genera and 74 families. A notable positive correlation (r2 = 0.085, p < 0.05) was observed between total tree density and total tree basal area (TBA), shrub density (r2 = 0.09), tree diversity (D) (r2 = 0.58), shrub diversity (r2 = 0.81), and tree species richness (SR) (r2 = 0.96). Conversely, a negative correlation was found with the concentration of tree dominance (CD) (r2 = 0.43). The Quercus leucotrichophora, Rhododendron arboreum and Quercus floribunda (QL-RA-QF) community(higher altitudinal zone) exhibited the highest tree biomass (568.8 Mg ha−1), while the (Pinus roxburghii and Quercus leucotrichophora) PR-QL (N) community (lower altitudinal zone) in the north aspect showed the lowest (265.7 Mg ha−1). Carbon sequestration was highest in the Quercus leucotrichophora, Quercus floribunda and Rhododendron arboreum (QL-QF-RA) (higher altitudinal zone) community (7.48 Mg ha−1 yr−1) and lowest in the PR-QL (S) (middle altitudinal zone) community in the south aspect (5.5 Mg ha−1 yr−1). The relationships between carbon stock and various functional parameters such as tree density, total basal area of tree and diversity of tree showed significant positive correlations. The findings of the study revealed significant variations in the structural attributes of trees, shrubs and herbs across different forest stands along altitudinal gradients. This current study’s results highlighted the significance of wildlife sanctuaries, which not only aid in wildlife preservation but also provide compelling evidence supporting forest management practices that promote the planting of multiple vegetation layers in landscape restoration as a means to enhance biodiversity and increase resilience to climate change. Further, comprehending the carbon storage mechanisms of these forests will be critical for developing environmental management strategies aimed at alleviating the impacts of climate change in the years to come. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
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Review

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24 pages, 2148 KiB  
Review
Living Landmarks: A Review of Monumental Trees and Their Role in Ecosystems
by Ruben Budău, Claudia Simona Cleopatra Timofte, Ligia Valentina Mirisan, Mariana Bei, Lucian Dinca, Gabriel Murariu and Karoly Alexandru Racz
Plants 2025, 14(13), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14132075 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 671
Abstract
Monumental trees, defined by their exceptional size, form, and age, are critical components of both cultural heritage and ecological systems. However, their conservation faces increasing threats from habitat fragmentation, climate change, and inadequate public policies. This review synthesized global research on monumental trees [...] Read more.
Monumental trees, defined by their exceptional size, form, and age, are critical components of both cultural heritage and ecological systems. However, their conservation faces increasing threats from habitat fragmentation, climate change, and inadequate public policies. This review synthesized global research on monumental trees by analyzing 204 peer-reviewed articles published between 1989 and 2024 that were sourced from Web of Science and Scopus. Our bibliometric analysis highlighted Olea europaea and Castanea sativa as the most frequently studied species and identified a surge in publications after 2019, particularly from the USA, Italy, and Spain. Key research themes included conservation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The methodological approaches varied globally, encompassing ranking systems; GIS mapping; remote sensing; and non-invasive diagnostic tools, such as acoustic tomography and chlorophyll fluorescence. Conservation strategies discussed included vegetative propagation, cryopreservation, and legal risk management. Despite advances in these techniques, significant gaps remain in effectively addressing environmental pressures and integrating multidisciplinary approaches. We concluded that targeted, interdisciplinary strategies are essential to safeguard monumental trees as vital ecological and cultural landmarks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Functional Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems)
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