Forest Management and Tree Health Dynamics

Forest management encompasses the planning and application of silvicultural systems, harvesting operations and conservation measures aimed at sustaining forest structure, function and service provision. Tree health dynamics describe the interplay between physiological status, biotic agents (such as pathogens and insect herbivores), abiotic stressors (including drought and mechanical injury) and management interventions. Recent advances have highlighted the importance of non-destructive diagnostic techniques to quantify internal decay and assess biomass loss within living trees. At the same time, studies of stand-level damage caused by mechanised harvesting underscore the need to refine operational practices and silvicultural prescriptions to minimise long-term impacts on residual trees. Integrating knowledge of internal stem decay, wound formation and recovery processes with adaptive harvesting strategies is essential to enhance carbon sequestration, maintain timber quality and conserve ecosystem resilience across diverse forest types worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Forest Management and Tree Health Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in forest management and tree health dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Silvicultural prescription: A defined management treatment specifying the timing and method of interventions such as thinning or regeneration cutting.

Internal stem decay: The breakdown of wood tissues within living trees by fungi or insects, often undetectable externally, leading to biomass loss and altered carbon storage.

Stem rot: Fungal infection of heartwood that produces cavities and weakened wood structure, affecting tree stability and biomass estimation.

Residual stand damage: Physical injuries inflicted on remaining trees during logging operations, including wounds, bark stripping and root damage.

Tomography (sonic and electrical resistance): A non-invasive imaging technique that uses sound waves or electrical measurements to map internal wood density and identify decay zones.

References

1. Why are trees hollow? Termites, microbes and tree internal stem damage in a tropical savanna. Functional Ecology (2024).
2. A Comparative Study of Stem Rot Severity in Mature Deciduous Trees in Latvia. Sustainability (2023).
3. Residual Stand Damage under Different Harvesting Methods and Mitigation Strategies. Sustainability (2021).
4. Estimating carbon loss due to internal decay in living trees using tomography: implications for forest carbon budgets. Environmental Research Letters (2018).