Covid-19 Pandemic Impacts on Forests

  • 9,796

    Total Downloads

  • 82k

    Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

The global pandemic associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus has elicited extraordinary responses from governments worldwide. In order to contain the spread of the disease, individual and economic mobility has been increasingly restricted, with country to country mobility all but halted. One consequence is a drastic reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels, with obvious consequences for global carbon flows. Emissions of anthropogenic pollutant gases are declining, and air and water quality is improving many urban and suburban areas. These rapid and large changes in regional and global cycles of greenhouse and trace gases open up the possibility of ‘real-time’ study in ‘real laboratories’. The dynamic adaptability of forests and trees to changing climates (e.g. heat waves and extreme drought) and other stressors now has a new dimension.

The pandemic has arguably already had direct impacts on forestry. European forests have for the past two years suffered significant drought. Sawmills and the timber industry are already carrying full inventories. Some mills have now closed due to Covid-19, as have furniture factories. The oversupply has seen timber prices collapse across Europe. In the United States (US), hording of hygiene products has caused in spike in demand for pulp wood, while economic uncertainty has reduced demand for lumber. The combination of regional climate extremes and changes in demand for wood driven by Covid-19 will influence forest use in the medium to long term, with impacts on nature conservation and biodiversity, vulnerability of forests to pests, and forest restructuring towards more climate-resilient forests.

Furthermore, the pandemic has clearly changed the value placed on urban and peri-urban green spaces and forests as recreational and leisure areas at a time when international travel is severely restricted. In the US, urban residents seeking refuge from Covid-19 infection hot-spots are flooding into rural areas placing increased pressure on ecosystem services. The lessons we learn from this pandemic will influence future land use planning and management. Securing the future of protected and recreational areas under increasing population pressure and changing human behavior will likely rise in government priorities.

In this Research Topic, which clearly intersects with many of the sections and topics already present in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, we aim to incorporate a wide range of observational, experimental and special modelling studies that address key aspects of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our forests. Authors are invited to submit original papers, reviews/mini-surveys, methodologies and opinion articles that relate to, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• What are the impacts of reduced pollutant emissions on biogeochemical feedbacks and processes, such as carbon sinks and aerosol formation in forest ecosystems and urban forests?
• Does the large-scale reduction of air pollution lead to improvement of forest ecosystems’ health and advanced urban greening?
• Do the reduced management activities in forests lead to an increased incidence of diseases, e.g. bark beetle calamities?
• What are the short-term and long-term economic consequences of the pandemic for forestry enterprises and forest owners?
• Are observed improvements in water quality associated with reduced economic activity only temporary or are they associated with restoration?
• How could changes in forest management impact biodiversity?
• How are the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic reflected in ecosystem services provided by forests?
• Does the use of forests as recreation areas change due to changed behavior of urban residents in the long-term?
• How has the pandemic lockdown affected land use and economics, conservation and deforestation in forest frontier regions?
• How are forest goods and services (bushmeat, food resources) used during economic lockdown: is there evidence of a forest safety net?
• What are the interactions and spread of Covid-19 between humans and other species in forest regions?

Research Topic Research topic image

Keywords: Recovery Capacity, Resilience, Physiological Acclimation, Global Change, Pollution, Forest Dynamics, Forest Growth, Forest Management, Forest Health, Climate Feedbacks

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.