About this Research Topic
Pollutants from human activities, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microplastics, etc., often interfere with microbial material conversion and nutrient cycling. High concentrations of pollutants directly affect plant physiological activities, adversely affecting forest tree root growth and function, photosynthesis, and enzyme activity, promoting ATP degradation, changing the permeability of cell membranes, and damaging genetic material, which in turn affects tree growth and reproduction. Moreover, the continuous transport, accumulation, and transformation of pollutants in the forest will also cause changes in the composition of forest species and community structure and even lead to reverse succession of forest ecosystems. Therefore, a greater comprehension of the detailed sources of forest disturbance due to anthropogenic pollution, the degree of source risk, and how forests respond to disturbances from various sources is required for sustainable forestry. Only in this way can the authorities reduce these disturbances at the source to accurately prevent and control them.
This Research Topic focuses on identifying and quantifying the anthropogenic sources of forest disturbance, which may involve pollutants (such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microplastics, etc.) generated by industrial emissions, road construction, pesticide abuse, and domestic effluents. Adverse shifts in the structure and function of forest ecosystems with increasing pollutant concentrations are a long-term process that should be controlled. Additionally, based on the quantification of the sources, the potential risks posed by the sources should be evaluated, allowing for the prioritization of the prevention and control of disturbance sources with significant consequences. The Research Topic also includes forest biome, forest nutrient cycling, and forest landscape responses to various disturbances.
Topics may include, but are by no means limited to:
- To establish models that can accurately identify different anthropogenic pollution sources and evaluate the disturbance risk of the forest caused by these pollutants.
- Comprehensive assessment of pollution risk and pollutant compound risk zoning in the forest.
- Response mechanisms of forest biomes to forest disturbances caused by various anthropogenic pollution.
Keywords: Disturbance source, Disturbance risk, Response mechanism, Forest landscape, Biome change, Nutrient cycle, Anthropogenic pollution
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.