Work

Restoration pathways reshape forest structure and multifunctionality in subtropical plantations and secondary forests

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: -broadleaved mixed plantations, and naturally regenerated secondary forests following plantation clear-cutting. Eight service indicators represented soil conservation, water conservation, canopy-based climate regulation, carbon storage, stand productivity, tree species diversity, regeneration capacity, and soil fertility maintenance. EMF was quantified using averaging and threshold-based approaches, while root mean square deviation measured pairwise service imbalance. Regression models, relative-importance analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to examine associations between environmental and stand attributes and EMF. Mixed plantations had the highest mean EMF (0.559), compared with secondary forests (0.403) and pure plantations (0.383), and significantly higher multifunctionality at the 50% and 75% thresholds. However, they also had the largest number of highly imbalanced service pairs. Differences at the 25% threshold were not significant. Regeneration capacity was relatively low across all pathways, whereas static water retention was higher in secondary forests than in either plantation type. Prominent correlates differed among pathways: soil total phosphorus and species mingling in pure plantations, diameter-based structural diversity and stand age in mixed plantations, and stand density and soil total nitrogen in secondary forests. Higher aggregate EMF therefore did not imply a more balanced service bundle. This observational comparison supports evaluating restoration through both aggregate multifunctionality and individual service profiles, with inference restricted to the sampled middle-aged stands.

Source: Frontiers in Plant Science

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1941032

Authors: Juyang Wu, Qin Xiang, Xuemei Wang, Shan Zhou, Jingpin Lei

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Forestry, Research Institute of Forestry, Hubei University, Southwest Forestry University

Language: English

Topic: Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801