Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Intermediate browsing by diverse deer communities is linked to variation in vegetation structure and species richness in vascular plants","authors":"Joseph John Anderson,&nbsp;Anne-Maarit Hekkala,&nbsp;Fredrik Widemo","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123422","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural disturbances, including herbivory by deer, are key drivers of forest dynamics, yet their role in shaping field-layer plant diversity remains unresolved. We investigated how variation in deer density and community composition relates to field-layer plant richness in boreonemoral forest, with reference to the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH). Using annual pellet counts from 2012 to 2023, we quantified long-term densities of moose (<em>Alces alces</em>), red deer (<em>Cervus elaphus</em>), and small deer (roe <em>Capreolus capreolus</em> and fallow <em>Dama dama</em> combined) across 33 1 × 1 km forest tracts in central Sweden. We derived a Deer Energetic Requirement (DER) index by converting species densities to Klieber-scaled metabolic demands and summing across species. In 2023, field-layer vascular plants were surveyed, and relationships between deer densities, vegetation structure, and species richness were analysed. Bilberry browsing increased with both small deer density and DER, confirming that density estimates reflect realised browsing pressure. Vascular plant richness showed a unimodal relationship with small deer density, consistent with the IDH. Contrastingly, field-layer richness had a negative relationship with moose population density, while no relationship was found for red deer. Intermediate levels of DER were associated with lower dwarf shrub cover and higher vertical gap fraction and graminoid cover. These structural differences appeared to be the main indirect pathway through which deer density was related to diversity. Our findings emphasise the importance of browser community composition, density, and heterogeneity in structuring boreonemoral field-layers. Moderate browsing, especially by small deer, can enhance plant diversity by mediating resource availability in forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123422"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative evaluation of RF and GBT models for dead fuel moisture estimation and fuel-type-specific drivers under drought conditions in Central Yunnan, China","authors":"Yuanbei Liu,&nbsp;Yanxia Wang,&nbsp;Weihong Zeng,&nbsp;Wenqi Zhang,&nbsp;Ruliang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) plays a critical role in forest fire ignition and spread. However, its high spatiotemporal resolution mapping remains challenging owing to pronounced short-term variability, heterogeneous fuel responses, and nonlinear season-dependent environmental controls. Using intra-day continuous measurements collected from real woodland environments during the early and late dry seasons, this study investigated DFMC dynamics across four dead fuel types and evaluated the performance of Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting Tree (GBT) models optimized using grid search and Bayesian optimization. Statistically significant differences were detected among <em>Pinus yunnanensis</em>, <em>Pinus armandii</em>, and <em>Quercus</em> spp., although mean DFMC differences were small (≤4.29 %). Across seasons and fuel types, DFMC exhibited substantial variability, with the overall mean difference between the early and late dry seasons reaching 18.30 %. The maximum mean difference among fuel types was 6.68 %, observed between thin branches and humus. Model comparisons showed that GBT with Bayesian optimization achieved slightly higher predictive accuracy, whereas RF with grid search demonstrated greater robustness by more effectively limiting overfitting. During the early dry season, DFMC variations in thick branches, shrubs, and humus were predominantly controlled by topographic factors, whereas thin branches were mainly influenced by meteorological conditions. In the late dry season, the influence of topography weakened, stand-related factors became increasingly important for thick branches, thin branches and shrubs, and meteorological factors dominated humus moisture dynamics. By quantifying short-term DFMC fluctuations and identifying season- and fuel-type-dependent shifts in dominant environmental drivers, this study provides novel mechanistic insights into fine-scale DFMC dynamics and strengthens the scientific basis for high-resolution fire risk monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123458"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of mixed-species forests in post-fire soil organic carbon restoration: Mechanisms and microbial-mediated pathways","authors":"Yaowen Xu ,&nbsp;Jiejie Jiao ,&nbsp;Yanjie Fang ,&nbsp;Liangjin Yao ,&nbsp;Chuping Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfire-induced soil organic C (SOC) loss threatens global C sequestration. However, the mechanisms underlying SOC recovery during reforestation, particularly the roles of tree diversity and microbial-mediated pathways, remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to quantify SOC accumulation patterns across restoration methods and identify microbial mechanisms underlying SOC storage. To this end, we compared monoculture, two-species mixture, and five-species mixture plantations in a subtropical forest 14 years post-fire by integrating SOC fractionation (particulate organic C and mineral-associated organic C [MAOC]), microbial physiological traits (C use efficiency [CUE] and turnover), necromass biomarkers (amino sugars), and soil physicochemical properties. Adjacent undisturbed secondary forests with analogous edaphic and topographic conditions served as reference ecosystems. The five-species mixture restored 77.97 % of the reference SOC levels, significantly outperforming the monoculture (48.76 %) and two-species mixture (65.23 %), primarily through MAOC accumulation (76.55 % of the reference). Microbial necromass C (bacteria + fungi) was the dominant predictor of MAOC (36.1 % of explained variance), whereas CUE showed no significant relationship with SOC. Rapidly available N promoted necromass–MAOC coupling by alleviating microbial stoichiometric constraints. These results demonstrate that reforestation enhances post-fire SOC stabilization by diversifying microbial necromass inputs and optimizing organo–mineral interactions, rather than through metabolic efficiency. Our findings challenge the universal role of CUE in SOC models and advocate for biodiversity-driven strategies to restore fire-affected landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123429"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate determined the influences of competition on age-dependent tree growth in temperate forests","authors":"Ao Wang ,&nbsp;Mingchao Du ,&nbsp;Chen Xu ,&nbsp;Qiang Liu ,&nbsp;Xianliang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although numerous studies have quantified competition impacts on tree growth, how competition–growth relationships influenced by climate remain poorly understood. We employed tree-ring chronologies and forest inventory data from 370 trees across age classes to investigate the mediating role of hydrothermal conditions in the age-dependent competition–growth dynamics of <em>Larix principis-rupprechtii</em> and <em>Betula platyphylla</em> in temperate forest of North China. The results showed that growing-season Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), precipitation, and diurnal temperature range had a stronger influence on the growth of younger <em>B. platyphylla</em>, while the growth of older individuals was more sensitive to temperature. In contrast, the radial growth of <em>L. principis-rupprechtii</em> was generally more strongly driven by climatic factors, particularly in middle-aged and older trees. For both species, the competition–growth relationship exhibited consistently negative correlations across all age classes. Increased moisture alleviated competition effects for middle-aged <em>B. platyphylla</em> (P &lt; 0.05), but intensified the negative effects of competition on growth in older individuals. No significant moisture limitation was detected on the competition–growth relationship for <em>L. principis-rupprechtii</em>. Elevated temperatures intensified competition effects on growth for middle-aged and older trees of both species (P &lt; 0.05). These findings demonstrate that competition–growth relationships are co-determined by tree age and hydrothermal interactions. In the context of mid-age forest management, selectively thinning mature <em>B. platyphylla</em> stands can mitigate competition-induced growth suppression during wet periods, and greater attention to age-structured stand management is essential for enhancing forest adaptability under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123479"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145838048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Land-use legacies drive distinct recovery trajectories and persistently shape the taxonomic and functional composition of tree communities","authors":"Vanessa de Souza Moreno ,&nbsp;Fabio A.R. Matos ,&nbsp;Ricardo G. César ,&nbsp;Gabriel D. Colleta ,&nbsp;Elisa Díaz García ,&nbsp;Robin L. Chazdon ,&nbsp;Pedro H.S. Brancalion","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Second-growth forests play a fundamental role in conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services in deforested tropical landscapes. However, land-use imposes constraints on forest restoration and ecosystem functioning, thereby posing challenges to the attainment of global restoration targets established by the UN-Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Here, we investigated how contrasting land-use influences species composition and alpha taxonomic diversity, as well as taxonomic and functional β-diversity and local contributions to β-diversity, in second-growth forests regenerating on former plantations of <em>Eucalyptus</em> spp. and abandoned pasturelands within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We further examined whether the partitioning of β-diversity (turnover and nestedness) and functional trait composition reflected land-use legacies. The two forest types differed in species composition and showed high within-group variation in taxonomic and functional β-diversity. However, they had similar mean alpha taxonomic diversity, mean within-group β-diversity, and mean between-group local contributions to β-diversity. Furthermore, β-diversity patterns were primarily structured by turnover (heterogenisation) in former pasturelands and nestedness (homogenisation) in former plantations. This heterogenisation was linked to functional traits characteristic of early successional stages during ecosystem recomposition, whereas homogenisation corresponded to traits typical of more advanced successional stages. These findings suggest that, although overall β-diversity converges over time across different land-use types, marked variation in the composition of functional traits still persist, indicating that community reassembly processes remain strongly influenced by prior land-use. Importantly, the integration of commercial exotic – but non-invasive – species into restoration strategies may enhance ecological effectiveness, financial viability, and scalability, thereby supporting cost-effective large-scale reforestation initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123463"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145838051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deconstructing driver importance: A geospatial explainable AI approach to modeling pine wilt disease susceptibility in China","authors":"Lin Chen,&nbsp;Yu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123471","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123471","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by the pine wood nematode (<em>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</em>), poses a significant and escalating threat to global forest ecosystems. Accurate susceptibility mapping and a deep understanding of its drivers are critical for effective management. This study pioneers a geospatial explainable AI (GeoXAI) framework to model PWD susceptibility across China and unravel the complex, spatially-varying importance of its drivers. We integrated 14 environmental, biotic, and anthropogenic predictors to train four machine learning models, of which CatBoost demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.9837). We then employed SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and GeoShapley to interpret the model. Results identified beetle vector abundance (BV), host susceptibility index (SHI), and distance to road (DTR) as the dominant global drivers. Critically, the GeoShapley analysis revealed profound spatial heterogeneity in these drivers’ impacts; for instance, the risk-enhancing effect of proximity to roads was dramatically amplified along a broad central–eastern corridor extending into southeastern China, while the influence of elevation and ecosystem productivity varied among regions. By decomposing driver importance into non-spatial (primary) and spatially-explicit (interaction) components, we provide the first quantitative evidence that a driver’s influence is fundamentally context-dependent. This work not only delivers a highly accurate national-scale PWD susceptibility map but also establishes a new paradigm for diagnosing spatially-explicit ecological risks, enabling a critical shift from uniform policies to targeted, geography-aware intervention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123471"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145838110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Competition release dominates growth recovery of four subtropical broadleaved tree species following an extreme snow event","authors":"Tong-Liang Xu ,&nbsp;Rao-Qiong Yang ,&nbsp;Zaw Zaw ,&nbsp;Shankar Panthi ,&nbsp;Xin-Hua Peng ,&nbsp;Ju-Mei Zhang ,&nbsp;Pei-Li Fu ,&nbsp;Ke-Yan Fang ,&nbsp;Ze-Xin Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing frequency of extreme weather events profoundly threatens forest ecosystem functioning. Although substantial research has examined extreme snowfall impacts on subtropical forest dynamics, critical knowledge gaps persist regarding post-disturbance tree growth recovery trajectories and their mechanistic drivers. This study investigated growth recovery and resilience following a severe 2015 snowstorm in four most prevalent broad-leaved species (<em>Stewartia pteropetiolata</em>, <em>Machilus yunnanensis</em>, <em>Schima noronhea,</em> and <em>Machilus gamblei</em>) within a primary subtropical evergreen forest in the Ailao Mountain of Southwest China. By combining dendrochronological analysis with long-term census data from two 1-ha permanent plots, we quantified growth recovery patterns and their relationships with tree age/size, pre-disturbance growth performance, and competition release (σCI). Our results showed that snow damage impacts on radial growth, recovery, and resilience varied significantly among species. Specifically, over 50 % of <em>Stewartia pteropetiolata</em> and <em>Machilus yunnanensis</em> individuals recovered pre-snow growth rates within one year, whereas <em>Schima noronhea</em> and <em>Machilus gamblei</em> required up to four years to fully recover. Competition release (σCI) was the primary factor governing growth recovery and resilience. These findings provide a crucial basis for developing management strategies to sustain subtropical forest ecosystem services in the face of increasing extreme climate events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123439"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing fire regime assessment in the Indian Himalayan forests using GEDI LiDAR","authors":"Konica Bhandari,&nbsp;Gulab Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfires are the leading cause of forest degradation and reduce the carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. As climate change intensifies fire regimes, accurately mapping burn severity and biomass loss remains difficult, particularly in complex mountainous terrain. Traditional remote sensing approaches based on optical data often fail to capture sub-canopy and structural variations, while field-based methods are constrained by scale, access, and logistical complexity. To address these limitations, this study utilises NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) LiDAR data to capture three-dimensional forest structure and monitor changes in aboveground biomass. Focusing on the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), we utilised GEDI structural metrics for fire severity classifications derived from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) data. Spatial fire density mapping revealed that Evergreen Needleleaf (ENL), Evergreen Broadleaf (EBL), and Deciduous Broadleaf (DBL) plant functional types (PFTs) are particularly vulnerable to recurring fires. The GEDI Level 4 A AGBD product, when tested in the IHR, showed a tendency to underestimate biomass relative to regional field studies, indicating the need for localised calibration in rugged terrain. We found that the pre-monsoon fire season resulted in a biomass loss of 14.33 Mg/ha for the ENL PFT, while the EBL PFT showed a biomass gain of 3.15 Mg/ha. A Random Forest model utilising GEDI structural inputs for fire severity classification achieved an overall accuracy of 85 %. We found that vegetation structural complexity, rather than canopy height, is a more important predictor of high fire severity. We also evaluated the Waveform Structural Complexity Index (WSCI), a novel GEDI metric that effectively characterised fire severity across the under-storey vegetation. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating 3D vegetation structure into fire impact assessments, moving beyond the limitations of conventional two-dimensional optical datasets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123475"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Summer aridity modulates tree growth response to thinning in Mediterranean pines","authors":"Daniel Moreno-Fernández,&nbsp;Miren del Río,&nbsp;Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado,&nbsp;Isabel Cañellas","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123485","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123485","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest management offers a proven tool for adapting forests to changing climatic conditions and mitigating their impacts. However, the interaction between forest management practices and climatic conditions in Mediterranean forests warrants further investigation. The primary objective of this study is to assess the combined impact of climate and thinning on secondary tree growth in Mediterranean pines. For the purposes of this study, we leveraged long-term forest information from nine thinning trials established in four Mediterranean pine stands, comprising two subspecies of <em>Pinus nigra</em> Arn. (Black pine subsp <em>nigra</em> and <em>salzmannii</em>), <em>Pinus pinaster</em> Ait. (Maritime pine), <em>Pinus pinea</em> L. (Stone pine) and <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> L. (Scots pine). We found a significant, positive association between growth and thinning intensity and a negative relationship with summer aridity. Interestingly, our results revealed that the interaction between thinning and climate is species-specific but also site-specific for Scots pine. Overall, we concluded that thinning is a powerful tool for adapting forests to harsher climatic conditions in the Mediterranean Basin. However, the reduction in density may not be sufficient for forests to adapt when climatic conditions become extremely harsh.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123485"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant functional trait shifts and biodiversity patterns across urban embedding gradients in karst remnant mountain forests","authors":"Gilbert Kumilamba,&nbsp;Shujun Liu,&nbsp;Zhijie Wang ,&nbsp;Jinghao Li,&nbsp;Jian Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123486","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123486","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanization increasingly fragments natural habitats, creating remnant ecosystems embedded within dense urban environments. However, how urban embedding and internal environmental heterogeneity jointly shape biodiversity across vegetation strata remains poorly understood. This study investigated twelve karst remnant mountains in Guiyang City, China, stratified into four embedding levels (no, low, moderate, high) using spatial kernel density analysis. Across tree, shrub, and herb layers, species diversity (richness, Shannon, Simpson, Pielou) and functional diversity (functional richness (FRic), evenness (FEve), divergence (FDiv), dispersion (FDis), and Rao’s quadratic entropy (RaoQ)) were quantified, based on plant height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and coverage traits alongside topographic variables. Tree diversity declined with increasing embedding, with reduced FRic and FDiv indicating trait convergence toward fewer, competitively dominant species. Shrubs exhibited marked losses of functional richness and divergence, suggesting niche homogenization. In contrast, herbs displayed greater FRic under higher embedding, reflecting colonization by disturbance-tolerant species, though declines in FEve and RaoQ indicated uneven trait distribution and reduced stability. Across all strata, species, and functional diversity weakened along the embedding gradient, signaling a decoupling of taxonomic and functional dimensions. Redundancy analysis and PLS-SEM revealed altitude, slope, and rock exposure as the strongest drivers of both species and functional diversity, acting through environmental filtering on trait expression. This study reveals that urban embedding reduces biodiversity and alters functional trait strategies in karst remnant ecosystems. The findings highlight the importance of habitat heterogeneity in buffering urban stress and provide a trait-based framework to guide biodiversity conservation in fragmented urban landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"603 ","pages":"Article 123486"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}