Wood Formation Dynamics and Tree Acclimation in Response to Climate and Anthropogenic Stressors

Wood formation research lies at the intersection of plant physiology, ecology, and environmental sciences. In a rapidly changing climate, understanding how trees form wood and adapt their structures to environmental variability has become increasingly critical. Recent studies reveal that climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and seasonal extremes directly influence cambial activity, xylem growth, and anatomical traits.



However, environmental drivers are not limited to climate alone; human-induced stressors such as urbanization, pollution, and deforestation also affect tree growth dynamics and long-term resilience. Despite advances in dendroecology and wood anatomy, major knowledge gaps persist regarding the interactive effects of multiple stressors, the mechanisms underlying tree adaptability, and the feedback loops between tree function and ecosystem stability.



This Research Topic aims to integrate multidisciplinary perspectives examining how environmental factors—both natural and anthropogenic—govern wood formation and tree adaptation across ecosystems. The primary goal is to elucidate the physiological, anatomical, and ecological mechanisms that drive woody growth responses to environmental variability. We seek to highlight the linkages between xylogenesis, water transport, mechanical stability, and stress tolerance, as well as to test hypotheses related to tree resilience under global change. By promoting collaboration between researchers in wood anatomy, forest ecology, and environmental sciences, this initiative aspires to deepen our understanding of how trees sustain growth and functionality in a rapidly transforming world.



To gather further insights into the environmental drivers of wood formation, we welcome articles exploring various ecological contexts, species, and methodological approaches. This Research Topic invites cutting-edge studies, including empirical, modeling, and experimental work, focusing on but not limited to the following themes:



• Quantitative wood anatomy and the environmental modulation of xylem traits

• Cambial dynamics and intra-annual growth responses to climatic or anthropogenic stressors

• Dendroecological approaches to assess tree adaptation and resilience

• Wood formation, xylem anatomy, physiological performance, and hydraulic functioning under drought, heat, pollution, and other environmental stressors.

• Urban and disturbed forest environments as natural laboratories for investigating the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on wood formation and tree acclimation.

• Comparative studies of wood formation dynamics and tree acclimation across species, biomes, and climatic gradients.

• Methodological innovations for monitoring wood formation and environmental interactions

Appendix: We encourage the submission of Original Research, Reviews, Methods, and Perspectives articles.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: wood formation, tree resilience, dendroecology, climate change, anthropogenic stressors, quantitative wood anatomy, cambial dynamics, water transport, forest ecosystems, drought and heat stress

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.