Forest bioindication via vascular plants: from multilevel frameworks to trait-based analysis

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtag226

J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtag226

Forest bioindication via vascular plants: from multilevel frameworks to trait-based analysis

Olena Blinkova^{1, 2*}, Roma Żytkowiak¹, Dawid Adamczyk¹, Liudmyla Raichuk³, Saulius Mickevičius⁴, Marina Sidorenko⁴, Volodymyr Vasylenko⁴, Olga Iungin⁴, Dalia Urbonavičienė⁴, Andrzej M. Jagodziński¹

1. Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences , Parkowa 5, 62-035, Kórnik , Poland;
2. Taras Shevchenko Lugansk National University , Koval St. 3, 36003, Poltava , Ukraine;
3. Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine , 12 Metrolohichna St., 03143, Kyiv , Ukraine;
4. Vytautas Magnus University, Research Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences, Universiteto g. 10 , Akademija, 53361, Kaunas , Lithuania
*Correspondence to blinkova@man.poznan.pl

Received:2026-03-16 Revised:2026-08-10 Accepted:2026-08-31 Published:2026-09-16

Abstract

Abstract: Forest bioindication is widely used to assess ecosystem condition under anthropogenic and climatic stress, yet vascular plant-based approaches remain fragmented across biological levels, forest types, and indicator traits. This review synthesises the indexed and retrievable literature using a structured conceptual review and an ABC classification matrix linking biological organisation level, forest type, and indicator trait category. A total of 1,278 publications retrieved for January 2000–May 2025 were classified at the metadata level (title, abstract, and keywords) to identify research patterns and methodological gaps. Species- and community-level studies were the most frequently assigned organisational categories (A5, n=500; A6, n=460), while temperate forests, especially deciduous forests (B3.1, n=112), were strongly represented. Functional and morphometric traits were the most frequent trait categories, whereas biochemical, cellular-, and organ-level indicators were less integrated into broader forest assessments. The results indicate methodological expansion rather than linear replacement of species-based approaches, but integration across biological levels remains limited. PCA-based ordination and K-means clustering suggested two provisional research orientations: ecosystem- and community-level studies in tropical and subtropical forests based mainly on morpho-functional traits, and cellular- to organism-level studies in temperate forests focused on physiological and biochemical responses. Because the classification was metadata-based and the multivariate analyses exploratory, these orientations should be interpreted as descriptive tendencies rather than confirmed divisions of the field. The ABC framework supports comparison among studies and highlights priorities for diagnostic coherence, defined as consistent classification, measurement, and interpretation of indicators across biological levels, forest types, and trait categories.

This review assesses vascular-plant-based forest bioindication using a structured conceptual review and an ABC matrix linking biological level, forest type, and trait category. It metadata-classified 1,278 publications retrieved for Jan 2000–May 2025. Findings show dominance of species- and community-level studies and of temperate, especially deciduous, forests; functional/morphometric traits were most common, whereas biochemical, cellular- and organ-level indicators were weakly integrated. The field expanded rather than replaced species-based approaches. Exploratory ordination/clustering suggested two descriptive orientations—tropical/subtropical ecosystem–community work using morpho-functional traits, and temperate physiological–biochemical work—but these remain tentative given metadata-based, exploratory methods. The ABC framework can improve comparability and diagnostic coherence across levels, forest types, and traits.

Key words: anthropogenic stress, climate change, forest type, biological organization, plant functional trait, vegetation monitoring

Olena Blinkova, Roma Żytkowiak, Dawid Adamczyk, Liudmyla Raichuk, Saulius Mickevičius, Marina Sidorenko, Volodymyr Vasylenko, Olga Iungin, Dalia Urbonavičienė, Andrzej M. Jagodziński. Forest bioindication via vascular plants: from multilevel frameworks to trait-based analysis[J]. J Plant Ecol, DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtag226.

[1]	Yi Zhou, Shenghua Chang, Xiaojuan Huang, Wenjun Wang, Fujiang Hou, Yanrong Wang, Zhibiao Nan. Climate and human activities mediate the trade-off of plant above- and below-ground C, N and P stocks in typical steppes along the precipitation gradient [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(4): 1-.
[2]	Mingyang Liu, Weiren Wang, Qing Ye, Hui Liu, Ronghua Li, Shidan Zhu, Osazee O Oyanoghafo, Pengcheng He. Trade-offs between water use efficiency and hydraulic conductivity across 52 woody species distributed in three forests along a precipitation gradient [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(3): 1-.
[3]	Hanliang Gui, Xuewen Zhou, Zixuan Li, Qinchuan Xin. Overestimated carbon uptake stability due to inadequate vegetation dynamics in ecosystem models [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(3): 1-.
[4]	Siyuan Gao, Yifan Gao, Huimin Zhou, Chunyan Lu, Xinxin Wang, Ying Chen, Hao Wang, Chengcheng Dong, Huiying Liu. Soil multifunctionality in the face of climate change and human impact across China’s drylands [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[5]	Na Li, Suke Hou, Mai-He Li, Xi Qi, Liangjun Zhu, Jitang Li, Paolo Cherubini, Zhaoyong Hu, Zhengfang Wu, Renkai Dong, Lei Wang, Youwen Wang, Danyang Yuan, Haibo Du. Elevation gradient modulates the effects of herbaceous encroachment on the long-term growth trends and climate sensitivity of Rhododendron aureum in alpine tundra [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[6]	Xiao-Hua Yang, Xiao-Sa Liang, Yuan Shi, Yuan-Xiu Wu, Xiao-Ru Zhang, Cong Ding, Xiao-Jing Zhang, Alemayehu Adugna, Xiao-Tao Lü. Grassland plant species with slow-growing strategy are more resistant to extreme drought [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[7]	Shuo Zhang, Ya-Jie Zhou, Jia-Na Lin, Wen Qin, Ting Zhou, Shao-Lin Peng. Potential effects of future climate change on global Taxus distributions and diversity [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[8]	Yuhan Zou, Xiying Tang, Lijuan Cui, Xinsheng Zhao, Xiajie Zhai, Yinru Lei, Jinzhi Wang, Huazhe Li, Wei Li. Disturbance-driven variation in soil characteristics, plant functional traits, and biodiversity in wetlands [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[9]	Gianalberto Losapio, Lucía Mottet, Nora Khelidj, Bao Ngan Tu, Bruno E.L. Cerabolini, Stephanie Grand, Natasha de Vere, Antoine Guisan. Ecological indicators predict functional diversity dynamics following glacier retreat [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-37.
[10]	Jiaqi Guo, Zihan Zhou, Tong Feng, Jincheng Liu, Jun Liu, Xiaomin Zeng. Prediction of potential suitable areas for dominant tree species in China under future climate change scenarios [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-53.
[11]	Meng-Qiu Niu, Mei-Hong Huang, Peng-Fei Yang, Quan-Sheng Fu, Jie Lin, Junyi Chen, Tao Zhang, Zhi-Min Li, Zhou-Yu Liao, Hang Sun, Jian-Guo Chen. Multiple cushion plants enhance alpine plant diversity through sustaining plant–plant co-occurrence networks [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-48.
[12]	Qiaoyu Yan, Xuming Wang, Ashraf Muhammad Arslan, Runji Ma, Qi Liu, Lei Li, Xiaoying Gong. Electron transport to assimilation ratio (ETR/A) of C₃ plants is affected by atmospheric CO₂ [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(5): 1-34.
[13]	Enze Li, Hang Luo, Xingyong Cui, Kangjia Liu, Wenpan Dong. Future climate change promotes the global threat of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) to ash species [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(5): 1-26.
[14]	Wenjie Li, Chenrui Wang, Peng Zhang, Junsheng Ke, Zijian Yu, Yilin Dang, Hongying Jiang, Mu Liu, Kui Hu, Xiang Liu. Higher leaf positions associated with biotrophic pathogen infection [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(5): 1-35.
[15]	Fandong Meng, Jianping Sun, Wangwang Lü, Zhenhua Zhang, Bowen Li, Yang Zhou, Jingya Lü, Lanying Chen, Tsechoe Dorji, Shiping Wang. Trade-off between growing season length and herbaceous growth on the Third Pole [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(4): 1-11.

Forest bioindication via vascular plants: from multilevel frameworks to trait-based analysis

HTML

PDF

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

References

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments