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ABSTRACT. The choice between different forest management practices is a crucial step in short, medium, and long-term decision making in forestry and when setting up measures to support a regional or national forest policy. Some conditions such as biogeographically determined site factors, exposure to major disturbances, and societal demands are predetermined, whereas operational processes such as species selection, site preparation, planting, tending, or thinning can be altered by management. In principle, the concept of a forest management approach provides a framework for decision making, including a range of silvicultural operations that influence the development of a stand or group of trees over time. These operations vary among silvicultural systems and can be formulated as a set of basic principles. Consequently, forest management approaches are essentially defined by coherent sets of forest operation processes at a stand level.Five ideal forest management approaches (FMAs) representing a gradient of management intensity are described using specific sets of basic principles that enable comparison across European forests. Each approach is illustrated by a regional European case study. The observed regional variations resulting from changing species composition, stand density, age structure, stand edges, and site conditions can be interpreted using the FMA framework. Despite being arranged along an intensity gradient, the forest management approaches are not considered to be mutually exclusive, as the range of options allows for greater freedom in selecting potential silvicultural operations. As derived goods and services are clearly affected, the five forest management approaches have implications for sustainability. Thus, management objectives can influence the balance between the economic, ecological, and social dimensions of sustainability. The utility of this framework is further demonstrated through the different contributions to this special issue.

Aim of study: We aim at (i) developing a reference definition of mixed forests in order to harmonize comparative research in mixed forests and (ii) review the research perspectives in mixed forests.Area of study: The definition is developed in Europe but can be tested worldwide.Material and Methods: Review of existent definitions of mixed forests based and literature review encompassing dynamics, management and economic valuation of mixed forests.Main results: A mixed forest is defined as a forest unit, excluding linear formations, where at least two tree species coexist at any developmental stage, sharing common resources (light, water, and/or soil nutrients). The presence of each of the component species is normally quantified as a proportion of the number of stems or of basal area, although volume, biomass or canopy cover as well as proportions by occupied stand area may be used for specific objectives. A variety of structures and patterns of mixtures can occur, and the interactions between the component species and their relative proportions may change over time.The research perspectives identified are (i) species interactions and responses to hazards, (ii) the concept of maximum density in mixed forests, (iii) conversion of monocultures to mixed-species forest and (iv) economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by mixed forests.Research highlights: The definition is considered a high-level one which encompasses previous attempts to define mixed forests. Current fields of research indicate that gradient studies, experimental design approaches, and model simulations are key topics providing new research opportunities.Keywords: COST Action; EuMIXFOR; mixed-species forests; admixtures of species.

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1. Plant species sometimes perform extraordinarily well when introduced to new environments, through achieving higher growth rates, individual biomasses or higher densities in their receiving communities compared to their native range communities. One hypothesis proposed to explain enhanced performance in species' new environments is that their soil microbial communities may be different and provide greater benefit than microbial communities encountered in species' native environments. However, detailed descriptions of soil biota associated with species in both their native and introduced environments remain scarce. 2. We established a global network of sites in regions where the tree species Pinus contorta has been introduced (Chile, New Zealand, Finland, Scotland and Sweden), as well as native range sites where the introduced populations originated (Canada and USA). We conducted pyrosequencing analysis to compare the root fungal endophyte communities associated with P. contorta in its native environments and in introduced environments with phylogenetically similar and dissimilar tree species (i.e. P. sylvestris in Europe and Nothofagus spp. in the Southern Hemisphere). 3. Fungal communities associated with P. contorta consistently differed between its introduced and native environments. In Europe, P. contorta associated with the same community as P. sylvestris, where one particular species (Piloderma sphaerosporum) was particularly abundant relative to Canadian sites. In the Southern Hemisphere, P. contorta fungal communities were composed primarily of North American taxa and exhibited very little overlap with fungal communities associated with native Nothofagus spp. 4. Synthesis. Our work shows that plants exhibit considerable plasticity in their interaction with fungi, by associating with different fungal communities across native and introduced environments. Our work also indicates that fungal communities associated with introduced plants can assemble through different mechanisms, that is by associating with existing fungal communities of phylogenetically close species, or through reassembly of co-introduced and co-invading fungi. The identification of different fungal communities in a plant species new environment provides an important step forward in understanding how soil biota may impact growth and invasion when a species is introduced to new environments.