Potential Sustainability and Stress Resilience of Forest Trees Induced by Nanotechnology Applications

Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, supporting bioenergy production, and providing green jobs that sustain the livelihoods of billions worldwide. However, in recent decades, forests have become increasingly vulnerable to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses that impede forest yield and development, thereby threatening environmental stability, food security, and global human well-being. Key challenges include climate change, water scarcity, soil-related constraints, overcutting, and pathogenic infestations, all of which hinder successful growth and productivity. Emerging nanotechnology, particularly the application of nanoparticles (NPs) ranging from 1 to 100 nm, offers innovative solutions in forestry. This review analyzes published research over the past 25 years on the applications of NPs in forest production, with a particular focus on enhancing reforestation efforts and stress resilience. Out of the 64 researches reviewed, the key areas of investigation include improvements in seed germination (14%), plant growth (36%), and physiological tolerance to drought (18.6%), salinity and toxicity (9.7%), pests and diseases (8.6%), and wildfire stressors (13%). Approximately 97% of NP applications have shown beneficial effects on critical growth and physiological parameters, although a small number of studies report adverse outcomes. Future applications in forestry should emphasize the optimization of commonly used NPs, including silver (AgNPs), zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), silicon dioxide (SiO₂ NPs), and iron-based NPs. Notably, the current literature remains limited in its coverage of global tree species. This review advocates for a synergistic, interdisciplinary approach to advance the sustainable integration of nanotechnology into forestry practices and to broaden its application across a wider diversity of tree species. Collaborative research efforts will be essential to further develop this promising field.