Research progress on the damage status and ecological restoration of natural forests in the Nanling mountains

The Nanling mountain region is a critical component of China's ecological security barrier. Its ecosystems are becoming increasingly fragile due to the dual pressures of human activities and natural disturbances, leading to prominent issues such as biodiversity loss and elevated ecological risks. So, there is an urgent need to develop restoration and security assurance technologies for degraded ecosystems to support regional sustainable development. Accordingly, this paper aims to review the current degradation status of natural forests and the research progress on ecological restoration technologies in the Nanling mountain region, thereby providing a scientific basis for forest ecosystem restoration and sustainable development. It is expected to promote the research and application of natural forest protection and ecological security technologies. Under the context of global climate change, this study systematically synthesizes relevant domestic and international literature to comprehensively analyze the driving factors of natural forest degradation, restoration technologies, and their practical effectiveness in the Nanling mountain region. The results indicate that natural disturbances such as ice-snow disasters are the primary causes leading to the destruction of stand structure and regressive succession of natural forests in the Nanling mountains, while anthropogenic disturbances such as bamboo expansion further exacerbate biodiversity loss and soil degradation. In the research and development of technologies for enhancing the functions and stability of degraded natural forest ecosystems, strengthening sprout management, close-to-nature mixed silviculture and intelligent decision-support systems can significantly enhance the efficiency of restoration technology application. Meanwhile, the synergistic model of classified management and carbon sink function plays a positive role in the increase of stand volume and the restoration of ecological functions. In summary, the findings provide technical support for the scientific restoration of degraded natural forests in the Nanling mountains, and have important theoretical and practical value for ensuring the continuous improvement of the ecological barrier function of the Nanling mountains.